Why would the Supreme Court rule, as they did in Engel v. Vitale, that a public school district cannot compose a school prayer to begin the school day? (1 point) Responses Public schools are government institutions and cannot establish religious practices. Public schools are government institutions and cannot establish religious practices. Students are citizens and should not be forced to do things they don’t agree with. Students are citizens and should not be forced to do things they don’t agree with. It would take away parents’ rights to practice a different religion at home. It would take away parents’ rights to practice a different religion at home. Taxpayers should agree before being asked to fund religious activities in public
schools.
wrong,
Why would the Supreme Court rule, as they did in Engel v. Vitale, that a public school district cannot compose a school prayer to begin the school day? (1 point) Responses Public schools are government institutions and cannot establish religious practices. Public schools are government institutions and cannot establish religious practices. Students are citizens and should not be forced to do things they don’t agree with. Students are citizens and should not be forced to do things they don’t agree with. It would take away parents’ rights to practice a different religion at home. It would take away parents’ rights to practice a different religion at home. Taxpayers should agree before being asked to fund religious activities in public schools
The correct response is: Public schools are government institutions and cannot establish religious practices.
To understand why the Supreme Court ruled in Engel v. Vitale that a public school district cannot compose a school prayer to begin the school day, we need to consider the principles of separation of church and state and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The First Amendment includes the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from endorsing or promoting any particular religion. Public schools are government institutions funded by taxpayer money, and as such, they must be neutral in matters of religion. Composing a school prayer to be recited by students at the beginning of the day would be considered a government endorsement of religion, which goes against the principle of separation of church and state.
The Supreme Court's ruling in Engel v. Vitale upheld the idea that public schools should not establish religious practices because it would infringe upon the rights and freedoms of both students and their families. By engaging in compulsory prayer, students who do not share the same religious beliefs or do not adhere to any religion may feel coerced or marginalized. It would go against the principles of religious freedom and individual autonomy.
Additionally, by allowing public schools to compose a school prayer, it would intrude upon the rights of parents to practice a different religion or no religion at home. Government institutions, including public schools, should not dictate or favor one particular religious belief over another.
Lastly, the potential use of taxpayer funds for religious activities in public schools would raise concerns about the fairness and consent of those taxpayers who may not share the same religious affiliation. Asking taxpayers to fund religious activities without their agreement would violate the principle of religious freedom and the right to determine how their tax money should be spent.
In summary, the Supreme Court ruled in Engel v. Vitale that a public school district cannot compose a school prayer to begin the school day because it would violate the Establishment Clause, infringe upon the rights of students and parents, and potentially misuse taxpayer funds.