The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

There are people in this nation who seem to think that the First Amendment means freedom form religion, and not freedom of religion. A local man in a town very close to where I live stated in a letter to the editor that Freedom of Religion is not found in the Constitution.

A clear reading of the First Amendment will reveal the truth.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." This portion alone in the amendment says all we need to know.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion... The Founders were particularly concerned that the government should not decree a state approved religion to the exclusion of all others as happened both under Catholic Monarchs and Anglican Monarchs. They wanted to establish that the citizens of this nation would be free to practice their own religion, or none if they chose.

,or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... The Founders wrote in this amendment a provision that the government could not prohibit the free exercise of religion.

Free Exercise of Religion. Clearly the same as saying Freedom of Religion, but with freedom comes responsibility, and no one in the practice of their religion may make human sacrifice, or commit acts of sex with children under th cover of religion.

The rest of the amendment continues "or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances".

That last portion also prohibits the government from interfering with the free speech of religions to teach and preach what they believe, as well as to protect the individual rights of citizens to criticize their government, and the right of the press, the newspapers and broadcast media to report the news and also criticize the government. We are free to assemble peaceably, protecting public gatherings, whether religious or secular.

There are reasonable constraints placed on free assembly, allowing local governmental entities to require permits for parades and demonstrations or marches in order for them to plan for the extra law enforcement personnel to direct traffic, protect pedestrians, and to control those who become unruly or begin to riot.The local government may choose to issue a permit at no cost, or to charge a nominal fee to help offset the extra costs of keeping the peace and safety.

I began by addressing the Freedom of Religion issue, and the prohibition of Congres from establishing a state religion. I have gone ahead and covered the free speech and assmeb.y and the rest because I don't want anyone to think that I consider any part of the amendment to be seperate from the rest.

The First Amendment stands as a whole, for a reason, but it does not establish a "wall of seperation" between state and religion. That phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson tho the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury Connecticut, reassuring them that the government would not interfere with their freedoms nor be allowed to tax them as had been the practice before the Revolution, when the King taxed all non Church of England churches to support the Anglican churches in America.

We, as a result of the experiences of the colonists/Founders, are not taxed to support any church.