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I'm sure there are people posting here far more knowledgeable regarding constitutional law than me, so take this for what it's worth.
From my understanding of history, the idea behind the first amendment came about because of the Church of England. The founding fathers did not want their leaders, i.e. government, to dictate their beliefs to them. I am under the impression that the founding fathers were very much adherent to the idea of personal freedom.
I wonder if the founding fathers could envision the prevalence and saturation of media in today's world and what they would have said about it. Especially when it comes to claims that only the federal government is restricted from censorship and preferential treatment of religion.
I tend to look at the idea behind why they included the separation clause in the first amendment and I have to believe that their intent was to prevent religion from being used as a tool of control. I have to wonder if their ideas of freedom would have included the ability for corporations, states, and individuals to use the absence of them in the first amendment as a means to justify their actions.
As an aside, I have to say I'm growing a little tired of Christians complaining about being the only group left in America that it's okay to persecute. Give me a fucking break.
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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses
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