The Establishment clause is the part of the Bill of Rights that grants freedom of religion in the United States. It is why religions like the Jehovah's Witnesses can exist. The Witnesses have defended and elaborated on the Establishment Clause themselves, on many occasions, in the Supreme Court.
Why is the Establishment Clause important to Americans? Why have the Witnesses spent so much time in court about it? And what happens when a Witness privately or mentally disagrees with the Watch Tower Society's "state" religion?
I wrote an essay on this very subject, and if you're interested in it, you can read it at http://raised.blogspot.com/2006/03/establishment-clause.html. I'd post it here but I don't think people want to see a gigantic wall of text.
The Establishment Clause and Hypocrisy
by underbeliever 6 Replies latest jw friends
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underbeliever
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kristyann
Thanks, I will have to check it out... not right at this second, because I am supposed to be doing homework! But soon.... thanks for posting the link. :)
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FairMind
Unbeliever, I read your essay and it is great! Hope you don’t mind but I copied it into a word document and printed it for my wife to hopefully read. Any fair, open minded and honest hearted person would understand the truth of every thing you wrote.
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greendawn
It is one of their fundamental policies not to tolerate any criticism of the org's leadership or their doctrines and style of rule. Whatever they say about tolerence a dissenter will be immediately marginalised or quickly expelled without any answers given on his questions. That's the nature of this org, a totalitarian mentality.
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underbeliever
FairMind, everything I write is public domain. Use it as you will.
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belbab
Underbeliever,
The last few days I have been studying clergy-penitent privilege because the WT always uses this privilege in their court cases. In my study the question of the Establishment Clause comes up along with other freedoms in the US constitution.
Your article is very timely for me, simply written, very convincing. I will keep it and use it for reference.
belbab
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jstalin
A couple of points on your message here and your essay.
1. The constitution does not grant rights, it recognizes them. The founder believed in natural rights, which predate government. The Bill of Rights doesn't set out to grant rights, simply recognize pre-existing rights and guarantee them (see the 9th amendment and the rarely-mentioned preamble to the Bill of Rights)
2. A state religion doesn't necessarily imply a mandated religion. For instance, in the UK, the Church of England is the official state religion and the queen (or king) is the head of the church, but it is not mandatory for all UK subjects to practice the state religion.