Isn't the "Freedom of Religion" concept covered by "Freedom of Assembly?"

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

If I start a 100-member Risk Players Club, and my neighbor starts a 100-member church, what kind of legal protection does my neighbor deserve that I don't, and why?

[DBoon]

1. There is more to freedom of religion than just assembly

For example, there can't be a religious test to hold public office or vote. These things were common in the 18th century when the bill or rights was written.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. Don't forget -

that also includes freedom FROM religion - it never states 'freedom of religion," but rather, says that the government cannot participate in the ESTABLISHMENT of any religion. That's why it's known as the ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE.

And it keeps all the atheists as safe as all the believers - at least until the Fuckface Squatter In The Oval Office started up with his personal bullshit.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. Are you saying a ban on Risk players holding public office

wouldn't be unconstitutional?

[DBoon]

9. Not on these grounds

there might be something under "equal protection" that would apply, though

[evlbstrd]

2. Protection from taxes.

The church is tax exempt. Your Risk club is not. IRS code.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. That's why I asked "deserve" instead of "is." -nt

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. Watch out for gambling

A guy in VA got shot - and died - by cops who were raiding his home poker game. Nice, huh?

Go read up on the First Amendment - it's got a great backstory - and all your answers are there.

[ChristianLibrul]

5. Religion is belief, lifestyle

Assembly is public behavior, rallies, etc.

[okasha]

8. Not all religions involve assembly.

Many pagans/Wiccans are solitary practitioners.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Not necessarily. Freedom of religion protects INDIVIDUALS from being

prosecuted by the government for their beliefs and practice of their beliefs. Imagine being arrested for being a Jew. Or being alone and saying a Passover prayer. Or saying the "Hail Mary". Or a visitor seeing a Prayer rug (Islam) on the floor of your house. I think you get my gist.

The Freedom of Religion clause was designed to especially protect individuals in minority religions which by their lack of numbers would be viewed as unpopular by larger religious groups. During Colonial times, Baptists were jailed for just being Baptists.

Being an American means that the Constitution is designed to protect you as an individual against harassment, persecution, and/or prosecution by the majority of the citizens. Adhering to your religious beliefs should not be a crime.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Exactly

During the eighteenth century (and well into the nineteenth in some parts of Europe), the term "state religion" didn't just mean that a particular religion got tax support, which is what it means today. No, it meant that if you lived in that country, you had to follow the religion of the ruler. If you didn't, big trouble, even if you just had private devotions in your own home.

England was a mess, as the rulers went from Catholic to Anglican to Calvinist back to Catholic back to Anglican and back to Calvinist and back to Anglican, all within about 100 years.

A lot of the early colonists came from such environments as members of religious minorities. They understood the dangers of state religion and wanted to make sure that freedom of conscience was in the Constitution.