Separtion of Church and State

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Recommended: freedom of religion in public schools

The Constitution of the United States was written to give citizens certain privileges and rights in the way of free thought and freedom. The Establishment Clause was one way that civilians were protecting religious liberty by the separation of church and state. Within our political and school systems there have been a number of controversial issues to include religious holidays, school prayer, teaching evolution and aid to church based schools. The Supreme Court has ruled in many cases in regards to these religious controversial issues.

The First Amendment states “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” (University, n.d.). During the time the Establishment Clause was founded it was “intended to prohibit the federal government from declaring and financially supporting a national religion, such as existed in many other countries at the time of the nation’s founding” (UMKC, n.d.). The separation of church and state would theoretically have no religious bearing on the government or the Supreme Court when making decisions. Christianity was the main religion that the federal government was supporting in general. The establishment Clause prevented the Federal Government from one national religion being supported over another religion through the objection of the separation of church and state.

In the aid to church-based schools, one of the first interpretations of the Establishment Clause began in 1947 in Everson v Board of Education. With voting 5 to 4 “the Court upheld a state law to reimburs...

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Dierenfield, B. J. (2007, April). The Battle over School Prayer. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from www.kansaspress.ku.edu: http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/diebat.html

Leaming, J. (n.d.). Voucher programs propt debate over meaning of separation of church and state. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from www.freedomforum.org: http://www.freedomforum.org/packages/first/schoolvouchers/part2.htm

Oyez. (2011). Epperson v. Arkansas. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from www.oyez.org: http://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-1969/1968/1968_7

UMKC. (n.d.). Exploring Constitutional Conflicts. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from www.law2.umkc.edu: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/estabinto.htm

University, C. (n.d.). United States Constitution. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from www.topics.law.cornell.edu: http://topics.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment

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