Question

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I don't understand the part marked in bold.
Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. So congress should not make a law which prohibits the freedom of religion. I get it.
But Congress shall make a law which respects an establishment of religion. Doesn't "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" mean congress should not make a law that respects religion because there's "no" in it??

Answer 1

The 'no law respecting an establishment of religion' means Congress cannot create a national religion or prefer one religion over another and cannot interfere with religious practices.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phrase "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" means Congress cannot pass laws that establish an official religion for the United States or favor one religion over others. This is known as the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Additionally, the phrase also means that Congress cannot make laws that would interfere with the practice of religion. This is reinforced by the next part of the sentence which says Congress shall make no law "prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Together, these form the basis for religious liberty in the United States, which includes both freedom from a government-imposed religion and freedom to practice the religion of one's choice.