:|buckeye-ELO@nospam.net wrote:
:|> IN OUR EMAIL:: A brief observation on Article VI, Clause 3
:|>
:|> From : Keith [delete]
:|> Sent : Sunday, August 28, 2005 3:09 PM
:|> To : The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
:|> Subject : A brief observation on Article VI, Clause 3
:|>
:|> As a frequent visitor to your excellent website, I would like to make an
:|> observation about Article VI, Clause 3 (i.e., the "Religious Test Ban
:|> Clause." This is why I am writing an e-mail rather than posting to your
:|> guestbook.
:|>
:|> I have observed that nearly all of the clauses in the Constitution which
:|> prohibit something (many of which are located in Sections 9 and 10 of
:|> Article I) are of the essential form, "No...shall be..." Clause 3 of
:|> Article VI, however, reads, "[N]o religious test shall EVER be required as
:|> a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
:|> (Emphasis mine.)
:|>
:|> My point is, if the extraordinary use of the word "ever" to qualify the ban
:|> on religious tests isn't evidence of the importance that the Framers placed
:|> on church-state separation, then what is?
:|>
:|> Sincerely,
:|> Keith [delete]
:|> **************************************
:|> The writer brings up a very important point most people seem totally
:|> unaware of
:|>
:|> That particular clauae is probably the only clause in the entire
:|> Constitution that cannot be amended.
:|>
:|> That does indicate that they were making a very important point.
:|
:|
:|They were making an important point, but it hardly follows that the
:|clause can't be amended.

buckeye-ELO@nospam.net wrote:

IN OUR EMAIL:: A brief observation on Article VI, Clause 3

From : Keith [delete]
Sent : Sunday, August 28, 2005 3:09 PM
To : The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
Subject : A brief observation on Article VI, Clause 3

As a frequent visitor to your excellent website, I would like to make an
observation about Article VI, Clause 3 (i.e., the "Religious Test Ban
Clause." This is why I am writing an e-mail rather than posting to your
guestbook.

I have observed that nearly all of the clauses in the Constitution which
prohibit something (many of which are located in Sections 9 and 10 of
Article I) are of the essential form, "No...shall be..." Clause 3 of
Article VI, however, reads, "[N]o religious test shall EVER be required as
a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
(Emphasis mine.)

My point is, if the extraordinary use of the word "ever" to qualify the ban
on religious tests isn't evidence of the importance that the Framers placed
on church-state separation, then what is?

Sincerely,
Keith [delete]
**************************************
The writer brings up a very important point most people seem totally
unaware of

That particular clauae is probably the only clause in the entire
Constitution that cannot be amended.

That does indicate that they were making a very important point.

They were making an important point, but it hardly follows that the
clause can't be amended.

The only part of the Constitution that appears at first glance to be
amendment-proof at the present time is that which establishes equal
representation for the States in the Senate -- see the last clause of
Article V. But a case could be made that even this could be amended,
despite the express language of the Constitution. Indeed, the concept
of an unamendable constitutional or statutory provision seems
self-contradictory.