Replies to post #173120 on Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[SeriousMoney]

Even James Madison had to compromise...

Madison's original proposal for a bill of rights provision concerning religion read: 'The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretence, infringed.'

The language was altered in the House to read: 'Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or to prevent the free exercise thereof, or to infringe the rights of conscience.'

In the Senate, the section adopted read: 'Congress shall make no law establishing articles of faith, or a mode of worship, or prohibiting the free exercise of religion, . . .'

It was in the conference committee of the two bodies, chaired by Madison, that the present language was written with its some what more indefinite 'respecting' phraseology.

Debate in Congress lends little assistance in interpreting the religion clauses; Madison's position, as well as that of Jefferson who influenced him, is fairly clear, but the intent, insofar as there was one, of the others in Congress who voted for the language and those in the States who voted to ratify is subject to speculation.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment01/01.html#3

[SeriousMoney]

Test your Fundamentalist IQ - Part B

"There is no such thing as separation of church and state in the Constitution. It is a lie of the Left and we are not going to take it anymore."

Fill in correct answer (Use No. 2 pencil)

A     B     C     D 
 0     0     0     0

A. Jerry Falwell

B. Pat Robertson

C. Gary Bauer

D. James Dobson

[mlsoft]

"Perhaps that would be better interperated to mean Congress should make no law respecting 'the wishes' of an established religion. i.e. Making no laws that have solely religious intent, such as creationism, etc...
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Fred...

But that is not what it says, nor, I believe, how it should be interpreted. I view it as saying that congress shall pass no law establishing an official state religion, such as catholicism, methodism, baptist, or whatever. The second half of the clause guarantees that we all have the right to practice our religion without government interference.

mlsoft