I realized upon further review that I had chopped the clause early. The resulting analysis had dealt with it, but it is now in full form. Speech is next...

‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…’

What does this mean? Does it mean there can be no prayer in public facilities or governmental functions? No. It means that Congress shall not establish a religious preference for the Nation, pro or con. The Founding Father’s were concerned about the possibility of religious tyranny, the most oppressive form of tyrannical government imaginable, and included this phrase as insurance against such occurrences. Thomas Jefferson, in the Declaration of Independence, was explicit in acknowledging Faith by stating that ‘…all men were endowed by their Creator…’ with certain unalienable rights. He has been described as a Deist, which states he accepted a deity in Nature.

Does this mean that there is to be no separation between Church and State? No, it does not, but neither is there to be specific denial of religion either. If a school, for example, wishes that each day should start with a moment of prayer, the State has no authority to forbid such activity. Local citizens may object to this, and many have. In my opinion, such School Boards are idiots, but that’s just my opinion. Having been a student, and taken many tests in my life, both military and civilian, I have often whispered a brief prayer for guidance, wisdom and focus prior to starting such activity. Haven’t you? And if so, what makes Congressmen any different? Why should they not start their day with prayer? In fact, they do. Both the House and Senate have Chaplin’s on the payroll and I for one have no objection to such men being paid by my tax dollars.

Wait! I hear you scream. What about Muslims, Buddhists, Wicca’s, Satanists, etc…Does this clause mean I have to respect them, too? Yep, also means that Congress can do nothing about them either. It does not mean that they, or others can force their opinion upon you, just as you cannot force your opinion of Gaia upon them, or me. These statements do not prohibit any of us from speaking about it, but if I chose to ignore you that is my right. This does not mean that a Nativity scene cannot be displayed on public ground, or that equal time must be given to celebrations or scenes of other faiths. If you do not like a Christian scene depicted on public ground, you are free to display your own image across the street, and at your expense. I will not pay for it, nor do I expect you to pay for my preferred imagery.

All of the above may make sense, but recent American history has swung far to far to the other extreme in denying the rights of Christians and many others from public display. The left in this country flatly denies the existence of traditional forms of faith and instead opt for New Age, multi-cultural faiths that make everyone feel good but mean nothing (IMHO). The left borders on atheism, which accepts the concept of godhead, but flatly denies and rejects its authority. A state-sponsored atheism is just as tyrannical as is a state mandated faith.

And just as Unconstitutional.