Religion in the American Colonies

For more information on the role of religion in the American colonies, see the following:

"Religion in America" http://elane.stanford.edu/wilson/Text/3b.html
"Six American Colonies Founded for Religions Motives" http://elane.stanford.edu/wilson/Text/3e.html

U.S. Constitution

For the full text of the U.S. Constitution and its Amendments, see:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html

World Religions

For more information about some of the world's religions, see:

"World Religions: Religion, History, and Literature" http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1699/

Religious Pluralism in the U.S.

A number of web sites are helpful in understanding the role of religious pluralism in the United States from its colonial beginnings. Among them are:

"Native American Religion in Early America" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/natrel.htm

"Puritanism and Predestination" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/puritan.htm

"The American Colonies as the Birthplace of Religious Pluralism" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/midcol.htm

"The Church of England in Early America" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/chureng.htm

"African American Religion in the 19^th Century" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nafrican.htm

"Mormonism and the American Mainstream" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nmormon.htm

"The American Jewish Experience in America" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/judaism.htm

"Roman Catholics and Immigration" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nromcath.htm

"Islam in America: From African Slaves to Malcolm X" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/islam.htm

Religion in the Curriculum

For some suggestions about incorporating teaching about religion in the curriculum, see:

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance http://www.religioustolerance.org/
A Calendar of Religious Holy Days http://www.uno.edu/~cdac/calendar.html
Religion in the Public Schools http://www.adl.org/religion_ps/religion.asp

Evolution and "Creation Science"

For insights into the first major legal attack on the teaching of evolution, see:

Famous Trials-The Scopes Trial http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm

For the debate on creation science, see:

Creation and Intelligent Design, at:

http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/
http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/nhmag.html

Court Decisions Related to Religion and Public Schooling (in chronological order)

Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 [1925] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/268/510.html

The Supreme Court invalidates an Oregon law that required all children between the ages of eight and 16 to attend public schools. A Roman Catholic orphanage and military academy brought suit. The court said the Oregon law interfered with parental right to oversee and guide their children's education.

Cochran v.Louisiana State Board of Education 281 U.S. 370 [1930] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/281/370.html

The Supreme Court finds that use of public funds for the purchase of textbooks in parochial schools is constitutional.

Minersville v. Gobitis, 310 U.S. 586 [1940] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/310/586.html

The Supreme Court maintains that Jehovah's Witnesses can be forced to salute the flag against their will in public schools.

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 [1943] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/319/624.html

The Court overturns Gobitis and makes the decision broader in its scope. No one can be forced to salute the flag or say the pledge of allegiance if it violates the individual's conscience.

Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 [1947] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/330/1.html

The Court says that state reimbursement for bus fares to attend religious schools is constitutional.

McCollum v. Board of Education, 333 U.S. 203 [1948] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/333/203.html

The Court finds religious instruction in public schools a violation of the establishment clause and therefore unconstitutional.

Zorach v. Clausen, 343 U.S. 306 [1952] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/343/306.html

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that religious instruction during school hours does not violate the First Amendment of the Constitution as long as it takes place off school grounds and is conducted by teachers or religious figures independent of and not paid by the school.

Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 [1962] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/370/421.html

Court finds school prayer unconstitutional.

Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 [1963] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/374/203.html

The Court finds Bible reading over school intercom unconstitutional

Epperson v. State of Arkansas, [1968] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/393/97.html

The Supreme Court finds that the statute criminalizing the teaching of evolutionary theory is unconstitutional on the grounds that the statute breaches the constitutional criteria against establishing religion by the state.

Board of Education v. Allen, 392 U.S. 236 [1968] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/392/236.html

Court says that the state's lending of textbooks to private and religious schools is constitutional.

Lemon v. Kurzman 403 U.S. 602 [1971] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/403/602.html

The Supreme Court outlines what has becomes known as the "Three-Pronged Test" for deciding whether or not any statute violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment regarding religion.

Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 [1971] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/406/205.html

In this case, sometimes called "the Amish exception", the Supreme Court upheld the right of Amish families to withdraw their children from public schools after the eighth grade on religious grounds.

Committee v. Nyquist 413 U.S. 756[1973] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/413/756.html and Sloan v. Lemon 413 U.S. 825 [1973] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/413/825.html

The Court rules that states cannot reimburse parents for sending their children to religious schools.

Meek v. Pittenger, 421 U.S. 349 [1975] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/421/349.html

The Court rules that states can lend textbooks to religious schools but not other materials.

Committee for Public Education v. Regan, 444 U.S. 646 [1980] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/444/646.html

The Court rules that states can reimburse religious schools for the cost of giving standardized tests.

Mueller v. Allen, 463 U.S. 388 [1983] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/463/388.html

The Court rules that taxpayers can deduct tuition, textbooks, and transportation expenses from state income taxes that were incurred by attending private and religious schools.

Aquilar v. Felton, 473 U.S. 402 (1985) http://laws.findlaw.com/us/473/402.html

The Court rules that sending public school teachers to religious schools to provide remedial education and counseling is unconstitutional.

Wallace v. Jaffree, 472 U.S. 38 (1985) http://laws.findlaw.com/us/472/38.html

The Court finds that a state law enforcing a moment of silence in schools has a religious purpose and is therefore unconstitutional.

Edwards v. Aquillard, 482 U.S. 578 (1987) http://laws.findlaw.com/us/482/578.html

The Court finds a state law requiring equal treatment for creationism to be religious in purpose and is therefore unconstitutional.

Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens 496 U.S. 226[1990] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/496/226.html

The Supreme Court upholds the right of students to form religious clubs in schools. The court rules that the Equal Access Act does not violate the First Amendment. Public schools that receive federal funds and maintain a "limited open forum" on school grounds after school hours cannot deny "equal access" to student groups based upon "religious, political, philosophical, or other content."

Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet, (1994) http://laws.findlaw.com/us/000/u10355.html

The Court states that the New York State Legislature cannot create a separate school district for a religious community.

Agostini v. Felton, 117 S.Ct. 1997, 138 L.Ed.2d 391 [1997] http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=96-552

The Court overturns Aquilar and says that public school teachers providing supplemental, remedial instruction to disadvantaged students in religious schools does not violate the Establishment Clause.

Mitchell v. Helms, [2000] http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=98-1648

The High court rules that Chapter 2 of the Education and Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 does not violate the Establishment Clause when it provides educational equipment to religious schools with taxpayer money.

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 530 U.S. 290 [2000] http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&navby=case&vol=000&invol=99-62

The Court rules that student-led prayers at public-school football games violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Good News Club v. Milford Central School, 533 U.S. 98 [2001] http://laws.findlaw.com/us/000/99-2036.html

The Court rules that the Milford Central School cannot keep the Good News Club from using its facilities because the school had created a limited public forum and prohibiting the religious club constitutes viewpoint discrimination.

Fundamentalism and the "Religious Right"

Two web sites that provide a balanced view of religious fundamentalism are:

"The Rise of Fundamentalism" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/fundam.htm and "The Christian Right" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/chr_rght.htm

Fundamentalism and the "Religious Right"

Two web sites that provide a balanced view of religious fundamentalism are:

"The Rise of Fundamentalism" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/fundam.htm and "The Christian Right" http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/chr_rght.htm

Attempts to Ban Books

For more information on attempts to ban or censor books, see:

Banned Books and Censorship http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/banned.htm