ly and do not participate. 3. Excuse themselves from the classroom, and remain in the hallway for the duration of the prayer. What Engel argued was that the Regents prayer violated the constitution's ensured religious rights of children who did not wish to participate in the prayer.
             The guarantee of religious freedom stems from two often conflicting parts of the first amendment. Prohibiting the government from favoring one religion over another, or establishing a national religion is the Establishment Clause. Interpreting the clause on a loose basis will mean that the clause only restricts U.S. tax dollars from establishing one official national religion. Yet, the restrictive interpretation, the one used in the Engel v. Vitale ruling, creates an intention to bar any government intervention or involvement with religions.
             The second promise of religious freedom is the Free-Exercise Clause, which prohibits laws that burden individuals on the basis of their religion. Thus, it was argued that by introducing a voluntary prayer into a public
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