▁because ▁the ▁Court ▁has ▁recognized ▁that ▁' the ▁full est ▁possible ▁scope ▁of ▁religious ▁liberty ,' ▁ent ails ▁more ▁than ▁freedom ▁from ▁co erc ion ." ▁Black mun ▁emphas ized ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁without ▁power ▁to ▁place ▁its ▁im prim atur ▁on ▁any ▁religious ▁activity , ▁even ▁if ▁no ▁one ▁was ▁comp elled ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁a ▁state - sp ons ored ▁religious ▁exercise , ▁directly ▁or ▁indirect ly . ▁ ▁Justice ▁S outer ▁devoted ▁his ▁conc urr ing ▁opinion ▁to ▁a ▁historical ▁analysis , ▁re but ting ▁the ▁cont ention ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁could ▁end or se ▁non sect arian ▁pray ers . ▁He ▁c ited ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of ▁James ▁Mad ison ▁and ▁pointed ▁to ▁the ▁changing ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁that ▁the ▁First ▁Congress ▁considered , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁version ▁which ▁was ▁eventually ▁adopted . ▁S outer , ▁too , ▁took ▁issue ▁with ▁the ▁school ▁district ' s ▁defense ▁of ▁non - co er ci ve ▁religious ▁exer cis es , ▁dismiss ing ▁the ▁position ▁as ▁without ▁preced ential ▁authority . ▁ ▁D issent ing ▁opinion ▁Justice ▁S cal ia ' s ▁diss ent ▁argued ▁against ▁the ▁co erc ion ▁test : ▁ ▁In ▁holding ▁that ▁the ▁Est ab lish ment ▁Cla use ▁prohib its ▁inv oc ations ▁and ▁ben ed ict ions ▁at ▁public ▁school ▁gradu ation ▁cer emon ies , ▁the ▁Court ▁- ▁with ▁n ary ▁a ▁mention ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁doing ▁so ▁- ▁l ays ▁waste ▁a ▁tradition ▁that ▁is ▁as