What’s right, or wrong, about the methodology used to arrive at the following

Mick Jagger

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What’s right, or wrong, about the methodology used to arrive at the following interpretation of the Constitution?

The kind of separation that was intended [by the U. S. Constitution] is suggested by Pierre L'Enfant's plan for a national cathedral. In 1791, Congress selected the site to be the capital of the United States. George Washington, previously President of the Constitutional Convention and then President of the United States, then commissioned L'Enfant to design an overall plan for the future seat of government. That plan included a church "intended for national purposes, such as public prayer, thanksgiving, funeral orations, etc., and assigned to the special use of no particular Sect of denomination, but equally open to all." The Founders and Framers favored governmental neutrality among denominations, but they never expected government to be barred from supporting religion generally to please a tiny Godless minority.

--Michael J. Gaynor​
 
Michael J. Gaynor said:
What’s right, or wrong, about the methodology used to arrive at the following interpretation of the Constitution?

The kind of separation that was intended [by the U. S. Constitution] is suggested by Pierre L'Enfant's plan for a national cathedral.
--​
The notion that the lawmakers wanted us to gather the meaning of the Constitution from Pierre L'Enfant's plan for a national cathedral is inconsistent with reason, logic, common sense and the common law rules of construction.
 
What is wrong, or right, with the following?

Our Founding Fathers clearly meant religious faith to be an integral part of public life. Because of the foundation of faith they set for us, we have chaplains in the military, in Congress and in federal prisons. Artwork and inscriptions on our federal buildings in Washington speak of a Christian heritage, as do the prayers heard at the start of cabinet meetings, sessions of Congress and even a Secret Service detail's day
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If that doesn’t square with something you were taught about our government, it’s because you were taught incorrectly. The average man or woman will tell you the Constitution requires a separation of church and state. It has the ring of truth because it’s been repeated so often.

But it is false. The U.S. Constitution says nothing about the separation of church and state. In fact, the only national constitution that has ever intentionally separated church and state is that of the former failed Soviet Union.

King George had tried to force the English state church on the American colonies, so the men who wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights wanted to make sure a state church could never be forced upon the people. That’s why the First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion....”

Clearly, the Founding Fathers wanted the citizens and states to be as religious as they wanted to be. When the Founding Fathers were in power, they printed Bibles, called the nation to prayer and funded missionaries to the Indians. When he was president, George Washington addressed Dutch Reformed, Protestant Dutch, German Lutheran, United Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, German Reformed, Episcopal, Congregational, Quaker, United Brethren, Universalist and Jewish meetings. The Presbyterian Church praised him as a "steady, uniform, avowed friend of the Christian religion." And during the administrations of all the early presidents, federal buildings in Washington were used as churches on Sundays.

--Rod Parsley (John McCain's “Spiritual Guide”)​
 

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