“Dear Mr. Line: No. Sincerely, James Uthmeier.”

This was the response of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to the legal counsel for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Christopher Line.

Uthmeier had argued that denying public funds and programs such as scholarships and grants to institutions solely on the basis of their religion is religious discrimination and hence unconstitutional. He declared that his office would not carry out a law that he said violates “the right of religious people and entities to participate in public programs and benefits like everyone else.”

The state attorney general took to X to make his case.

“As John Adams explained, ‘Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other,'” he wrote. “Unfortunately, some Florida laws prohibit religious schools from accessing public funds, and we will not enforce unconstitutional laws.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation promotes a different view on the matter, arguing that Uthmeier is misrepresenting the Supreme Court’s rulings on the matter. It said that Uthmeier’s “attempt to justify directing taxpayer funds to religious charter schools fundamentally misrepresents recent Supreme Court decisions.”

The group called on Uthmeier to resign. “FFRF is calling on Uthmeier to resign if he is unwilling to carry out his constitutional obligations,” it said in a statement posted to its website.