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The Grammar of the Establishment Clause


As noted elsewhere in this site, much of the present controversy over separation has to do with the interpretation of the religious clauses of the First Amendment. In this section we present some grammatical reasons for thinking that the First Amendment should be interpreted as a broad ban on the power of government over religion. We will do this in two sections. First, we will present several grammatical arguments in favor of the broad interpretation of the First Amendment. Second, we will address the most important grammatical arguments in favor of a narrow reading.


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