This Week in Christian History: Martin Niemöller Dies, Religious Instruction Ban, America's 1st Religious Magazine

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, March 04, 2018

Supreme Court Rules Against Religious Instruction in Public Schools - March 8, 1948

This week marks the anniversary of when the United States Supreme Court ruled against sectarian religious instruction at public school during the school day.

Known as McCollum v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against an Illinois school district's program of allowing external religious instructors to teach children during school hours on school property.

"This is beyond all question a utilization of the tax- established and tax-supported public school system to aid religious groups to spread their faith. And it falls squarely under the ban of the First Amendment," read the majority opinion, authored by Justice Hugo Black.