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Simple English definitions for legal terms

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

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A quick definition of Engel v. Vitale (1962):

Engel v. Vitale was a Supreme Court case in 1962 that said public schools cannot have prayer. One parent challenged the New York school board's decision to start class with a prayer that students could choose to leave the room for. The Court said that even if the prayer was optional and not tied to any one religion, it still violated the Constitution's Establishment Clause, which says the government cannot establish a religion. Many people were upset about the decision, but America was becoming more diverse and secular, with many different religions.

A more thorough explanation:

Engel v. Vitale is a Supreme Court decision from 1962 that banned prayer in public schools. The case was about whether a public school could have classroom prayers at a time when America was becoming more diverse and secular. The decision was controversial and unpopular, with many people protesting and calling for the Supreme Court justices to be impeached. However, the decision reflected a changing America that was becoming more pluralistic and less dominated by Protestantism.

The legal argument in Engel centered on the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The Supreme Court had previously applied this clause to state law, meaning that states could not establish religion either. The question in Engel was whether a public school prayer, even if it was optional and not tied to any particular religion, violated the Establishment Clause. The Court decided that it did, because any form of prayer promoted by the government was inherently religious and therefore violated the principle of separation of church and state.

The Engel decision was controversial because it reflected a changing America that was becoming more diverse and less dominated by Protestantism. In the past, public schools had often promoted Protestantism, but as America became more pluralistic, this became less acceptable. The Engel decision reflected this changing reality and helped to establish the principle of separation of church and state in public schools.

enforcement power | English-only rule

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babycat
16:37
I'm guessing you don't have a sibling named babycat but I hope I still make you marginally happier than normal despite this
JumpySubsequentDolphin
16:38
maybe he has a babycat
babycat
16:38
I think everyone should have a babycat
JumpySubsequentDolphin
16:39
im allergic to baby cats >:(
JumpySubsequentDolphin
16:40
I used to have a babycat, I only got allergies after he died
JumpySubsequentDolphin
16:40
I think he’s haunting me
babycat
16:40
:(
babycat
16:40
that's too bad
babycat
16:40
you still have me though <3
@babycat: you make my day marginally happier with your scathing wit
16:43
New Father John Misty album out today
16:44
People saying it’s his best yet by far
babycat
16:45
what would I do without you renard99
awww ty wasp :)
i have 4 (baby) cats!
16:46
Damn you know her sarcasm is meant to be scathing when she calls me by my full username and not just Renard
JumpySubsequentDolphin
16:47
@jackfrost11770: FOUR?!??
16:48
I’m only teasing Babycat ily I’ll be seeing you in [REDACTED] very very soon
YES
and they're all rescues from breeders so they're all long haired persians .... w flat faces ....
they're all runts cause breeders just ... dispose of them (:(((() so they're all super tiny
literal babies
babycat
16:49
ily2 renard99
initiallaw
16:49
omg so cute
JumpySubsequentDolphin
16:51
@jackfrost11770: IM SO JEALOUS
2big2fail
16:52
perhaps peggerdine this evening
2big2fail
16:52
but then again, perhaps not
JumpySubsequentDolphin
16:53
damn no ucla wave
16:56
Hey guys! chance me 340/340GRE- 2 years work experience at PIL and wrote compelling statements. but my masters gpa is kinda 3.1 because I was domestically abused. :p
babycat
16:59
schools mostly care about your undergrad GPA
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