U.S. History of Church and State

In Orange County we have several cities with the guts to again allow slogo's like "In God We Trust" around city hall. Remember when that (on all coins and paper money) was never controversial? Now, that and more is controversial, so I thought you might like to see a history of Church and State in the USA...

1791: Congress ratified the "Bill of Rights" respecting an establishment of religion.

1833: Congregational Church in Massachusetts is the last to be disestablished.

1940: In Cantwell v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court ruled for he first time that the free-exercise clause of the First Amendment applies not just to Congress, but to state governments.

1948: In McCollum v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that irt was unconstitutional for schools to set aside time during scholl for religious instruction on school premises.

1954: Congress adds words 'under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, a Roman Catholic organization, and other religious leaders. Two years later Congress makes "In God We Trust" the national motto.

1962: In Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that a prayer which the New York Board of regents required public school students to say each morning was unconstitutional.

1963: In Abingdon v. Schempp and Murray v. Curlett, the Supreme Court found daily Bible reading and the recitation of the Lord's prayer in public schools unconstitutional.

1971: In Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Supreme Court formulated a three pronged "establishment" test: Does the government action have a bona-fide secular of civic purpose? Does the primary effect neither advance nor inhibit religion? Does the law avoid excessive government entanglement with religions?

2002: The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declares the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional when recited in public schools because it contains the words "under God". The ruling comes from a case brought by Michael Newdow, a Sacramento atheist who didn't want his daughter to be forced to hear the pledge recited in class.

*compiled from AP news research.

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Best regards, Michael Caruso