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The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits Congress from passing any law respecting the establishment of Religion, in your opinion what do you consider the meaning of "respecting the Establishment of Religion."
It's Congress shall make no law respecting AN establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof Making the question totally different and the founders intent abundantly clear.
The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits Congress from passing any law respecting the establishment of Religion, in your opinion what do you consider the meaning of "respecting the Establishment of Religion."
It means Congress is unable to make a law about religion. 9 of the original 13 states had official religion--so they weren't scared of allowing religion in the public sector. They just didnt want the federal government to dictate what religion they were, or how they practiced it.
It's Congress shall make no law respecting AN establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof Making the question totally different and the founders intent abundantly clear.
It can mean no law giving respect (or prohibitions) to any of the religious establishments.
It can mean no law having anything to do with any of the religious establishments.
It can mean no law about establishing a religion or prohibiting one in thought.
It can mean no law about any of the religious establishments.
It can mean that the Judicial or Executive branch can establish or prohibit religions.
It can mean that Congress just needs to pass an amendment removing or clarifying the "spirit" of the first amendment.
It can mean many more things than these, since this life is for the living... and not for the dead.
Vizio the founders were more into freedom than a state's rights to take away that freedom. But I think I agree with you, we need to establish religion in the government, since religion is null anyway, nothing will change except that the religious will have to come out to the inquisitive and critical public making sure some will be seen as unpatriotic if they don't have the state religions and thus the populace will again respect the secularism their Founders established as they do respect secularism in the European countries with formally established religious labels and a centralized religion muzzled and tamed by the secular People who will finally know where to hit with education those with lingering useless/detrimental genes from their religious/superstitious ancestors.
Last edited by LuminousTruth; 10-27-2013 at 06:18 AM..
The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits Congress from passing any law respecting the establishment of Religion, in your opinion what do you consider the meaning of "respecting the Establishment of Religion."
The meaning of it was simply that, the government (Federal) would not make laws regarding establishing religion. Actually, the ammendment goes further by prohibiting the government from prohibiting free speech. In other words people are were supposed to be free to say and/or preach what they believe ANYWHERE whether it was in school, at home, or any public event. They wanted to make sure the new nation would not have it as England had by establishing an official religion on everybody (The Church of England).
The original intent was for the states to decide religion issues. As already stated by others, even some states had official religions. This principle was supported by the 10th Ammendment.
The separation of church and state as it is presently understood is not what the Founding Fathers originally intended.
In other words they did not prohibit prayer in school, nor would prohibit having the ten commandments displayed in public buildings, reading the Bible in school classes, fund religious activities, fund Bible production and distribution, etc.
Do I agree with some of the things they allowed in those days? No, but I won't allow my views to cloud the historical facts though as some people have done it. Take care.
Schools are not required by the constitution, but some laws play a part within the freedoms of schools or those who hold teachings of any public kind. Religion - Discrimination based on race, gender, and free speech. Equal Access Act, Disabilities Act.
Schools were held in church, homes, etc. If you taught religious based education then people were free to choose it. You are still free to choose it. There are still religious based learning institution.
Things are different now. We don't discriminate, we do this by eliminating things like prayer, and corporal punishment, etc. Those have become more personal less acceptable for all publicly. More may in the future.
We grow, it happens.
State controls most public schools but federal laws still stand within their walls.
The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits Congress from passing any law respecting the establishment of Religion, in your opinion what do you consider the meaning of "respecting the Establishment of Religion."
United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, writing for the majority in Everson v. Board of Education (1947):
"The establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment means at least this: neither a state nor the federal government can set up a church; neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions whatever they may be called or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion. In the words of Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect 'a wall of separation between church and state.'"
No....it really doesn't. Seeing as how most of the states had official religions. The founding fathers were really big on states' rights.
And subsequent to the founding the United States enaqcted Amendment XIV, which incorporated the restrictions of the Bill of Rights as extending to all sub-federal levels of government.
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