The Founding Fathers believed that government's role in religion should be limited.  We cannot discount that the First Amendment begins, "Congress shall make no law" either establishing a state religion or prohibiting the free exercise of religion.  Rather than articulate an affirmative responsibility for government to protect religion, the Founding Fathers felt that it was enough to keep the government out.  If nothing else, the language of the First Amendment makes it clear that the goal was to restrain government when it came to religion. There is no suggestion the Founders felt the establishment clause and the free exercise clause were in any way competing.  Otherwise, why would the Founders include the two clauses together?  The point was to keep government out of both realms.  Both clauses were needed because it was not sufficient to restrain government from establishing a state religion; government also had to be...(Read Full Article)