What is one requirement for a law to be considered constitutional under the Lemon Test?

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For a law to be considered constitutional under the Lemon Test, it is essential that it must have a secular purpose. The Lemon Test, established by the Supreme Court case Lemon v. Kurtzman, evaluates whether a law violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The first prong of the test specifically requires that the government action or statute has a primary effect that is secular, meaning that it should be designed to promote a non-religious purpose.

This requirement serves to ensure that government actions do not endorse or favor any religion over another, maintaining the principle of separation of church and state. Laws that do not have a secular purpose may lead to government entanglement with religion, which is a concern addressed by the Lemon Test. Therefore, the necessity for a secular purpose is a crucial component in determining the constitutionality of legislation in relation to religious matters.

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