Engel vs. Vitale Supreme Court Case

Since the landing of the Mayflower in 1620, when the Pilgrims fled the oppression of the English Church and government, Americans have cherished the idea of freedom of religion.  The United States Constitution was written in order to protect this idea of religious choices as well as a separation between church and state.  Challenges to these cherished freedoms have caused distress amongst Americans, and citizens have often needed to take action to protect their rights.  One such event is the Supreme Court Case of Engel vs. Vitale in 1962.  The court case was an emotional one, which was highly controversial during the time.  The Supreme Court case of Engel vs. Vitale, which involves school prayer in a public school, resonated shockwaves throughout the world with the decision of the court against government-directed prayer in school because this prayer violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

    The Founding Fathers of our country led by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson wrote the Bill Of Rights in 1789 in order to establish America’s most basic rights.  The Supreme Court Case history dates back to Colonial America.  The Constitution was written in order to protect Americans’ rights and freedoms.  The very first amendment was violated in this case.  The first amendment is subdivided into two sections.  The first section is titled the Establishment Clause.  It “prohibits the government from favoring one religion over another or from sponsoring a specific church or religion” (Haas 19) .  This clause says that the government cannot promote a certain religion and show it as better then another.  The second section is titled the Free Exercise Clause.  It “prohibits the government from passing laws that place burdens on individuals because of their religious beliefs” (Haas 19) .  This clause prohibits the government for creating laws against a certain religion and its members.  The constitution was written in hopes to cover every aspect however the document is extremely vague.  The Bill of Rights reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (Bill of Rights).  The statement is extremely vague and that is why the case caused so much controversy.  It depended on how the judges interpreted it and the judges now could interpret it differently now.  The case all depended on the judges at the time.