Religious broadcasters are free to broadcast whatever they wish on commercial channels. Indeed, Cornerstone has been broadcasting unimpeded on a commercial television channel in Pittsburgh since 1978. In this case, Cornerstone was seeking a special privilege from the government the right to broadcast on a channel reserved primarily for public education. I reject and resent this type of attack, reminiscent of a witch-hunt. It is precisely because of my deep respect for religion, and my deep appreciation for the religious diversity of America, that I supported our additional guidance.
Religion is much more than that.
The freedom to believe, and the freedom to believe in nothing at all, is one of our most precious freedoms. In order to preserve that freedom, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment precludes the government from aiding, endorsing or opposing a particular religious belief, or from promoting belief versus non-belief. Moreover, government endorsement of a particular set of religious beliefs sends a powerful message of exclusion to non-adherents. Here, the government reserves a small number of TV channels in a community for educating the public. The Establishment Clause does not allow public bodies to foment such disagreement.