HOW WILL LEGISLATORS DECIDE WHICH RELIGIONS TO FUND AND WHICH NOT TO FUND?
One of the reasons why we have our current constitutional provision is to avoid this very problem! There are over 2,000 different religions in the United States. These include Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus, Christian-Scientists, Pagans, Scientologists, and many more. We cannot imagine how they can perform this task. If they exclude some groups because they disagree with their religious beliefs, they will be opening up the door to lawsuits based on religious discrimination. As explained by one scholar, provisions like our current provision function to “depoliticize religion” and “help defuse a potentially explosive situation.” The legislators are setting themselves up for fighting among and within religions.
