<P> The Establishment Clause is a limitation placed upon the United States Congress preventing it from passing legislation respecting an establishment of religion . The second half of the Establishment Clause inherently prohibits the government from preferring any one religion over another . While the Establishment Clause does prohibit Congress from preferring or elevating one religion over another , it does not prohibit the government 's entry into the religious domain to make accommodations for religious observances and practices in order to achieve the purposes of the Free Exercise Clause . </P>
the establishment clause in the first amendment prohibits the federal government from
from passing legislation respecting an establishment of religion