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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: yard_man who wrote (33345)	12/23/2003 12:07:39 AM
From: Edscharp	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 89467

tippet, I'm not a constitutional scholar, but I believe that the 1st amendement's remark that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" was a reaction to the excesses of many European governments who sponsored churches. The practice of supporting religion in this manner led to persecution of tens of thousands of people. I do believe that the authors of the first amendment did intend, on some level, that government not involve itself in sectarian matters of any kind. Thus, the term 'separation of church and state' does not appear in the constitution but may be reasonably construed to be the intent of the authors. Exactly where that fine line of 'separation' belongs is of course still being debated. Generally though, the principal is a good one. It is unambigously clear that the authors of the constitution desired religious freedom for all.