From the First Amendment of the United States Constitution
First Amendment Guide
Are You Intelligent?
Then you will understand what the First Amendment says when you read it.
Are You Honest?
Then you will agree that it can't mean what it doesn't say..
Then you will understand what the First Amendment says when you read it.
Are You Honest?
Then you will agree that it can't mean what it doesn't say..
Note that the Establishment Clsuse of the Constitution has two parts:
1. Congress is prohibited from making a law that
.
2. Congress is prohibited from interfering
.
Let's take a closer look...
1. Who is restricted?
Congress. Not cities that want to have manger scenes or other Christian Christmas decorations. Not courthouses that display the Ten Commandments, not school principals who allow prayer in graduation exercises. Not even federal government agencies. Not government employees who want to say "Merry Christmas." The only people who are restricted by the First Amendment are the members of Congress while acting in their official position of enacting laws.
2. What are they restricted from doing?
They are restricted from passing certain laws - new laws - concerning religion. That's all. The First Amendment - or the entire Constitution for that matter - contain no other restrictions concerning religion and the official public acknowledgment of God in public and governmental life. There is no way an intelligent honest person can make it to mean anything else. Period.
3.What kinds of laws is Congress forbidden from enacting?
There are 2 kinds of laws that Congress is forbidden to enact:
A. A Law that establishes a religion as an official religion of the government and the people of the United States. Our Founding Fathers saw the abuses that had been commited by the Catholic State-Church system in some European countries and of the Anglican State Church system in England that had limited religious freedom and persecuted dissenters. Our Constitution is our guarantee that the Federal Government would never create a State Religion that would limit the freedom of people to practice other religions - or no religion at all.
B. A law that prohibits citizens from choosing a relilgion and practicing it.
1. Congress is prohibited from making a law that
establishes an official State Religion of the United States
. 2. Congress is prohibited from interfering
with the free exercise of religion
.Let's take a closer look...
1. Who is restricted?
Congress. Not cities that want to have manger scenes or other Christian Christmas decorations. Not courthouses that display the Ten Commandments, not school principals who allow prayer in graduation exercises. Not even federal government agencies. Not government employees who want to say "Merry Christmas." The only people who are restricted by the First Amendment are the members of Congress while acting in their official position of enacting laws.
2. What are they restricted from doing?
They are restricted from passing certain laws - new laws - concerning religion. That's all. The First Amendment - or the entire Constitution for that matter - contain no other restrictions concerning religion and the official public acknowledgment of God in public and governmental life. There is no way an intelligent honest person can make it to mean anything else. Period.
3.What kinds of laws is Congress forbidden from enacting?
There are 2 kinds of laws that Congress is forbidden to enact:
A. A Law that establishes a religion as an official religion of the government and the people of the United States. Our Founding Fathers saw the abuses that had been commited by the Catholic State-Church system in some European countries and of the Anglican State Church system in England that had limited religious freedom and persecuted dissenters. Our Constitution is our guarantee that the Federal Government would never create a State Religion that would limit the freedom of people to practice other religions - or no religion at all.
B. A law that prohibits citizens from choosing a relilgion and practicing it.