The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In applying the Establishment Clause to disputes ranging from prayer in schools and in state legislatures to monuments displaying the Ten Commandments or crosses on public grounds, the U.S. Supreme Court has acknowledged the strong role played by religion and religious traditions throughout our Nation's history—while recognizing that governmental intervention in religious matters can itself endanger religious freedom.

The Supreme Court described this balancing act: “Our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being, yet these institutions must not press religious observances upon their citizens. One face looks to the past in acknowledgment of our Nation's heritage, while the other looks to the present in demanding a separation between church and state. Reconciling these two faces requires that we neither abdicate our responsibility to maintain a division between church and state nor evince a hostility to religion by disabling the government from in some ways recognizing our religious heritage.”

In Iowa, as in all states, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the guiding legal principle that prevents the government from making any law 'respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' This means that while the state acknowledges the historical role of religion in the United States, it must also ensure a separation between church and state. The U.S. Supreme Court has set forth a complex framework for evaluating issues under the Establishment Clause, which often involves a delicate balance. For instance, while prayer in public schools is generally prohibited, legislative bodies may be allowed to open sessions with a prayer under certain circumstances. Similarly, religious symbols like the Ten Commandments or crosses may be displayed on public grounds in some contexts but not in others, depending on whether the display is seen as endorsing a particular religion. The courts in Iowa must apply these principles and interpret federal law to ensure that the state neither promotes a specific religion nor exhibits hostility towards religious practices, maintaining a neutral stance in religious matters.