God Bless The U.S.A.

The United States Supreme Court last week issued important rulings affecting religious freedom. The two cases are Carson v Makin and Kennedy v Bremerton. Both cases involve the First Amendment and schools.

In the Kennedy case, Coach Kennedy, a high school football coach, was in the habit of dropping to his knees at the 50-yard line, post-game, and silently praying. The school district determined that he was subjecting it to the potential for lawsuits by engaging in this constitutionally "inappropriate" activity. When he refused to stop his post-game pigskin prayers, the school suspended him.

In the Carson case, parents in Maine sued the state over its tuition assistance program. The state program provided tuition for students who wanted or needed to attend private schools. The major constraint was that parents could not qualify for funds if they sent their children to a religious school. Like the Kennedy case, there was a fear that if the state did not prohibit