Violation of the First Admentment

Salty · Feb 13, 2013

NOTE: This discussion is in the political discussion because I want to discuss the political side of the issue.

Discussions of the "religious" side is not for this forum.

If you must - than start your own thread in the Baptist or "Other Christian Denomination" or continue the one already started

Is this a violation of the First Amendment?

OldRegular · Feb 13, 2013

The 1st Amendment reads as follows:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I believe that the 1st Amendment restricts the role of the Congress but not the role of the states regarding religion. I believe state governments have the right to make such laws and I believe they have been upheld.

June 1, 2012
Local pastor’s death from snake bite could spark discussion of state laws
By KATE COIL
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

MATOAKA — — The recent death of a Mercer County minister due to a snakebite could rekindle the discussion in the West Virginia legislature about the legality of religious serpent-handling practices.

Mack Randall Wolford, 44, of Green Valley died Monday as the result of a timber rattlesnake bite incurred as part of a church homecoming service. West Virginia remains the only state where serpent handling is legal, though deaths of parishioners in worship services have led other states to criminalize the practice.

<snip>

As for handling serpents in a religious context, West Virginia has no statutes prohibiting snake handling. No court cases regarding religious snake handling have been tried in the state’s higher courts.

Six Appalachian states including Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee have made serpent handling a misdemeanor crime. In these states, violators can face fines or even jail time, even if handling serpents as part of religious services.

http://bdtonline.com/local/x2341781...ake-bite-could-spark-discussion-of-state-laws
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Then there is this:

Legal Use of Peyote Cactus by Indians, Whites?

Native Americans can legally use peyote cactus in religious ceremonies. The legality of the use of the mescaline drug peyote by non-Indians, whites varies by state.

Native Americans have used peyote, a spineless cactus that grows in the southwestern region of the United States south into central Mexico, as part of their spiritual and healing practices for millennia. The use of peyote by American Indians and non-Indians alike, however, has been and continues to be a legal and freedom of religion question.

Indians use peyote cacti as part of religious ceremonies and rituals to induce spiritual experiences. Peyote contains mescaline, a powerful psychoactive drug that causes hallucinations. Native Americans revere peyote as a sacred plant, which allows them to touch the unseen world and communicate with their ancestors and with God.

Read more at Suite101: Legal Use of Peyote Cactus by Indians, Whites? | Suite101 http://suite101.com/article/legal-use-of-peyote-cactus-by-indians-whites-a175299#ixzz2KqJTk9Uv
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Violation of the First Admentment

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Violation of the First Admentment

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