You'd think this guy would have put just a tiny bit more effort into his sign, considering he is staging a one man protest outside the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, and spelled the words correctly!
Don't tell this guy, but freedom of religion also means the government does not pay for religious schools, shuls, religious cultural events, mikvas, eruvs, kollels, yeshivas and pretty much everything else the religious community in Israel relies on the government for.
I am in favor of separation between shul and state (though I don't know that it can be done here 100%, as the "Jewish state" aspect of the country has to be defined somehow), but this guy probably doesn't realize that such separation doesn't just mean leave us alone when we want you to.
Freedom of Religion means that noone can prevent you from worshipping however you choose.
ReplyDeleteWhat you're referring to is the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which precludes the US government from making an official religion. It's much different than Freedom of Religion. In fact, the First Amendment refers to both separately:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"