法律英语：23 The Establishment Clause : Part 2

by Michael W. Flynn
 
First, a disclaimer: Although I am an attorney, the legal information in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for seeking personalized legal advice from an attorney licensed¹ to practice in your jurisdiction². Further, I do not intend to create an attorney-client relationship with any listener.   
 
This episode is the second of a two-part series on the Establishment Clause. In the first episode, I discussed some basic principles, and in this second episode, I will discuss how these principles apply to government holiday displays.
 
The First Amendment³ to the United States Constitution provides in relevant part:
 
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .
 
Many Americans love December because it contains Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, Solstice, and other religious celebrations. Sometimes, government entities⁴ choose to get in the holiday spirit by displaying ornate Christmas trees, menorahs, and wreaths. But, when do such displays become an impermissible “establishment” of religion?
 
While not completely consistent, the Supreme⁶ Court has adopted a general test whereby a government holiday display is impermissible where a reasonable passerby⁷ would conclude from the display that the government endorses⁹ a religion.
 
In a leading case on the issue, Lynch v. Donnelly, the Court considered a Christmas display erected¹⁰ by a downtown merchants’ association in cooperation with the City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The display included a Christmas tree, a Santa Claus house, candy-striped poles, colored lights, a banner reading “Seasons Greetings,” and a nativity scene, also known as a crèche. In a 5-4 decision, the Court upheld the display of the nativity against an Establishment Clause challenge. The Court noted¹¹ that, while the nativity scene was surely religious in nature, its inclusion in a group of holiday symbols did not mean that the government was endorsing¹² or establishing Christianity. The Court also stated that, on occasion, some advancement¹³ of religion would result from government action, but not all such advancement is impermissible. Rather, taken in context, the nativity was simply one more permissible⁵ symbol of the season, and one that had a permissible secular¹⁴ purpose of attracting people to shop downtown.
 
Several lower court opinions have followed this general notion that a display that includes multiple symbols of the season is permissible. So, a display with a menorah, a nativity, a tree, a cornucopia¹⁵ and a wreath is permissible because it does not endorse⁸ any single religion, or even religion generally. Rather, it promotes feelings of inclusiveness, religious pluralism and tolerance¹⁶, and community.
 
However, giving greater prominence¹⁷ to the nativity or other similarly religious symbols has been struck down. For example, the Third Circuit struck down a city display that placed the large nativity scene on the grand staircase of city hall, but relegated¹⁸ an accompanying menorah to a small place next to the nativity. The Second Circuit struck down a large menorah displayed on its own in a public park.
 
Another consideration is whether the government entity¹⁹ pays for, or publicly indicates support for, a holiday display. For example, district courts have struck down holiday displays where the city places a sign next to a Christmas tree that endorses the tree, while failing to place similar signs next to other religious symbols or secular symbols. Further, courts have been more likely to strike down displays that use electricity at the public’s expense than those displays that are privately²⁰ powered. Those courts noted that a casual observer would more likely believe that the government was endorsing religion where the city is paying for it.
 
This area of law is far from settled. But, most local governments in America today include several symbols of the holiday season, and so remain safe from constitutional challenge. The next time you see a holiday display on city or state property, look for the various symbols of the holiday season and ask yourself whether you think the government is endorsing any one religion over another, or promoting religion over irreligion. After that, please try to enjoy whatever aspect of the display you can, and have a very happy holiday season!
 
Thank you for listening to Legal Lad’s Quick and Dirty Tips for a More Lawful²¹ Life. Be sure to check out all the excellent Quick and Dirty Tips podcasts, including the newest podcast, the Get-It-Done Guy. Join host Stever Robbins to learn how to be more productive at work and at home, and have more fun while doing it.
 
You can send questions and comments to.........call them in to the voicemail line at 206-202-4LAW. Please note that doing so will not create an attorney-client relationship and will be used for the purposes of this podcast only.
 
Legal Lad's theme music is "No Good Layabout" by Kevin MacLeod.
 

1 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

2 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

3 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

4 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

5 permissible   

adj.可允许的，许可的

参考例句：

• Is smoking permissible in the theatre?在剧院里允许吸烟吗？
• Delay is not permissible,even for a single day.不得延误，即使一日亦不可。

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 passerby   

n.过路人，行人

参考例句：

• We had our photo taken by a passerby.我们请了一个路人为我们照相。
• A passerby heard her screams and rushed to her aid.一个过路人听见她的尖叫，便冲过去帮助她。

8 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

9 endorses   

v.赞同( endorse的第三人称单数 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• There isn't one country in the Middle East that now endorses the Eisenhower Doctrine. 但至今没有一个中东国家认可它。 来自辞典例句
• Whether any of this truly endorses Dr Patel's hypothesis is moot. 这些视频能否真正证明帕特的假设成立还是个未知数。 来自互联网

10 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 endorsing   

v.赞同( endorse的现在分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• Yet Communist leaders are also publicly endorsing religion in an unprecedented way. 不过，共产党领导层对宗教信仰的公开认可也是以前不曾有过的。 来自互联网
• Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is endorsing Republican Senator John McCain. 康涅狄格州独立派参议员约瑟夫。列波曼将会票选共和议员约翰。麦凯恩。 来自互联网

13 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

14 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

15 cornucopia   

n.象征丰收的羊角

参考例句：

• The book is a cornucopia of information.书是知识的宝库。
• Our cornucopia is the human mind and heart.我们富足是由于人类的智慧和热情。

16 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

17 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

18 relegated   

v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类

参考例句：

• She was then relegated to the role of assistant. 随后她被降级做助手了。
• I think that should be relegated to the garbage can of history. 我认为应该把它扔进历史的垃圾箱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

20 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

21 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。