SCOTUS & the Separation of Church and State

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.   In 1802, founding father Thomas Jefferson, wrote a letter to the Danbury, Connecticut Baptist Convention insisting that their legislature “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between church and state.

On April 30th, 2025, SCOTUS heard arguments in  the consolidated cases of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond and Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond which could redefine the fine line between religion and government in public education. 

In this episode, Craig is joined by Frank Ravitch, professor of law & religion at Michigan State University’s College of Law.  Together, Craig and Professor Ravitch delve into the significant legal topic of SCOTUS and the separation of church and state. Their discussion encompasses the details of these cases, Chief Justice Roberts’ prior involvement in similar matters, the complex question of whether faith-based schools should be part of the public charter system, the importance of safeguarding religious freedom, and the potential ramifications of this forthcoming landmark decision.

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