dment of the United States Constitution, which state that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The clause prohibiting laws that establish religion is commonly known at the Establishment Clause. The subsequent clause, which prohibits laws that hinder any individual's exercise of his or her religion, is commonly known as the Free Exercise Clause. Thus one clause prevents the government from supporting religion in state and federal institutions and the other prevents the government from hindering a person's right to practice his or her religion. It is not difficult to see, therefore, that these clauses could often be in competition with each other. Nonetheless, Ms. Ramsey's responses demonstrate a misunderstanding of how these clauses have been interpreted by the United States Supreme Court and how that interpretation applies to religious-related instruction in America's public schools
...