Earlier this year some southern states passed bills aimed to protect those who display Christmas scenes and symbols, and use the term ‘Christmas’ at public schools or government buildings. David Kyle Johnson argues that the arguments in favor of these laws are poor, and that while the First Amendment protects the ‘free exercise’ of religion, it also prohibits government establishment of religion. This means that there are restrictions on displaying religious symbols for those who are employed by the state while they are functioning in that capacity. He writes that government neutrality towards religion does not mean that it is against it – just that it lets people’s religions be their own private affair.
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