What about other "religions?" Did our Founding Fathers view all religions the same?
If the founders viewed all religions the same we would likely have quotes of admiration toward other religions; however, that is not what we have. We have a plethora of quotes from our founding fathers showing a high veneration for the Christian religion, and cautionary quotes warning us against leveling/equating Christianity and its influence on our schools, government, and other civil institutions with other religions (e.g. Islam, Judaism, paganism, etc.).
In his monumental Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, Father of American Jurisprudence Joseph Story clarified the meaning of the First Amendment (i.e. freedom of religion) with regard to the priority of Christianity:
"[I]t is impossible for those, who believe in the truth of Christianity as a divine revelation, to doubt, that it is the especial duty of government to foster, and encourage it among all the citizens and subjects….
Indeed, in a republic, there would seem to be a peculiar propriety in viewing the Christian religion, as the great basis, on which it must rest for its support and permanence, if it be, what it has ever been deemed by its truest friends to be, the religion of liberty.
Probably at the time of the adoption of the constitution, and of the amendment to it, now under consideration, the general, if not the universal, sentiment in America was, that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state, so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience, and the freedom of religious worship. An attempt to level all religions, and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference, would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal indignation." (1833, 44.723-726.3.3.1865-1868, emp. added).
Story further explained that...
"The real object of the [First] amendment was not to countenance [tolerate], much less to advance Mahometanism [Islam], or Judaism, or infidelity by prostrating Christianity; but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects and to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government." (1833, 3:728, emp. added).
In an article titled, "Were the Founding Fathers 'Tolerant' of Islam?", Dr. Dave Miller explains one important qualification the Founders placed on religious tolerance was that religious freedom did not extend to any action that would bring physical harm to self or other citizens. Miller goes on to show that our Founders would not have favored integrating Islam into our schools, government, and other civil institutions.
Our founders understood religious freedom can never supersede fundamental constitutional freedom (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness). Put simply, fundamental rights cannot be taken away by any “religion”. The Constitution, therefore, can only offer protection to religions that are accordant with the fundamental rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) The Constitution was set up to protect, otherwise The Constitution could actually offer protection to a religion that sets itself up to destroy The Constitution. That would be self-defeating. It's absurd to think that our founders would frame our Constitution, in all its genius, in such a self-defeating way. The Constitution cannot be self-defeating (i.e. if The Constitution was self-defeating, we would have no objective and legitimate point of reference to protect our Civil Rights).
If any so called “religion” does not respect the fundamental rights outlined in our Constitution then that religion does not get the protection of The Constitution. In other words, the religion has delegitimized itself from The Constitution and any rights that come from The Constitution.
If any so called “religion” does not respect the fundamental rights outlined in our Constitution then that religion does not get the protection of The Constitution. In other words, the religion has delegitimized itself from The Constitution and any rights that come from The Constitution.