Supreme Court Finally Clarifies Church and State Confusion, Making Religious Liberties the Top Priority
Author: Caitlin Burke, CBN News
Coach Kennedy
To read the story you may Click Here on this hyperlink.
In 2015, the Bremerton School District in Washington state fired Coach Joseph Kennedy for praying on the 50-yard line after football games. They were concerned that allowing those post-game prayers would come across as a state endorsement of his religion.
Kennedy's lawyers pointed to both the free exercise and free speech clauses of the Constitution to protect the coach's right to pray.
The high court agreed. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority side, said, "Respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse republic—whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field, and whether they manifest through spoken word or a bowed head."
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, accused the Court of "eroding religious liberty," for all, by elevating the religious rights of a school official over those of his students.
Much Broader Implications for Church and State
Monday's ruling also had major implications on the so-called "Lemon test."
For decades in religious liberty cases, the Supreme Court referred to a ruling from 1971, Lemon v. Kurtzman, as a framework for dealing with the so-called separation of Church and state under the First Amendment. Now, experts say that complicated legal standard has essentially been eliminated. It means courts will no longer necessarily favor secular interests over religious ones.
"I think it's very clear that the 'Lemon Test' is now no longer good law, that instead, we're going to look at the unique facts in history, the circumstances that have welcomed religion in the public square throughout our country's history," Dys said.
Coach Kennedy told CBN News his faith has sustained him through a long legal battle, now he's ready to get back on the field.
"My faith has grown so much, not just in God and the closeness of that, but the faith through my family, we've become a lot tighter as a family of Christians, and also everybody in the nation. It's just great to see how God works in these ways," Kennedy said.
[Permission is granted to Hugh's News from Charisma Media to publish this article with acknowledgment.]
Author: Caitlin Burke, CBN News
Coach Kennedy
To read the story you may Click Here on this hyperlink.
In 2015, the Bremerton School District in Washington state fired Coach Joseph Kennedy for praying on the 50-yard line after football games. They were concerned that allowing those post-game prayers would come across as a state endorsement of his religion.
Kennedy's lawyers pointed to both the free exercise and free speech clauses of the Constitution to protect the coach's right to pray.
The high court agreed. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority side, said, "Respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse republic—whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field, and whether they manifest through spoken word or a bowed head."
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, accused the Court of "eroding religious liberty," for all, by elevating the religious rights of a school official over those of his students.
Much Broader Implications for Church and State
Monday's ruling also had major implications on the so-called "Lemon test."
For decades in religious liberty cases, the Supreme Court referred to a ruling from 1971, Lemon v. Kurtzman, as a framework for dealing with the so-called separation of Church and state under the First Amendment. Now, experts say that complicated legal standard has essentially been eliminated. It means courts will no longer necessarily favor secular interests over religious ones.
"I think it's very clear that the 'Lemon Test' is now no longer good law, that instead, we're going to look at the unique facts in history, the circumstances that have welcomed religion in the public square throughout our country's history," Dys said.
Coach Kennedy told CBN News his faith has sustained him through a long legal battle, now he's ready to get back on the field.
"My faith has grown so much, not just in God and the closeness of that, but the faith through my family, we've become a lot tighter as a family of Christians, and also everybody in the nation. It's just great to see how God works in these ways," Kennedy said.
[Permission is granted to Hugh's News from Charisma Media to publish this article with acknowledgment.]