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"Old Deluder Satan" Act
This act required that towns that had 50 families or more must hire a schoolmaster to teach the children how to read and write. In these schools the children were taught how to read the Bible so that they could achieve salvation. Clarification:
The Old Deluder Satan Act was used to teach the children how to read the bible. This to me showed that religion was still important in the schools back in the 1600's. -
Georgetown University
Georgetown University became the first Catholic and Jesuit Institution of higher education in the United States. Catholicism's is central to Georgetown's Academic life. Clarification:
Georgetown University is used as one of the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institutions in the U.S.. I also found out that catholicism's rich and diverse intellectual tradition is central to georgetown's academic life. They are grounded in the belief that spiritual development is essential to personal growth. -
Bible as a Textbook
One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Benjamin Rush, wrote a letter that was published in support of using the Bible as a textbook in the schools. Clarification:
The bible claims to be a textbook because it is said that " All scripture is God- Breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be throughly equipped for every good work." ( 2 Timothy 3:16,17) -
Daily Bible Readings in Schools
The Florida State Legislatures passed a law that required all public schools to have required daily Bible readings -
Stand, Salute, Pledge
The Jehovah's Witnesses' had an issue with them being forced to salute the American Flag, which goes against their beliefs. The Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protected the students from being forced to salute or pledge a symbol. -
Everson v. Board of Education
First major establishment clause decision, where the court held that the government cannot aid anyone religion or even any religions, but instead must be neutral toward religion. "Separation of Church and State." Clarification:
This act was used to upheld a New Jersey policy for refunding the parents of Catholic School Students for the cost of busing their children to their schools. -
McCollum v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled, in the case of McCollum v. Board of Education, that the schools could not allow children to have a "released time" during the school day in which the students would be allowed to participate in religious education in the public school classrooms. Clarification:
This was used because the use of public schools for religious organizations violates the no-estabishment-of-religion clause of the 1st Amendment. -
Eisenhower adds to the Pledge of Allegiance
President Eisenhower officially signed a bill into law that added the saying "One Nation Under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance. -
Banned Prayer and Bible Readings
The Supreme Court has ruled against the individual school prayer and Bible readings being allowed in the public schools. -
Wisconsin vs. Yoder
In 1972, the Amish Community filed a claim stating that the requirements to attend school had violated their rights to practice their own religious beliefs. Clarification:
This was used so that the parents of the Amish could not send their children to the public schools beyond the eighth grade because it had violated their religious beliefs. -
Wallace v. Jaffree
The Supreme Court struck down on an Alabama Law in 1985. It stated that this Alabama Law was allowing voluntary or silent prayers in the public schools during the time of "silent meditation" Clarification:
This was used because an Alabama Law authorized one minute of silence for prayer or meditation because it violated the establishment clause.
