Quote:
Originally posted by frenik
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
respecting = to have reference to
establishment = a settled arrangement; especially : a code of laws
My interpretation of this passage is that Congress is not allowed to make a law to establish an official state religion. Having the commandments there, regardless of this man's goals in doing so, is fully within his rights (assuming he has the right to place a display of any type there). It in no way establishes a state religion, nor does it prohibit the right of citizens to freely practice their religion of choice. It simply acknowledges the origin of United States law. His goals are of no consequence here.
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"You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a page of history is worth a volume of logic." "New York Trust Co. v. Eisner, 256 U.S. 345. 349, 41 S,Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1923) (Holmes, J.)