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Enlightening the Religion Clauses

dc.contributor.authorSherry, Suzanna
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-19T17:51:33Z
dc.date.available2017-10-19T17:51:33Z
dc.date.issued1996
dc.identifier.citation7 Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues 473 (1996)en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1803/8455
dc.descriptionarticle published in an academic journalen_US
dc.description.abstractI have argued that the government may not single out any irrational beliefs for preferential treatment, nor is it required to treat alternative epistemologies as favorably as Enlightenment rationality. Both history and practical considerations support the notion that the Constitution rejects epistemological pluralism in favor of the primacy of reason. There is no evidence that the religion clauses are an exception to this basic principle; indeed, for the founding generation, pre-Enlightenment religion was the primary--and perhaps the only---example of a nonrational epistemology. If we allow government decisions to be made on the basis of, or influenced by, premises and conclusions that fly in the face of the Enlightenment's rationalist and empiricist methodology, we must accord the same consideration to Holocaust deniers--and to racists, flat-earthers, and other peculiar or dangerous believers-as we do to religious believers. To do otherwise is for the government to accept as true the claims of particular religious believers--a course of action that is dangerous to government and religion alike, and is therefore wisely rejected by the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses.en_US
dc.format.extent1 PDF (25 pages)en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherJournal of Contemporary Legal Issuesen_US
dc.subject.lcshConstitutional law -- United Statesen_US
dc.titleEnlightening the Religion Clausesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US


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