Religious Establishment
Religion in the
Constitution and Bill of Rights
The Constitutional Convention submitted
the Constitution to Congress on September 17, 1787. While the
Constitution forbade any religious tests as a
prerequisite to the holding of any public office, it did not, in
its original form include a "Bill of Rights". Some delegates
feared that the enumeration of certain rights may be used to
imply the non-existence of other rights. In the process of
ratification, the need for a formal "Bill of Rights" to ally
public fears became apparent. On September 25, 1789, a "Bill of
Rights," consisting of the first ten amendments to the
constitution, was submitted to the several states for
ratification. Ratification finally occurred on December 15,
1791.
Most colonies had required membership in
the established church as a test for citizen to vote or to hold
public office. This situation had created a great deal of
inequity and conflict. The new Constitution and its Bill of
Rights not only forbade any religious test as a requirement to
hold public office, it also rejected past colonial church-state
ties as a denial of individual civil and religious freedoms.
The First Amendment
forbade the federal government from establishing religion or
restricting its free exercise.
Article
VI.
The Senators and
Representative before mentioned, and the Members of the several
State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers,
both of the United States and of the several States, shall be
bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but
no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to
any Office or public Trust under the United States.
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.
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