TAKE THE TEST: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lemon Test, can you identify each of the three prongs the test uses to determine whether the separation of church and state has been violated?

50 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court marked a watershed moment for religious freedom and church-state separation when it decided Lemon v. Kurtzman.

In that decision, the court enunciated a clear, comprehensive test to determine whether a government action violates the separation of church and state. It became known as the Lemon Test.

In the decades since, opponents of church-state separation have increasingly sought to limit and even scrap the Lemon Test. Some conservative judges have avoided applying the Lemon Test when the obvious answers would mean stopping the government from endorsing or supporting religion.

So what are the prongs of the Lemon Test? When does government action cross the line and violate church-state separation?

Test your knowledge and find out what’s in the Lemon Test!

If you want to learn the full story of the Lemon Test, from its origins to where it stands today and where it might end up, check out this article in our June issue of Church & State magazine. But be warned: The answer to the quiz is inside.

Good luck!

Naomi Paiss
VP of Strategic Communications