Re: Note to QC & PG

[Roy and/or Janet Miller <millers@inetnebr.com>]

Establishment, which is the term used in the amendment, meant that the cost of
paying the minister's salary, maintenance and operating costs of the church
building were paid for directly out of the government's treasury. That, of
course, is a long way from what some today consider a violation of the
amendment. Further, that was why the Congress which passed the amendment saw no
contradiction with promoting protestant Christianity, since they weren't funding
any particular denomination, but merely encouraging a "generic" Christianity.

On the other hand, after the civil war, (was it the 14th or the 15th amendment)?
the constitution was altered so that the "Bill of Rights" restrictions were also
applicable to the states, not just the Federal government. That made state
churches illegal after that point.

However, promotion of generic Christianity, or an even blander "Judeo-Christian"
civil religion by Federal and State governments continued to be legal until the
Supreme Court reversed earlier decisions in the early 1960s. I remember Bible
readings (one of the Psalms) and Prayer (the Lord's Prayer) opening school with
the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, when I was in kindergarten and first
grade. I *think* it was second grade when that was stopped, but I'm a bit fuzzy
on that.

Roy

Bruce Baker wrote:

> It was accepted and even encouraged for states to establish religions.  They
> all did.  The federal government was not to establish religions.
>
> Bruce