Engel V. Vitale
Seperation of Church and State
Location Herricks School District
Course case:
Argued on April 3, 1962
Decided on June 25, 1962
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion", Amendment I
Facts of The Case;
The Board of Regions for the State of New York authorized a short, voluntary prayer for recitation at the start of each school day. This was an attempt to defuse politically potent issue by taking it out of the hands of the local communities. The blandest of invocations read as follows: "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and beg Thy blessings upon us, our teachers and our country."
Question:
Does the reading of a nondenominational prayer at the start of the school day violate the "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment?
Conclusion:
Yes. Neither the prayer's denominational character nor its voluntary character saves it from unconstitutionality. By providing the prayer, New York officially approved religion. This was the first in a series of cases in which the Court used the establishment clause to eliminate religious activities of all sort which had traditionally been a part of public ceremonies. Despite the passage of time, the decision is still unpopular with a majority of Americans.