First it was the second, and now it's the first.
Amendments that is.
Yes, as we non Americans read the 2nd, and wonder how the hell so many Americans manage to interpret it as they do, it now turns out that Trumps White House Religious Liberty Commission is doing the same to the establishment clause of the first.
"The commission recommended that the Department of Justice (DOJ) issue guidance clarifying the understanding of the Establishment Clause and separation of church and state, because “the phrase ‘wall of separation between church and state’ does not appear in the First Amendment or anywhere else in the Constitution,” the report noted."
I can't get the report cos it's blocked for me, but the headlines say they want to build a bridge between Church and state, rather than there being a wall.
White House Religious Liberty Commission presents recommendations – Catholic World Report
A bit more work is needed about who is in the commission. Here is what I got from a Dallas newspaper.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (Chair)
Dr. Ben Carson (Vice Chair) Yes... really... him
Ryan Anderson (Ryan Anderson, Ph.D., is president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and serves as the John Paul II Teaching Fellow in Social Thought at the University of Dallas.)
Bishop Robert Barron
Carrie Prejean Boller ( former Miss California USA and Miss USA first runner-up in 2009 - wrote a book)
Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Pastor Franklin Graham
Allyson Ho (Lawyer)
Phil McGraw (TV host, Dr Phill)
Eric Metaxas Author, writes about antisemitism
Kelly Shackelford (Lawyer)
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik (The non Christian)
Pastor Paula White
Pamela Bondi (Yes... her)
Scott Turner ( secretary of Housing and Urban Dev)
Vince Haley (WH director domestic policy)
Is that a well balanced commission? Hmmm.