Edwards v. Aguillard facts for kids

Edwards v. Aguillard was an important case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987. This case was about whether public schools could teach something called creationism as if it were science. The Supreme Court decided that creationism is actually a religious belief, not a scientific one.

Because of this, the Court said that creationism could not be taught in American public schools. This is because the U.S. Constitution has a rule called the Establishment Clause. This rule means that the government, including public schools, cannot favor or support one religion over others. Teaching a religious belief as scientific fact would go against this important rule.

What Was the Case About?

Louisiana's "Creationism Act"

In 1981, the state of Louisiana passed a law called the "Creationism Act." This law said that if public schools taught the scientific theory of evolution, they also had to teach creationism. Evolution is the scientific idea that living things change over very long periods of time. Creationism is the religious belief that the universe and life were created by a divine being.

Why Was the Law Challenged?

A group of parents, teachers, and religious leaders challenged Louisiana's law. They argued that the law was unconstitutional. They believed it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. This clause prevents the government from setting up or supporting a religion. They felt that teaching creationism in science classes was like the government supporting a specific religious belief.

The Supreme Court's Decision

Why the Court Ruled Against Louisiana

The U.S. Supreme Court looked at the Louisiana law very carefully. The Court decided that the law's main purpose was to promote a particular religious belief. It was not meant to advance scientific education. The judges said that the law did not have a clear, non-religious purpose.

The "Lemon Test"

The Supreme Court often uses something called the "Lemon Test" to decide if a law violates the Establishment Clause. This test has three parts:

• The law must have a non-religious purpose.
• The law must not primarily help or hurt religion.
• The law must not cause too much mixing of government and religion.

The Court found that Louisiana's "Creationism Act" failed the first part of this test. Its main purpose was seen as religious, not educational or scientific.

What This Means for Schools

Keeping Religion and Science Separate

The decision in Edwards v. Aguillard was very important. It made it clear that public schools must teach science based on scientific evidence. They cannot teach religious beliefs as if they are scientific facts. This helps keep public education neutral on religious matters.

Protecting Religious Freedom

This ruling also helps protect religious freedom for all students. It ensures that students are not pressured to accept specific religious views in a public school setting. It allows schools to teach about different religions in history or social studies classes, but not to promote one religion as truth in science class.

Related pages

• Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, a similar court case