The Supreme Court was asked to rule in 1972, when someAmish parents in Wisconsin withdrew their children from highschool. The very idea of education beyond a certain age wascontrary to Amish religious values, and scientific educationespecially so. The State of Wisconsin took the parents to court,claiming that the children were being deprived of their right to an142 education. After passing up through the courts, the case eventuallyreached the United States Supreme Court, which handed down asplit (6:1) decision in favour of the parents. The majority opinion,written by Chief Justice Warren Burger, included the following: 'Asthe record shows, compulsory school attendance to age 16 for Amish children carries with it a very real threat of undermining theAmish community and religious practice as they exist today; theymust either abandon belief and be assimilated into society at large, or be forced to migrate to some other and more tolerant region.'

The God Delusion On page 321 Monday, November 5, 2012 @ 1:54pm