Yann Le Du wrote:
> > I agree that many people highly value their ability to express their
> > religion. But how much they value a constitutional guarantee to
> > such expression depends on what they think the chances are that the
> > government would actually try to stop them.
>
>... can't a constitutional rule somehow encourage the existence of an
>educational system that fosters tolerance, and thus lead to a more
>tolerant society ? I agree that the rule is then useless, but is it wrong
>to say that a good rule is one that aims at becoming useless ?
I suppose it is possible that the first amendment directly causes our
society to be more tolerant of diverse religious expressions. But I'd
want to see more evidence in favor of this theory before accepting it.
Robin Hanson [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://hanson.gmu.edu
Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323