States Can Pull Grants For Students Of Religion

Cox News Service ^ | 2-26-04 | Steve Lash

[Dan Middleton]

WASHINGTON — In a case addressing the constitutional separation of church and state, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday that states can withhold college scholarships from students who major in religion.

The justices, in a 7-2 decision, balanced the Constitution’s prohibition on state endorsement of religion and its mandate that states let residents exercise their faith freely.

Washington state, by denying scholarship money to theology majors, is expressing neutrality on the issue of religion. Meanwhile, it permits scholarship recipients to practice their faith and take theology courses, so long as that is not their major field of study, the court said.

The ruling was a defeat for Joshua Davey, a winner of Washington’s merit-based Promise Scholarship. The state withdrew his $1,125 award after he declared a major in pastoral ministries at Northwest College, a Christian school in Kirkland, Wash.

Davey said the withdrawal violated his constitutional right to free religious exercise. But Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, writing for the majority, said the state’s action didn’t interfere with Davey’s ability to practice his religion. He is free to use the scholarship to take theology courses, so long as his field of concentration remains secular, Rehnquist said.

Washington "does not require students to choose between their religious beliefs and receiving a government benefit," he added. "The state has merely chosen not to fund a distinct category of instruction."

The court might have dealt a blow to President Bush’s plan to provide federal funds to faithbased relief groups. He has defended his plan by arguing, as Davey did, that public money made generally available to all groups cannot be denied to those affiliated with a church.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State hailed the ruling.

"This is a huge defeat for those who want to force taxpayers to pay for religious schooling and other ministries," said Barry Lynn, the group’s executive director. "Americans clearly have a right to practice their religion, but they can’t demand that the government pay for it."

[Spaminator]

More money race bassed scholarships.

[Dan Middleton]

Probably, Spaminator.

I wasn't sure which forum I should post this in. I used Cox News Service as the source because that's the original source, but the link goes to the Columbus Dispatch page, where I saw the article today. Hope I didn't screw up.

[GrandEagle]

It's ok to force me to directly pay to murder some child through an "abortion" but not to help someone learn "Thou shall not kill".
Strange logic..

[kimoajax]

All Christians should go ahead and give secularists what they really want and start sewing crosses to their out garments and wear arm bands with crosses on them.

A proven and effective solution for carving out religious people from the fabric of public life.

[Blue Screen of Death]

No more Hare Krishna PhD's I guess.

[OldFriend]

This ruling was specific to Washgington State. They have a law on the books prohibiting the funding of religious education.

California has a law on the books prohibiting same sex marriage and that too ought to be upheld by the US Supreme Court.

[Seruzawa]

But they continue to hand out money for the anti-religious behavioral "sciences".

[onedoug]

Marxism as a major is okay, I'd bet.

[MPJackal]

"Americans clearly have a right to practice their religion, but they can’t demand that the government pay for it."

He is not demanding they "pay for it", he is asking for the state to honor its' promise of a "Merit scholarship" he earned.
So let me get this straight. I kid wants to go to college so he works hard in school to earn scholarships because his folks can't afford to send him. He is a straight "A" student and is awarded some scholarships. He choses to study religion so the state pulls his scholarship.
It seems quite clear his scholarship was pulled BECAUSE of religion. What happened to "the Congress shall make NO law regarding religion or the free practice thereof. If a governing body makes a law i.e No scholarships shall be awarded to theology students, that body (the state in this case) has violated the Constitution.
The agument that the state has not infringed on his right to prctice his religion is BS. He was punished monetarily because of his belief. The scholarship was an award for merit. The state could care a less if he studied deviant sexual behavior or basket weaving. This is religious persicution IMO.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Sure am glad it's a "conservative" court - I'd hate to see where we were if it were even "moderate"......

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - SECULARIZATION OF AMERICA - SEMINARY FUNDING