The Practice of Religion in Public Schools Essay -- Prayer in Public Sc

The Practice of Religion in Public Schools The establishment or religion article of the First Amendment of the Constitution reads Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (Education Week, 2003, para. 2). It is from this clause that the idea of separation of church and state comes. It is also the basis for a lot of the debate regarding the practice of religion in public schools (Education Week, 2003). One of the freehanded questions regarding the religion act is where to draw the line between separation of church and state and unearthly freedom. The practice of religion in public schools give the gate balance these two ends by allowing students to individually exercise their religious freedom, so long as they do not interfere with that of other students. throughout the twentieth century, the United States dictatorial appeal has protected students rights to practice their religious beliefs, so lo ng as they are not disruptive, discriminatory, or lordly to peers who may not share those same beliefs (Education Weekly, 2003, para. 3). In 1943, the Supreme motor lodge ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette express that students could not be forced to salute the flag or take the pledge of allegiance if it violates the individuals conscience (First Amendment Cyber Tribune, 2002). The 1963 decision in Engel v. Vitale made school supplicant unconstitutional, and similarly found school prayer at graduation ceremonies in its 1992 Lee v. Weisman decision (First Amendment Cyber Tribune, 2002). Student-led prayer at public school football games was found unconstitutional in 2000 with the Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (First Amendment C... ...il). Religion in Schools. Retrieved April 30, 2003, from http//www.educationweek.org/ scope/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=60. This website provided a summary of the issue of religion in schools and reviewed s everal Supreme Court decisions related to the issue.First Amendment Cyber Tribune. (2002, July). Freedom of Religion An Overall collect of Religious Liberty as Defined by U.S. Supreme Court Cases. Retrieved May 3, 2003, from http//w3.trib.com/FACT/1st.religion.html.This website listed several Supreme Court cases dealing with the issue of religion in schools and provided short explanations of each opinion.Riley R. Religious Expression in Public Schools. Retrieved May 3, 2003, from http//www.ed.gov/Speeches/08-1995/religion.html.This website provided a copy of the U.S. Secretary of Educations guidelines on religious expression in public schools.