Engel v. Vitale
Definition
Engel v. Vitale was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1962 where it was decided that state officials violated the First Amendment when they wrote a prayer to be recited by New York's schoolchildren.
Analogy
Imagine if your school principal wrote a song about his favorite football team and made everyone sing it every morning. Some students might support different teams or not like football at all. This would feel unfair, right? That's similar to what happened in Engel v. Vitale - but with prayer in schools instead of football songs.
Related terms
Lemon Test: A three-part test articulated by the Supreme Court in Lemon v Kurtzman for laws dealing with religious establishment issues; To pass this test, a statute must have a secular legislative purpose, its principal or primary effect must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion, and it must not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion.
School Prayer: The term for state-sanctioned or mandatory prayer by students in public schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, state-sponsored prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited.
Establishment Clause: A part of the First Amendment stating that 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.' This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another.
"Engel v. Vitale" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (3)
- What was the issue in Engel v. Vitale?
- What effect did Engel v. Vitale have on religious practices in public schools?
- How does the interpretation of the Establishment Clause in Engel v. Vitale differ from its original understanding?
Resources
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