The Classic 18th century (founding era) notion of  "Freedom of Religion"
means being free from having your money pay for someone else's religious
beliefs.  Thus, when the gov. uses tax dollars or public land to support
religous monuments (such as Chief Justice Roy Moore's Ten Commandments
monument in the Alabama Supreme Court building) it is an obvious
violation of the notion of Freedom "of" religion.  More importantly, it
an "establishment" (also prohibited) or religion in that it establishes
(in this case) a fundamentalist or at least very traditional Protestant
Chritianity as the "official" religion of the state.

The same would go for using state money to support religious schools.

The First amendment (not the Constitution) by the way, does not say
"freedom of Religion."  It says Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Paul Finkelman

>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of jadams957
>Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 9:36 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Religious freedom?
>
>Here we go again.
>The Constitution says FREEDOM "OF" RELIGION, not freedom from religion.
>Learn what the prepositions mean. If everyone will remember that our
>President tried to explain the meaning of IS. Law has gotten to the
>point of being an English lesson. Our forefathers designed our statutes
>to codify the separation of religion and to not have a State religion,
>but allow the worship of the Christian doctrine, as represented, in the
>1700's as the concept worth fighting our cousins the English. Maybe if
>we pay attention to the teaching of the values and the beliefs our
>country was built upon the NEED for private schooling would not need to
>be in such great demand.
>This also goes for West Virginia not being in existence before 1863.
>Thanks
>John Philip Adams
>
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>

--
Paul Finkelman
Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law
University of Tulsa College of Law
3120 East 4th Place
Tulsa, OK   74104-3189

918-631-3706 (office)
918-631-2194 (fax)

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