CRUClEFICTION
Published on Nov 3, 2013
New Day Sunday, CNN, 11-3-2013, Amanda Knief, Managing Director and In-House Counsel of American Atheists, Inc..
About the word "thereof":
An overlooked aspect of the free exercise clause is that it looks back to the establishment clause for its definition of "religion". The establishment clause says that Congress may make no law respecting the establishment of religion, while the free exercise clause says that Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise "thereof". Logically, the word "thereof" must have the same content as the object to which it refers. Accordingly, what counts as religion for one clause MUST count as religion for the other. The free exercise clause makes no sense unless the word "religion" is read to encompass more than a church, denomination, or sect. As the free exercise clause pertains to religion generically, the word 'thereof', being placed where it is, clearly signifies that the establishment clause does likewise.
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