1stAmendment-Religion - home

<h1>1st Amendment: Freedom of Religion</h1>
 
Cases that involve the Constitutional right to have religious freedom: 
 
 
1. Everson vs. Board of Education (1942)- Established clause School district transports all children to school, parochial kids too. Taxpayers paying for bus and driver. Church not charged for their kids to ride. Their parents pay taxes anyway. Supreme Court - can't let church kids ride violates separation. 
 
2. Engel vs .Vitale (1962)- New York School Board OK's and composes a prayer, instructed each class to use it daily. Prayer is nondenominational. Is it OK? (Supreme Court says no). If not mandatory, just a moment of silence? Swear in President on Bible? In God We Trust on coins? God is dead. National Anthem? Moment of silence? 
 
 
3. l989 - NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH VS OREGON Native American arrested for use of peyote. Also arrested for snake handling. These are done in conjunction with religious ceremonies. People have died from either or both of these. If we legalize it, what about pot for your own church? Crack? Oregon State Law - illegal to possess peyote and/or use it. 
 
4. l963 - US VS SEEGER Selective Service Act - exempts from combat any person who because of religious beliefs consciously objects to participation in war of any form - 3 men refused induction. Means - belief in Supreme Being - defined by Court. Seeger - When asked about belief in Supreme Being, said rather he had a belief in good and bad and war was bad, he believed he should do only good. Should he be exempted? Is he just trying to avoid the draft? Not exempted.