Re: Boy in a Santa suit asked to quit dance

From: johnebravo836 (johnebravo836_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 12/24/04 

Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 11:50:54 -0500

mr dude@harvarduniversity.edu wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 04:42:54 GMT, fmuscara@sau21.k12.nh.us (Fred
> Muscara) wrote:
>
>
>>"It was a holiday party," said Muscara. "It was not a Christmas party. There
>>is a separation of church and state.
>
>
> Why does a principal of a school not know that there is NO mention of
> "separation of church of state" anywhere in the Constitution?
>
> That fucktard should be shot.

Obviously, a kid wearing a Santa costume doesn't violate any principle
of the "separation of church and state", and the principal doesn't
appear to be playing with a full deck. But the principal didn't just
make up the expression himself out of thin air either; it may not appear
in the Constitution itself, but it's in numerous US Supreme Court
decisions interpreting the Constitution, and the USSC traced it to
Jefferson:

"Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither
can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one
religion over another. Neither can force or influence a person to go to
or to remain away from church against his will, or force him to profess
a belief or disbelief in any religion. No person can be punished for
entertaining or professing religious beliefs or disbeliefs, for church
attendance or nonattendance. No tax in any amount, large or small, can
be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever
they may be called or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice
religion. Neither a state nor [p211] the Federal Government can, openly
or secretly, participate in the affairs of any religious organizations
or groups, and vice versa. In the words of Jefferson, the clause against
establishment of religion by law was intended to erect "a wall of
separation between church and State."

Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1.