United States Supreme Court (1963) in the case of School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203, 212, 225 (1963), pp. 21, 71; Associate Justice Tom Clark delivered the Court's opinion; Justice William Joseph Brennan, Jr., concurring:
<It is true that religion has been closely identified with our history and government. As we said in Engle v. Vitale, "The history of man is inseparable from the history of religion."
Secularism is unconstitutional....preferring those who do not believe over those who do believe....It is the duty of government to deter no-belief religions....
Facilities of government cannot offend religious principles....
[T]he State may not establish a 'religion of secularism' in the sense of affirmatively opposing or showing hostility to religion, thus 'preferring those who believe in no religion over those who do believe.
In addition, it might well be said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities.
Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.
The holding of the Court today plainly does not foreclose teaching about the Holy Scriptures or about the differences between religious sects in classes in literature or history. Indeed, whether or not the Bible is involved, it would be impossible to teach meaningfully many subjects in the social sciences or the humanities without some mention of religion....
Any attempt to impose rigid limits upon the mention of God or references to the Bible in the classroom would be fraught with dangers.
Not every involvement of religion in public life is unconstitutional.> 1963US001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement
1963US001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). United States Supreme Court, 1963, Abington v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203, 212, 225, 300-301, 83 S.Ct. 1560, 10 L. Ed. 2D 844 (1963) pp. 21, 71. Associate Justice Tom Clark writing the Court's opinion, Justice William Joseph Brennan, Jr. concurring. "Our Christian Heritage," Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 7. Bill Gothard, Applying Basic Principles-Supplementary Alumni Book (Oak Brook, IL: Institute of Basic Youth Conflicts, 1984), p. 3. Jay Sekulow, Letter to School Superintendents (Virginia Beach, VA: American Center for Law and Justice, November 17, 1992), p. 1. Religion in the Public School Curriculum-Questions and Answers (available from the Christian Legal Society, P.O. Box 1492, Merrifield, Va. 22116.), pp. 1-2. John Whitehead, The Rights of Religious Persons in Public Education, p. 187, 191, 183, 285. Elizabeth Ridenour, Public Schools-Bible Curriculum (Greensboro, N.C.: National Council On Bible Curriculum, 1996), p. 13, 21, 23, 28, 39, 41.