Without reinventing the wheel or attempting to relive history, I will jump straight to the subject matter at hand.
The Supreme Court created a doctrine. The Doctrine of the Separation of Church and State. And ever since, the state has violated the Separation of Church and State. The First Third of the First Amendment reads:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
Note the obvious.
CONGRESS
LAW
AN ESTABLISHMENT
OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE
The case began back in the day when someone obected to her daughter being "required" to pray in school.
"Okay. You don't have to pray."
But that wasn't good enough. If she doesn't want to pray, no one is allowed to pray. And there the Court overstepped its bounds. There we moved from the Right to Accomodation to the right to infliction.
Through the magic of metaphor, East Side High School is playing West Side High.
Just before the kickoff, the Principal of East Side High heads to the bench to wish the team luck. There, he hears the Coach say, "You can do what you want, but before the kickoff, I'm going to kneel and pray for victory." The Principal is incensed. He orders the Coach not to pray. But the Coach defires his order. Come Monday, the Principal fires the Coach for insubordination. And the Coach sues.
Meanwhile, across the field, the Coach of West Side High is giving his team a pep talk. The Principal shows up and tells the Coach, "Before the kickoff, I want you to kneel down and pray for victory." The Coach refuses. Come Monday, the Principal fires the Coach for insubordination. The Coach sues.
The Cases go to the Supreme Court. Not a Liberal or Conservative Court. Not a Democrat or a Republican Supreme Court. But rather to a Slim Fairview Supreme Court.
The Court Rules on the Case of West Side High. The Court rules that by ordering the Coach to pray, the Principal violated the Separation of Church and State and orders the Coach reinstated the Coach with all back pay and benefits and seniority.
Then the Court rules on East Side High. The Court rules, by telling the Coach he cannot pray, the Principal violated the Separation of Church and State. Specifically, "nor prohibit the free excercise thereof."
The first ruling of the Courts on the matter failed to distinguish between the institution and the individual. To paraphrase the ACLU, When the Coach enters the school, he does not leave his First Amenment Rights out at the Gate.
While the Schools cannot require prayer, the Schools cannot prohibit prayer.
Best wishes,
Slim.
The Quotations of Slim Fairview
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