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Contents 1 Property Tax 2 =other 2.1 Locke vs. Davey 2.2 school prayer 2.3 State Religions 2.4 Soon Disregarded 2.5 Major Overhaul Needed

[edit] Property Tax

Can anyone explain the justification for religious buildings to be exempt from property tax? Does anyone know more about this? The clause says that they wont "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". Allowing them to be exempt from taxes seems to be respecing an establishment of religion. They are respecting that a church is exempt, while I am not, because I am not a church. This seems to be respecting religion. They give preferential treatment to a church, simply because it is an establishment of religion. A business owner has to pay the taxes, because they are not an establishment of religion. Doesnt seem to fit with the clause. Anybody know more about it? how does this work? how are churches tax-exempt?72.174.2.252 10:44, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

I think it might be because churches are nonprofit organazitions, and give money back to the community.

I really don't know. I could be they just get tax-deductions from that money.

RJRocket53 02:46, 2 December 2007 (UTC)

Its because the government wants to be as compleatly seperated from religion as possible plus taxing a religious building could hold a hiderence to the establishment of the religion —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.130.151.151 (talk) 19:46, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] =other

The requirement that religion not be a requirement for public office and that oaths for public office include a religious oath are important to understanding the Establishment Clause. The records of the state ratification conventions concerning these clauses are illuminating. They shed light on the original intent of the Establishment Clause75Janice 19:56, 30 December 2006 (UTC)75Janice 5:55 UTC 30 December 2006.

[edit] Locke vs. Davey

Locke vs. Davey 540 U.S. 712 (2004) held that it is permissible under the U.S. Constitution to exclude religious programs of study from government funding programs - if state law requires such an exclusions (thus upholding various Blaine Amendments). This is an important case that deserves a section as it undermines many previous arguements against Blaine Amendments (the arguements were based on the establishment clause) Stealthymatt 01:26, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] school prayer

In this section it states that neither the lord's prayer nor the bible may be read in a state school; one presumes that this isn't the case in R.E. lessons! Is this true, and if so it should be added to the article. MHDIV ɪŋglɪʃnɜː(r)d(Suggestion?|wanna chat?) 21:16, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] State Religions

As I understand it, many states had state churches during and after ratification of the Constitution; and in fact, the original role of this clause was to protect these state churches. It might be useful to point this out somewhere. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.142.107.139 (talk) 00:55, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Soon Disregarded

These so called religious clauses of the US Constitution are surely soon to be disregarded or of no further note or regard, if and when, as most all surely believe, there is a Second Coming to earth of God / Jesus in which case , there is a New Government , one Goverment globally, and that Government IS a theocracy, a religious run single Government and then only the One religion.

bruce de bruce III ~

That's nice. Until then, please stay out of our secular government. -- 208.119.72.170 (talk) 18:41, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Major Overhaul Needed

This page needs a major overhaul. This is a pretty shoddy article, given the rather important subject matter. I think that a quality article on the Establishment Clause should include at least an analysis of the 18th century understanding of the clause, a history of the clause up though Hugo Black and the incorporation doctrine, a section on the "taxpayer standing" exception given to Establishment Clause lawsuits under Flast v. Cohen, and the modern critique of Establishment Clause jurisprudence as best articulated by Justice Clarence Thomas in his Newdow dissent.