MaxSt wrote:В Первой поправке нет слов "до определенного предела", и поэтому она вам не нравится.
Приведу это поправку для ясности:
Amendment 1
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; 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.
Comment: The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association and assembly. It also protects the rights of citizens to worship as they please and the right not to be forced to support someone else’s religion. The First Amendment also provides for the right to demand a change in government policies.
Как видим в этой поправке одни общие фразы, ни чего конкретного, а также одно может показаться противоречащим другому . (так и должно быть в этом документе - он не может определить ВСЕ возможные ситуации) Далее в разделе
U.S. Constitution - Religious Rights той же MS энциклопедии читаем:
The application of the Establishment Clause usually turns on whether and to
what degree the government may provide support for religious activities. The court has prohibited officially sponsored school prayer, although children in public schools may pray on their own.
Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Выделенные слова - как раз то, что я написал выше. В конституции была сделана попытка разделить государство и церковь, но только до определенного предела. Это означает, что некоторые религиозные традиции остались разрешены (children in public schools may pray on their own), другие запрещены (prohibited officially sponsored school prayer).
Ну и таких примеров "половинчатого разделения" былo несколько. Далее читаем:
The Court’s decisions in other areas have been less consistent. The Court has permitted displays of religious symbols, such as a Christmas scene, in public areas such as parks and municipal buildings in some instances and not in others. Similarly, it has approved government expenditures that benefit religious schools in some cases and not in others. The outcome of each case turns on the specific facts involved.
The legal interpretation of the separation of church and state raises perplexing legal issues because the Free Exercise Clause sometimes conflicts with the Establishment Clause
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