TheFirstAmendmenttotheConstitutionstates

Congressshallmakenolawrespecting
anestablishmentofreligion,orprohibitingthefreeexercisethereoforabridgingthefreedomof
speech,orofthepressortherightofthepeoplepeaceablytoassemble,andtopetitionthe
governmentforaredressofgrievances.Upuntilafewdecadesago,thiswastakenadifferent
way.Nowitisreadastheseparationofchurchandstate.Thisisfoundnowhereinthefirst
amendment.ManyChristianshavebeenaffectedbythedecisiontoreadtheFirstAmendmentas
such.Prayerwastakenoutofschools,publicschoolscannothaveBibleclasses,etc.Just
recently,Irealizedthatthewordingisnotwhatwealwaysbelieveditwas.Itangeredmethatthe
amendmenthasbeenpervertedandtakenoutofcontext.Iwouldliketoshowthecauseand
effectbetweenthedecisiontodecontextualizethemeaningoftheFirstAmendmentandthe
effectsonChristians,specificallyinschools,inthefollowingyears.Thegovernmenthasbecome
morestrictastowhatcanandcannotbesaidinsidepublicschools.Teacherscannotspeakabout
theirreligionorenterconversationswithstudentsabouttheirreligion.Also,allreligious
functionsororganizationsonpublichighschoolcampusesmustbestudentled,andstudents
cannotprayoverloudspeakersbeforeschoolbegins.Thisissuehasbeenprevalentforquitesome
timenow.Itshistoryhashadlastingeffects.
ItissadhowmuchthingshavechangedsincethecreationofourConstitution.Our
foundingfathersdidnothavethesethingsinmind.Theywereprobablynotexpectingpeopleto
takeithowtheywant.Lawsneedtobetakenatfacevalueandobjectively,notsubjectively.I
feelthattheseparationbetweenchurchandstatehasbecomeachasmratherthanacrack.
Startingfromtheverybeginning,ThomasJeffersonwasthefirsttomentionthe
separationinaletterthat,accordingtoWikipedia,statesthefollowing:
Believingwithyou

thatreligionisamatterwhichliessolelybetweenMan&hisGod,thatheowesaccounttonone
otherforhisfaithorhisworship,thatthelegitimatepowersofgovernmentreachactionsonly,&
notopinions,IcontemplatewithsovereignreverencethatactofthewholeAmericanpeople
whichdeclaredthattheirlegislatureshould"makenolawrespectinganestablishmentof
religion,orprohibitingthefreeexercisethereof",thusbuildingawallofseparationbetween
Church&State.Again,thereisnowordingherethatimplicatesanythingotherthanthe
inabilityofthegovernmenttoestablishonereligionandforceitonitspeople.However,in
1947sEversonv.Board,aSupremeCourtJusticeHugoBlackthoughtotherwise.His
interpretationreadas:The'establishmentofreligion'clauseoftheFirstAmendmentmeansat
leastthis:NeitherastatenortheFederalGovernmentcansetupachurch.Neithercanpasslaws
whichaidonereligion,aidallreligionsorpreferonereligionoveranother.Neithercanforcenor
influenceapersontogotoortoremainawayfromchurchagainsthiswillorforcehimtoprofess
abeliefordisbeliefinanyreligion.Nopersoncanbepunishedforentertainingorprofessing
religiousbeliefsordisbeliefs,forchurchattendanceornonattendance.Notaxinanyamount,
largeorsmall,canbeleviedtosupportanyreligiousactivitiesorinstitutions,whatevertheymay
becalled,orwhateverformtheymayadopttoteachorpracticereligion.Neitherastatenorthe
FederalGovernmentcan,openlyorsecretly,participateintheaffairsofanyreligious
organizationsorgroupsandviceversa.InthewordsofJefferson,theclauseagainst
establishmentofreligionbylawwasintendedtoerect'awallofseparationbetweenChurchand
State.ThisquotewasfoundinaseparateWikipediaarticleontheCourtcase.Basedonthis,
onecaninferthatheinterpretedtheestablishmentclauseasonethatprohibitsthegovernment
andthoseworkingforitfromspeakingonreligion,supportingonespecificreligion,oranything

thatmayswayonesopinionfromonereligiontoanother.Thedecisionmadeinthiscasehas
changedthewaytheFirstAmendmentisreadandhowitishandledwithincourtwalls.That
specificcasewasregardingareligiousprivateschool,whichshouldntcreateaprecedentfor
futurecases,butultimatelyitdid.
Thosepastdecisionshavemadeittowhereinsidepublichighschools,religionisalmost
thoughtofastabootospeakofifyouareafacultymember.Allemployeesareprohibitedfrom
speakingonreligion,unlesswithintheconfinesofahistoryclass,talkingabouttheirreligion,or
formingareligiouscampusorganization.Thisissaidtobebecauseofthe1947decision.The
governmentfeelsasiflettingteachersspeakontheirreligionthenitisforcingareligionon
students.TheFirstAmendmentclearlygivesallAmericancitizensarighttofreedomofreligion.
Thisdecisionhastakenawaythatrightonhighschoolcampuses.Thereareteacherswhowould
lovetotalkabouttheirbeliefswithstudentswhoarelikemindedbutarenotableto.Itisnot
alwaysabouttryingtoconvertsomeoneormakethemuncomfortable.Sometimespeoplejust
wanttoconverseabouttheirreligion.
Studentsarentasrestrictedasfacultyarebecausetheydonotworkforthegovernment,
buttheyarestillsubjecttostipulationsputinplace.Theyhavepartialfreedomofreligion.
Unliketeachers,studentscanconverseabouttheirreligionfreelywithotherstudentsaswellas
formstudentledreligiousgroupsandorganizations.Theymust,however,haveafacultysponsor
presentattheirgroupmeetings,buttheyarestillprohibitedtospeak.Studentscannotprayover
intercomsoratschoolwidefunctions.Thisistopreventoffensefromotherswhoareofdifferent
religions.ThiscanbeunderstandablebecauseaChristianwouldbeuncomfortablehearinga
Muslimprayerandviceversa.Thiscouldalsobewhyteacherscannotspeakoftheirreligion,to

avoidoffendingothers.Highschoolsareoppressingtherighttovoicebeliefs,regardlessof
religion.
Studentsandteachersalikeareunabletofreelyexpresstheirbeliefsonpublichighschool
campusesasaresultofadecisionmadein1947sEversonv.Boardcase.Itmadeittowherethe
governmentisnotonlybannedfromcreatingonenationalreligion,butalsofrompotentially
influencingothersreligionswithinthegovernmentmarketplace,includingpublicschools.That
decisionsetinmotionawheelthatisgoingtobehardtostop.VictorBilsonmadeastatementin
aCQResearcherarticlethatstated,Refusingtoacknowledgethatnodocumentofstate,let
alonetheConstitution,haseverproposedsuchaconcept,thoseonthelefthavetriedtoconvince
theAmericanpeoplethatourfoundingdocumentswarnedofthedangersofmixingpoliticsand
religion.Theyhavemisledmillionsandworkedagainstthepublicinterestbydamagingthe
commitmenttoethicsandmoralvaluesthatcomesonlythroughreligiousbelief.

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CQResearcher
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2016.<http://0library.cqpress.com.iiiserver.ualr.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqr
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Wikipedia
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06Apr.2016.<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everson_v._Board_of_Education>.
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