The Supreme Court Decision in Edwards v Aguillard - Essay Example

Actually, the act endorsed a religious purpose by supporting the existence of a supernatural being responsible for the creation of humanity. In its intent a spirit, the Supreme Court ruling debarred the teaching of theories in Public schools that were least affiliated with a strictly scientific sense of inquiry and amounted to the furthering of a specific religion by the State.

Justice Antonin Scalia dissented in the given case stating that the Act’s stated purpose which is “protecting academic freedom” stood to be a legitimate secular purpose. In another sense, Justice Scalia believed that the considered academic freedom also included within its ambit the students’ right to be exposed to religious views and indoctrination.
The majority opinion seems more to be in consonance with the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Establishment Clause in a historical context. In the light of Engel v. Vitale's (1962) decision, it could be said that the inclusion of such texts, dogmas, practices and theories in the school curricula that adhered to a specific religion amounted to a violation of the Establishment Clause.

However, if one takes into consideration the ruling in Zorach v. Clauson (1952), it could be said that the Supreme Court could have modified its ruling by leaving the study of creationism in Public Schools as an optional choice, subject to the opinions and considerations of the specific students. The ruling in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) also supports the Edwards ruling, as the inculcation of religious courses at state expenses amounted to an entanglement between the state and the religion. Read More