constitutional rights & liberties - Faculty & Staff, Georgia Perimeter ...

The Separation of
Church and State
• Prior to 1947, separation of church
and state was not considered part
of the constitution.
• It has come from Court decisions.
• Example: Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)
– New York had an official prayer for public schools
– Court ruled it unconstitutional
– Government has no business telling students how to
pray.
– Students are not prohibited from praying themselves.