Religion in Military Society: Reconciling Establishment and Free Exercise
Abstract
The First Amendment of the US Constitution's Bill of Rights declares that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. In military society, a unique collision of rights between nonestablishment and religious freedom requires an equally unique accommodation of religious practices that is, an agreement that allows people, groups, and so forth, to work together. Many recent news reports indicate that our commanders and senior leadership lack clear guidance for parsing the complicated ground that separates church and state. Because both the (non) Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of our Constitution have equal weight, the government may not become entangled in religion or show it hostility. By examining military society through both lenses (non) establishment and free exercise commanders can more clearly understand their responsibilities to service members as they carry out the mission. This article addresses establishment and free exercise in light of constitutional case law, offering four simple tools for making better decisions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA602196
Entities
People
- Robert A. Sugg
Organizations
- Air University