rl 2-student program

8/2/2019 RL 2-Student Program

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Educating Young People about the Constitution

www.BillofRightsInstitute.org

Religious Liberty:The American Experiment

Lesson 2The Constitution, The First Amendment,

and Religious Liberty



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Overview

Should tax money be used to support churches? Between 1776 and 1791,Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, together with religious dissenters such asthe Baptists, ushered in a new era of religious liberty.

In his famous Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments,Madison opposed taxing the people in order to support churches. He also

shepherded Jefferson’s Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom throughthe state legislature.

The efforts of these men gradually inspired other states to disestablish statechurches where they existed.

Lesson 2: The Constitution, The FirstAmendment, and Religious Liberty



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“ We have abundant reason to rejoice that in this Land the light of truthand reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition,and that every person may here worship God according to the dictates of his own heart. In the enlightened Age and in this Land of equal liberty itis our boast, that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection

of the Laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding thehighest Offices that are known in the United States.” —George Washington, letter to the members of the New Church inBaltimore, 1793.

The Constitution, The First Amendment, andReligious Liberty



“As God is the only worthy object of all religious worship, and nothingcan be true religion but a voluntary obedience unto his revealed will,of which each rational soul has an equal right to judge for itself,every person has an unalienable right to act in all religious affairs

according to the full persuasion of his own mind, where others arenot injured thereby...”

— Isaac Backus, Baptist minister, “A Declaration of the Rights, of theInhabitants of the State of Massachusetts-Bay, in New England”(1779)




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Learning goals

•Understand the significance of Virginia, including the efforts of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, to the development of religious liberty inAmerica.

•Analyze primary source documents about the relationship betweenchurch and state.

•Assess arguments for and against established religion and a public role forreligion in civic life.

•Appreciate the philosophical and political processes of the Americanexperiment in religious liberty.


Read Essay: The Constitution, theFirst Amendment, and ReligiousLiberty and answer thecomprehension and critical thinking

questions



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Comprehension and Critical Thinking Questions1.What was the Bill Establishing a Provision for Teachers ofthe Christian Religion? What arguments were put forth forand against it?

2.George Washington supported religious liberty, but didnot oppose the proposed Bill Establishing a Provision forTeachers of the Christian Religion. How did he reconcilethese positions?

3.Why could states establish religions and require religious

tests even after the ratification of the Constitution and Bill ofRights?

4.Today, there are over 55 countries with establishedreligions. However, a similar number of countries havemoved toward religious freedom over the last 150 years.

Why do you think the trend over the last 150 years has beento disestablish religions?




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Divide the class into two halves. Number all students 1’s and 2’s. All theones go to one side of the room; all the two’s to the other side. Furthersub-divide each half of the class into pairs or trios, depending on classsize. Have these small groups analyze the quotations on your assignedhandout.

• All the 1’s: Handout A: A Connected Church and State• All the 2’s: Handout B: A Separated Church and State




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Share and Discuss:1) Have one person from

each group who workedon Handout A: AConnected Church and

State share the bestargument from theirgroup.

2) Have one person fromeach group who workedon Handout B: ASeparated Church andState share the bestargument from theirgroup.

3) Optional: Create a Socratic

Seminar or Class Debate




Keeping in your same groups: Read and Discuss withyour partner(s) Handout C: A Public Role for Religionin Civic Life?

When finished, come together as a class and discuss:

• What kind of society or government are the speakersseeking to promote?

• What value do the speakers see in a public role forreligion?




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A. Form new pairs based on the numbering at the beginning of class. Each 1 willnow be paired (grouped) with a 2. B.

B. Have these new pairs complete Handout D: A Conversation in 1785 Studentsshould use the Essay and Handouts A, B, and C, to construct authenticdialogues that Virginians may have had about the relationship betweenchurch, religion, and the state.

Questions to Guide Student Thinking:• Which reasons for and against establishment are most persuasive?• Is the question of establishment/non-establishment of religion a “ blackand white” one?• Does any public role for religion constitute an establishment of

religion? If yes, why? If not, where is the line drawn?


Students can finishthe dialogues forhomework or..

When Finished: Postthe dialogues on thewalls and havestudents read them.



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Homework

A. Create editorial cartoons that illustrate the issues of the 1785 BillEstablishing a Provision for Teachers of the Christian Religion.

B. Find news articles about events that involve the relationship betweengovernment and religion.

Articles are available at www.BillofRightsInsitute.org/Headlines




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Extensions

A. Research Torcaso v. Watkins (1961), which resulted in the end of religious testsfor public office.

B. Students should research a country with a strong church-governmentconnection. Then students should create a short documentary to illustrate howlife in that country is different from life in America. Students can begin their

research at www.BillofRightsInstitute.org/ReligiousLiberty


rl 2-student program

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