In the latest blow to the left, the US Supreme Court decided to allow the use of public money for religious schools.
Though liberal activists and analysts cried foul as they saw people of faith getting their constitutional right of freedom of speech.
Public Money to be Used For Religious Schools Now
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court announced its verdict in the Carson v. Makin case, in which two Christian families wanted the court to overrule a discriminatory policy of the state of Maine.
The latest decision marks a new era in the United States. All six conservative justices of the Supreme Court favored the ruling. This will overturn the Maine tuition funding program, which excluded religious schools.
Reportedly, the verdict will provide religious liberty, school choice, and equal opportunity to students of diverse faiths.
Previously, Maine allowed families to admit their children to private high schools on public funding, due to the lack of public schools in the state.
However, the state decided the school should be “nonsectarian,” which apparently stopped students from admitting themselves to many religious schools.
U.S. Supreme Court rules parents can use a tuition assistance programs to select a private religious school for their children.
The state cannot discriminate against private religious schools.
This is a huge victory for school choice, for parents and for kids.#waleg https://t.co/PTwa3yn3qe
— Liv Finne (@livfinne) June 21, 2022
However, two Christian families challenged this discrimination in court.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored the ruling, noted the Maine program used discriminatory approaches against religious schools. This is a violation of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.
Liberals Cried Foul After Historic Defeat
All liberal justices dissented, however, claiming this decision would go against the establishment clause of the Constitution. According to the clause, the government is not allowed to “establish” any religion.
In his dissent, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer asserted the Supreme Court did not take into consideration the establishment clause at all, while it gave unnecessary weightage to the free speech clause.
Another liberal justice, Sonia Sotomayor, accused her conservative colleagues of violating the constitutional clause, which separates the church and state. The decision made liberal political analysts worried, as well.
Jeffrey Toobin, the CNN legal analyst, noted the separation of church and state never existed in America; this decision will make the situation even worse.
Aaron Frey, Maine’s attorney general, called the verdict “disturbing,” adding that taxpayers would be forced to pay for the religious education of the children, which goes against American values.
It infuriates me to see the U.S. supreme court side with conservatives in allowing public tax money used to send children to private/religious schools. NO public tax should be used this way. If parent's want to send their children to a religious school do it buy dint use tax $.
— Karl Thomas (@KarlTho54060790) June 21, 2022
Likewise, the president of the advocacy group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Rachel Laser, claimed the Supreme Court is only worried about discrimination when “conservative Christians” come to the court.
Whereas parents who challenged the decision in the court were overwhelmed after their legal victory.
David and Amy Carson, who were denied public funding to send their daughter to a Christian school in Maine, stated their daughter has now graduated.
However, the decision will pave the way for other students in the future to go into the schools of their choice without any discrimination.
