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South Carolina
The colony of South Carolina passed a "Sunday Law" which required everyone to attend church each Sunday and to refrain from both skilled labor and traveling by horse or wagon beyond what was absolutely necessary. Violators received a fine and/or a two hours in the village stocks -
The First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... -
Quote By Thomas Jefferson
"Believing.that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ' thus building a wall of separation between Church and St -
Quote
"There is no such source and cause of strife, quarrel, fights, malignant opposition, persecution, and war, and all evil in the state, as religion. Let it once enter our civil affairs, our government would soon be destroyed. Let it once enter our common schools, they would be destroyed." Supreme Court Wisconsin, Weiss v. District Board, -
Required Bible Reading
The Supreme Court outlawed required Bible reading in class. -
Quote
A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and degrade religion. -
Lemon v. Kurtzman
Established the three part test for determining if an action of government violates First Amendment's separation of church and state:
1) the government action must have a secular purpose;
2) its primary purpose must not be to inhibit or to advance religion;
3) there must be no excessive entanglement between government and religion. -
Ten Commandments
In 1985, the Supreme Court declared a Kentucky law unconstitutional that required the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. -
Edwards v. Aquillard
Unconstitutional for state to require teaching of "creation science" in all instances in which evolution is taught. Statute had a clear religious motivation -
The Establishment Clause
"[ T] he Establishment Clause forbids state-sponsored prayers in public school settings no matter how nondenominational the prayers may be." Lee v. Weisman, 505 U. S. 577 (1992). -
Lee v. Weisman
Unconstitutional for a school district to provide any clergy to perform nondenominational prayer at elementary or secondary school graduation. It involves government sponsorship of worship. Court majority was particularly concerned about psychological coercion to which children, as opposed to adults, would be subjected, by having prayers that may violate their beliefs recited at their graduation ceremonies. -
Quote by Bill Clinton
President Bill Clinton spoke to students at James Madison High School in Vienna, VA., saying that “nothing in the 1st Amendment converts our public schools to religion-free zones or requires all religious expression to be left at the schoolhouse door.” -
Prayer Before Board Meetings
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals decided that the Board of Education in Cleveland, OH, cannot pray before their meetings. The court ruled that prayers are an illegal endorsement of religion. -
Moment of Silence Law
Having students engage in a moment of silence during which they can pray, meditate, plan their day, or engage in any other silent mental activity -
Illinois
Federal district court in Illinois blocked school sanctioned prayers at a graduation ceremony at Washington Community High School. The prayers at the graduation ceremony were described by Washington school officials as student-led. The prayers were to be given by students who volunteered for the assignment and those delivering the invocation and benediction were also required to submit his or her draft remarks to a facility member, who was to review and approve the material before presentatio