Charles Haynes is a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, a group that studies free expression issues.

VOA: special.2009.12.24

He said that the First Amendment works by "building a wall of separation between church and state."

VOA: special.2009.05.22

Those words are part of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of expression and other rights.

VOA: special.2009.12.24

The Supreme Court has heard many cases that test the meaning of the First Amendment.

VOA: special.2009.05.22

Later cases ruled that teaching religious creation stories in public schools violates the First Amendment of the Constitution that calls for separation of church and state.

VOA: special.2009.12.01

But school officials under the First Amendment may not take sides in religion."

VOA: special.2009.12.24

How the First Amendment applies to life in America has often been disputed.

VOA: special.2009.05.22

The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees free speech and a free press.

VOA: special.2009.02.09

The first amendment to the United States Constitution reads Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof The idea is to keep governmental powers independent from private religious beliefs.

VOA: special.2010.03.05

The first was the Thirteenth Amendment.

VOA: special.2010.02.04