The First Amendment and the Establishment Clause

The First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

(Emphasis supplied.)

What Does The Establishment Clause Mean Today?

The establishment clause applies to both the federal and local governments. It is a prohibition of government sponsorship of religion which requires that government neither aid nor formally establish a religion. While at its inception the clause might not have been intended to prevent governmental aid to all religions, the accepted view today is that it also prohibits a preference for religion over non-religion.

§ 17.3, "The Establishment Clause — Introduction" (p. 1223), in Nowak, J. E., & Rotunda, R. D. (1995) Constitutional Law (5th ed.). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Company.