The First Amendment to the United States Constitution

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December 15, 1791 the First Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech." At an absolute minimum, the Establishment Clause 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 (University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2011). Prefacing the institution of the Establishment Clause, society was becoming increasingly concerned that the government was dictating to the people which type of religion they should favor. The tables turned back in forth either favoring Catholicism or Protestantism. Tax dollars were being used to support whatever was being called the state church. During the time that Pierce v. Society of Sisters was being heard, people were becoming increasingly tired of the punishment, imprisonment and increased taxation that was occurring for not conforming to the prevailing religion. Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary 268 U.S. 510 The first to occur in the timeline of the cases discussed in this paper is Pierce v. Society of Sisters. In separate cases the Sisters of the Holy Names and Hill Military Academy would sue the governor of Oregon, Walter Pierce as well as state attorney general H. Van Winkle and district attorney of Multnomah County, Stanley Meyers. The Oregon state voters were presented with and passed a law called the Compulsory Education Act on November 7, 1922. This newly elected Act eliminated parochial schools, including Catholic schools except for a few exce... ... middle of paper ... ...an belief system, this author is aware that there are many that follow no religious tradition and would possibly be offended by all types of references to the Christian belief systems, especially if it was being forced upon them every single day in the classroom. This country was based on the Christian belief system. Prevalent in almost every state’s Constitution, a reference to “Almighty God” or “in the year of the Lord” can be found. What about the Pledge of Allegiance? This is stated every single day in the classroom? “One nation under God…”. An addition to the U.S. Constitution in 1954, “Under God” became a part of the Pledge of Allegiance. In 2004, after being challenged in Elk Grove Unified School Dist. v. Newdow, the Supreme Court ruled, on Flag Day, that the patriotic oath could not be challenged in his fight of separation of church and state.

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