Thread by @MaricopaGOP

TRUMP ADMIN TO ISSUE NEW GUIDANCE PROTECTING RIGHT TO PRAYER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

1) June 25th, 1962 : @USSupremeCourt Rules—Erroneously—Prayer in Public School Unconstitutional

As If Children Praying in School is the Establishment of a Religion?

Case: tile.loc.gov/storage-servic… x.com/RapidResponse4…

2) In a 6-1 "decision," the U.S. Supreme Court #SCOTUS ruled the following school prayer unconstitutional:

"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country. Amen."

3) Lower courts upheld the prayer so long as students were never forced to participate or compelled to recite the prayer over parental objections. In SCOTUS Justice Potter Stewart's dissent, he wrote:

4) "The Court has misapplied a great constitutional principle. I cannot see how an 'official religion' is established by letting those who want to say a prayer say it. On the contrary, I think that to deny the wish of these school children to join in reciting this prayer...

5) "... is to deny them the opportunity of sharing in the spiritual heritage of our Nation." He cited excerpts from speeches made by presidents, from Washington to Kennedy, that made reference to God or religion.

6) In a 1985 SCOTUS case—also in error—this ruling was extended further to prohibit schools from providing one minute at the start of each day for a moment of "meditation or voluntary prayer."

tile.loc.gov/storage-servic…

7) Given ongoing references to "Separation of Church & State," what's before & after that, in Thomas Jefferson's own words?

"Believing with you 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...

8) "That the legislative 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 would 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion"...

9) "... or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."

Context matters, especially here, right?



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