sipsake

In Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. I, 15-16, Justice Black writes:

The "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment
means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government
can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion
, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither
can force nor influence a person to go to or to remain away from
church against his will or force him to profess a belief or
disbelief in any religion. No person can be punished for enter
-taining or professing religious beliefs or disbeliefs, for
church attendence or non-attendence.

. . . In the words of Thomas Jefferson, the clause was intended
to erect "a wall of separation between church and State."


In 1971 the Supreme Court (Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 US 602, 612-613)
applied the following test to laws with respect the the First Amendment:

First, the statute must have a secular legislative purpose;
second, its principal or primary effect must be one that
neither advances nor prohibits religion ...; finally, the
statute must not foster "an excessive government entanglement
with religion." [Stone v Graham, 449 US at 40]

__________________
When life hands you a lemon, say "Oh yeah, I like lemons. What else you got?"

Henry Rollins