The First Amendment (not the original Constitution) actually states:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The words "freedom of religion"
are not in the Constitution or the First Amendment.

Which raises an interesting question: What did the members of Congress
intend when they wrote that "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion"? We assume the words means that Congress may
not establish one. But it is also logical and grammatical to assume that
Congress could not disestablish one or make any law that countenanced or
discountenanced or altered any state's laws "respecting" church and
state.

Brent Tarter
The Library of Virginia
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-----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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