What Part of "Shall Not" Is Unclear?

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.

First Amendment to the Constitution

When it comes to the so-called "separation" of Church and State, the first part of the 1st Amendment is always quoted, but constantly disregarded is the highlighted provision that says government CAN NOT PROHIBIT the exercise of free speech or religious practice. Thus we get stories like this....

The Illinois High School Association is being challenged on a policy that bans Christian schools from offering a prayer or any religious message over their public address systems when they host association events on their own property.

"It is blatantly unconstitutional for public school officials to come into private schools and enforce a policy prohibiting them from expressing what's central to their religious beliefs," said David Cortman, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, or ADF...But the ADF reassured the assocation that the prayers are constitutional.

and this...

A year ago, a federal judge ruled that Lakeview Elementary School in suburban Nashville was illegally promoting religion by failing to properly monitor a group of "Praying Parents." "The effect of this inaction by school authorities was to project the image that Lakeview endorsed or promoted Christianity through its entanglement with the Praying Parents," U.S. Dist. Judge Robert L. Echols ruled.

Last week, some of those same parents filed a lawsuit against the school for illegally restricting religion by censoring references to God on student-drawn posters. "The hostility toward religion and religious ideas could not be more blatant. Any reasonable observer would have to conclude that Lakeview disapproves of religious viewpoints and does not want these viewpoints expressed at Lakeview," the lawsuit claims.

The schools and the government are not in a position where they can dictate what parents of their children can and can not do if they are not on school property. Nor can they come in and dictate to a private institution what they may or may not do on their private property. Both of these cases clearly violate the "shall not prohibit" clause of the 1st amendment.

For the sake of "expedience", many Christian parents have gone along to get along. We want everyone to feel welcome and included. However, in doing so we have quietly ceded our rights to free expression of religion. I am glad to see these parents standing up to remind the courts and the schools that Christian parents have the same rights to self expression as every one else and that the 1st Amendment applies to them as well.