Maine law limits educational vouchers to schools that require religious teaching in their curriculum.
The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on a case regarding education funding in the state of Maine as it pertains to private schools that teach religion.
The program in Maine provides funding vouchers to families living in areas with limited access to public schools in order for them to attend more accessible private schools. The state, through, restricts the use of funds to parents who intend to use them at religious schools.
While the Maine law does have provisions for religiously affiliated schools, the schools must not require religious teaching in their programs in order to qualify.
When trying to clarify the distinctions within Maine’s law, Chief Justice John Roberts asked if two different religions would be treated differently based on their beliefs and how they were taught in school. “One religion says that’s what they do with education, and the other religion says, no, we use it to propagate the faith. So it is the beliefs of the two religions that determines whether or not their schools are going to get the funds or not,” Justice Roberts said. “And we have said that that is the most basic violation of the First Amendment religion clauses, for the government to draw distinctions between religions based on their doctrine.”
The primary argued issue in the case that of parental rights, specifically the parents the discretion to select the school their child would attend.
Like other cases heard before the Supreme Court this session, it may be sometime in June before a decision is rendered.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the Supreme Court Justices as they deliberate on the First Amendment case involving funding for religious schools.
- For God to be at work through the Supreme Court as they evaluate how to properly interpret the separation between church and state.
- For the Lord’s hand to be on all of the attorneys who make their cases before the High Court.
Sources: CNBC, ABC News, Washington Examiner
