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Engle v. Vitale (1962): Does the reading of a nondenominational prayer at the start of the school day violate the "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment?

User Tobi Obeck
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Final answer:

In the Engel v. Vitale (1962) case, the Supreme Court ruled that the reading of a nondenominational prayer at the start of the school day violated the "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment. This case established a clear boundary between government and religious practices in public institutions, primarily public schools.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reading of a nondenominational prayer at the start of the school day was found to violate the "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment in the case Engel v. Vitale (1962). In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that by providing the prayer, New York officially approved religion, which went against the separation of church and state. Despite the prayer being nondenominational and voluntary, the Court held that it still constituted the establishment of religion and was therefore unconstitutional.

User Eric Willigers
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