“There can be no doubt that New York's state prayer program officially establishes the religious beliefs embodied in the Regents' prayer. The respondents' argument to the contrary, which is largely based upon the contention that the Regents' prayer is "nondenominational" and the fact that the program, as modified and approved by state courts, does not require all pupils to recite the prayer, but permits those who wish to do so to remain silent or be excused from the room, ignores the essential nature of the program's constitutional defects. Neither the fact that the prayer may be denominationally neutral nor the fact that its observance on the part of the students is voluntary can serve to free it from the limitations of the Establishment Clause…”
--Justice Hugo Black, Engel v. Vitale, 1962
-Which test examines the constitutionality of laws like the one challenged in Engel v.Vitale?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Lemon test, derived from the Lemon v. Kurtzman case in 1971, is used to determine the constitutionality of a law under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. It examines whether a law has a secular legislative purpose, does not have the primary effect of either advancing or inhibiting religion, and does not result in an excessive government entanglement with religion.

“There Can Be No Doubt That New York's State Prayer