victory: supreme court bars public aid for religious study
today the US supreme court drew a new line separating church and state, ruling that when states provide assistance for college students they are not obligated to fund scholarships for those majoring in theology and divinity training. this is a major defeat for "religious rights" advocates and for the bush administration as well as a significant victory for brights. free exercise of religion does not mean that those studying for the ministry are entitled to public assistance. the decision has positive and profound implications for the future of public education in america (this decision was also really about school vouchers, which i vehemently oppose if allowed to subsidise education in parochial schools. fortunately thirty-seven states already have constitutional provisions banning just that).while today's ruling is limited to training the clergy, dissenting judge scalia asked if the next one will be to deny priests and nuns their prescription drugs benefits on the grounds that taxpayers should not subsidise medicating the clergy. my answer is why not? along with a call of for the abolition of any and all religion-based tax benefits/subsidies/incentives.
listen to the brilliant report of npr's nina totenberg.
here are excerpts from the ruling on religious scholarships and the full text.
