---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme…"
description: "\"In the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled that - under 'separation of church and state' - it was unconstitutional for a student in school to..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/david-barton-18163_cases_in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-c_1775332.jpg"
---

#  In the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled that…

![“In the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled that - under 'separation of church and state' - it was unconstitutional for a student in school to even see a copy of the Ten Commandments.” quote by David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/david-barton-18163_cases_in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-c_1775332.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/david-barton-18163_cases_in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-c_1775332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/david-barton-18163_cases_in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-c_1775332.jpg)

> “In the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled that - under 'separation of church and state' - it was unconstitutional for a student in school to even see a copy of the Ten Commandments.”

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The Court ruled that displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools violates the separation of church and state.

**In simple terms:** Public schools cannot display religious texts.

Key Takeaway

Uphold constitutional separation of church and state.

Themes

law religion education

Mood

neutral formal

Type

legal historical

When to use this quote

- school curricula
- public displays
- legal challenges

Key Concepts

first amendment separation of church and state public policy

Questions to Reflect On

- Should historical religious documents be taught?
- How to respect diversity in schools?

A Different Perspective

Balancing heritage and neutrality is complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-and-state/) [Commandments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandments/) [Copies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copies/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Court Ruled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court-ruled-401799/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Separation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation/) [Separation of church and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation-of-church-and-state/) [State Unconstitutional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-unconstitutional-1814552/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Supreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme/) [Supreme court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme-court/) [Ten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten/) [Ten commandments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-commandments/) [Unconstitutional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconstitutional/) [Unconstitutional Student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconstitutional-student-1814551/)

## Related quotes

> [The tenet of the separation of church and state is an unconstitutional doctrine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharron-angle/the-tenet-of-the-separation-of-church-and-state-is-an/)

[Sharron Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharron-angle/)

> [As a consequence, the Court ruled that the limits on campaign spending violated the First Amendment, but it accepted the $1,000 limit on individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-buckley/as-a-consequence-the-court-ruled-that-the-limits-on-campaign-spending/)

[James L. Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-buckley/)

> [“And, you are no doubt familiar with the 1983 Supreme Court decision, the name escapes me right now, in which the Court ruled that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/and-you-are-no-doubt-familiar-with-the-1983-supreme-court-decision/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“In 1899 the Supreme Court ruled in Cumming v. Richmond County Board of Education that Augusta, Georgia, had not defied the Constitution by shutting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goldstein/in-1899-the-supreme-court-ruled-in-cumming-v-richmond-county-board-of/)

[Dana Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goldstein/)

> [Even the Supreme Court, back when it used to makes sense, the Supreme Court has never ruled that a baby born to illegal aliens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-the-supreme-court-back-when-it-used-to-makes-sense-the-supreme/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“Christianity may be good and Satanism evil. Under the Constitution, however, both are neutral. This is an important, but difficult, concept for many law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/christianity-may-be-good-and-satanism-evil-under-the-constitution/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [In 1967, in DeKalb v. DeSpain, a court (255 F.Supp. 655. N.D.Ill. 1966.) took a 4-line nursery rhyme used by a K-5 kindergarten class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/in-1967-in-dekalb-v-despain-a-court-255-f-supp-655-n-d-ill-1966-took/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [There should be absolutely no 'Separation of Church and State' in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/there-should-be-absolutely-no-separation-of-church-and-state-in/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [Separation of church and state is the big club pulled out to beat back the Christians .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/separation-of-church-and-state-is-the-big-club-pulled-out-to-beat/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [The current version of... separation of church and state says you can be salt, and you can be light, but only inside the four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/the-current-version-of-separation-of-church-and-state-says-you-can-be/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [“Yet, if the phrase “separation of church and state” appears in no official founding document, then what is the source of that phrase? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/yet-if-the-phrase-separation-of-church-and-state-appears-in-no/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [Elect me to office. I will protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. Because there's no constitutional authority for Congress spending on the objects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/elect-me-to-office-i-will-protect-and-defend-the-u-s-constitution/)

[Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/)

> [ Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i-used-to-say-at-meetings-the/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [I am calling on all citizens with access to unreleased records pertaining to illegal, unconstitutional, or immoral government activities to return those records to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-shapiro/i-am-calling-on-all-citizens-with-access-to-unreleased-records/)

[Ryan Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-shapiro/)

## More by David Barton

> [The Founders believed that pluralism survived only within the concept of religious liberty espoused by American Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/the-founders-believed-that-pluralism-survived-only-within-the-concept/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [“Another aspect of behavior directly impacted by the removal of religious principles was morality. Recall that both George Washington and Fisher Ames had warned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/another-aspect-of-behavior-directly-impacted-by-the-removal-of/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [You don't have a right to vote, you've got a duty of vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/you-don-t-have-a-right-to-vote-you-ve-got-a-duty-of-vote/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [The Court explained the problem with his writings (People v. Ruggles. 1811.): an attack on Jesus Christ was an attack on Christianity; and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/the-court-explained-the-problem-with-his-writings-people-v-ruggles/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [The Founders intended only to prevent the establishment of a single national denomination, not to restrain public religious expressions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/the-founders-intended-only-to-prevent-the-establishment-of-a-single/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [ There’s a passage that I love in Romans 1. … \[I\]t talks about homosexuality and it says that they will receive in their bodies… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/there-s-a-passage-that-i-love-in-romans-1-i-t-talks-about/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [It is interesting to note that during the last ten years Washington's 'Farewell Address' has begun to reappear in college textbooks - minus the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/it-is-interesting-to-note-that-during-the-last-ten-years-washington-s/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [The Founders never intended to separate Christianity from government, only to keep a single denomination from running the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/the-founders-never-intended-to-separate-christianity-from-government/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [That's exactly what made America so different, we don't have that colonial aspect of let's go conquer somebody else and make our nation bigger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/that-s-exactly-what-made-america-so-different-we-don-t-have-that/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [ “It’s interesting that many of the best instructors in early America were Scottish Presbyterians. As historian George Marsden affirmed, “\[I\]t is not much of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/it-s-interesting-that-many-of-the-best-instructors-in-early-america/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [“I have never seen a contemporary history book that informs students that witch trials were also occurring across the world at that time with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/i-have-never-seen-a-contemporary-history-book-that-informs-students/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [Literacy is part of everyday social practice - it mediates all aspects of everyday life. Literacy is always part of something else - we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/literacy-is-part-of-everyday-social-practice-it-mediates-all-aspects/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [We do have a Godly heritage in America, but we have been robbed - robbed by the 3 percent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/we-do-have-a-godly-heritage-in-america-but-we-have-been-robbed-robbed/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [Recent decades clearly demonstrate that the more secular our Public Schools become the less successful they become academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/recent-decades-clearly-demonstrate-that-the-more-secular-our-public/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

> [It is evident from their writings that the Founding Fathers would never have tolerated the separation that we have embraced today. They knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/it-is-evident-from-their-writings-that-the-founding-fathers-would/)

[David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

[Explore all 35 David Barton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/)

## More Cases quotes

> [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/)

[Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [I think we've all had enough of Coltrane saxophonists. There's a case of someone ruining a generation of saxophonists, as Louis Armstrong may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/i-think-we-ve-all-had-enough-of-coltrane-saxophonists-there-s-a-case/)

[Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/)

[Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/)

> [ \[As in the case of\] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-branson/as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-illegality-has-driven-organized/)

[Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-branson/)

> [He emphasised basic truths: you are not dying yet, you have to live your life until you are. Underpinning them was the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/he-emphasised-basic-truths-you-are-not-dying-yet-you-have-to-live/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/)

[Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/)

> [The Cheney team had, for example, technological supremacy over the National Security Council staff. That is to say, they could read their e-mails. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wilkerson/the-cheney-team-had-for-example-technological-supremacy-over-the/)

[Lawrence Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wilkerson/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

[Browse all 6,420 Cases quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled that - under 'separation of church and state' - it was unconstitutional for a student in school to even see a copy of the Ten Commandments.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Barton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-court-ruled-that-under/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cases"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-court-ruled-that-under/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/david-barton-18163_cases_in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-c_1775332.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/david-barton-18163_cases_in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-c_1775332.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/david-barton-18163_cases_in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-c_1775332.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled that - under 'separation of church and state' - it was…” — David Barton",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Barton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In the case Stone v. Graham,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-court-ruled-that-under/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/in-the-case-stone-v-graham-the-supreme-court-ruled-that-under/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
