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When in doubt, ask Dave

| April 16, 2014 9:00 PM

You've almost memorized the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. You've made it a lifetime mission to study the manifold court cases and expert interpretations of the laws of this land, specifically the First Amendment and what our nation's founders were thinking when they carved out protections for religious freedoms.

But for all the rest of us, mark your calendars for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at the Coeur d'Alene library. Renowned constitutional scholar Dr. David Adler will make his third consecutive springtime visit to North Idaho and help his audience better understand the separation of church and state, and related matters.

Adler has dazzled audiences not just with his intricate knowledge of constitutional history and deep background, but his ability to communicate so effectively - without the use of notes. As he has in previous discussions, the good doctor will talk before turning over the microphone for questions from the audience.

On May 8, highlights of his lecture - free and open to the public, thanks to the Idaho Humanities Council - include:

* Origins of the religion clauses of the First Amendment

* Why religious liberty is not an "absolute right"

* Leading Supreme Court cases and challenges to religious liberty

* Recent challenges including the Supreme Court case involving open prayers at city council meetings

"At bottom, the question about religious liberty is the question involving all rights and liberties: What is the scope of freedom, and the authority of government to regulate that freedom?" Adler told us. "It's a classic example of civil rights and liberties clashes - governmental power versus individual liberty."

We're always fascinated when letter writers and local political candidates pontificate on what the Founding Fathers really had in mind when they crafted the First Amendment - the words of wisdom printed in the upper right hand corner of the Press Opinions page. On May 8, you'll hear from somebody who actually knows what he's talking about.

You're invited. See you there.