Question 1

In _______________, the Supreme Court upheld an Air Force dress code requirement against the challenge of an Orthodox Jew who was disciplined for wearing a yarmulke while in uniform. Stressing the need for discipline and uniformity in the military, the Court rejected the challenge.

Accepted Answer

This question refers to the case of Goldman v. Weinberger (1986), in which the Supreme Court upheld the Air Force's dress code requirement that prohibited wearing religious headgear while in uniform. The Court emphasized the importance of discipline and uniformity in the military and found that the dress code was not discriminatory.

Question 2

In ___________________, the Supreme Court held that if a school permits after-hours activities concerning moral or character development, it cannot prohibit activities even if they involve religious instruction of elementary school students.

Accepted Answer

The case Good News Club v. Milford Central School (2001) dealt specifically with the ability of schools to prohibit religious instruction in after-hours activities. The court ruled that if a school allows such activities, it cannot discriminate against religious groups who wish to participate. Board of Education v. Mergens (1990) dealt with the ability of secondary schools to deny access to student groups based on religious content. Widmar v. Vincent (1981) dealt with the ability of public universities to deny access to religious student groups for use of campus facilities.

Question 3

The Supreme Court has adopted _____________ metaphor of a "wall of separation between church and state" as capturing the essential meaning of the Establishment Clause.

Accepted Answer

The "wall of separation between church and state" metaphor was used by Thomas Jefferson in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. While James Madison and Alexander Hamilton contributed to the framing of the Constitution, they did not use this specific metaphor in their writings.

Question 4

In ______________, a case involving members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Supreme Court held unconstitutional a city council's denial of a permit to the Jehovah's Witnesses to use the city park for a public meeting.

Accepted Answer

Niemotko v. Maryland (1951) is the only case mentioned that involves members of the Jehovah's Witnesses and a city's denial of a permit to use a park for a public meeting. In this case, the Supreme Court held that the denial of the permit was unconstitutional, as it violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Question 5

In _____________, the Supreme Court said that freedom of religion is a fundamental right that could be abridged only if necessary to protect a compelling government interest.

Accepted Answer

In Sherbert v. Verner (1963), the Supreme Court established the "compelling government interest" test for cases involving the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. This test requires the government to show that any burden on religious exercise is necessary to further a compelling government interest.

Question 6

Chief Justice ____________ once wrote, "…as a law of the organization of society under the exclusive dominion of the United States, it is provided that plural marriages shall not be allowed. Can a man excuse his practices to the contrary because of his religious belief? To permit this would be to make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself. Government could exist only in name under such circumstances."

Accepted Answer

This quote is from Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite's opinion in the case of Reynolds v. United States, which dealt with the constitutionality of laws prohibiting polygamy. Waite's opinion concluded that religious beliefs do not excuse individuals from compliance with laws prohibiting plural marriage.

Question 7

In ____________, the Supreme Court upheld application of the federal antipolygamy statute to a Mormon who claimed it was his religious duty to have several wives.

Accepted Answer

Reynolds v. United States is the case that dealt with the application of the federal antipolygamy statute to a Mormon who claimed it was his religious duty to have several wives. The Supreme Court upheld the statute and ruled that religious beliefs do not excuse someone from compliance with a law that is otherwise constitutional.

Question 8

In ______________, the Supreme Court upheld a New York statute requiring local public school districts to lend textbooks on secular subjects to students in private and parochial schools based on the child benefit theory.

Accepted Answer

This case specifically dealt with the issue of whether a New York statute requiring local public school districts to lend textbooks on secular subjects to students in private and parochial schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court upheld the statute, reasoning that the books were loaned to the students and not the schools, and therefore did not constitute an impermissible government establishment of religion. The Court also applied the child benefit theory, which holds that aid to religious institutions is constitutional if it is based on a secular purpose and provides a benefit to the children rather than the religious institution itself.

Question 9

In ______________, the Supreme Court upheld a child labor law that prohibited boys under the age of 12 and girls under the age of 18 from selling newspapers on the street against an attack based on the Free Exercise Clause.

Accepted Answer

Prince v. Massachusetts (1944) addressed the issue of child labor laws and their constitutionality, specifically in relation to the Free Exercise Clause. The Court upheld a Massachusetts law that prohibited minors from selling items on the street without a permit, even if it was for religious purposes. The Court found that the state's interest in protecting the welfare of children outweighed the parents' right to free exercise of religion in this case.

Quiz 4: Religious Liberty and Church-State Relations