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Wearing Religious Symbols in Public Schools
Schools, by accident or design, have become the linchpin upon which the futures of so many of our children rest. It is the children’s daily experience in schools that will provide much of their vision of community, their sense of purpose or purposelessness, and their sense of connection or alienation. That is why schools cannot be neutral places: they must either accept their responsibility for promoting genuine community, moral consciousness, and spirit-or-even if unwittingly, share responsibility for our society’s moral decay. ... Specifically, I am speaking of the freedom of religious expression exercised by the wearing of religious symbols. In public school in the United States, this basic right is often denied to our students. ... html)
As we have learned from the “prayer in public school” controversy, freedom of religion does not mean freedom to force others to practice your religion. ... These individuals often include religious symbols in their everyday dress. Christian crosses have always been popular jewelry/devotional items, but lately parents and school officials have begun to notice an
increase in other types of religious symbology being sported. Pentacles (a five pointed star within a circle); rosary beads (a circle of beads with differing sizes used to count prayer), Star of David necklaces (a 6 pointed star used in the Hebrew faith), Hindu, Tibetan and Buddhist runes are just a few of the often viewed symbols becoming common. ... They state a need for safety and fear of classroom disruption to justify their decrees that forbid the wearing of any religious symbol other than the Christian cross. ... org/)
“On February 26, 2001 in Orono, ME a third grade student in public school wore a black sweatshirt to school with the name “Jesus Christ” in white lettering. ... She said she was escorted off campus by officials of the school and suspended because of her religious beliefs. ... She disclosed her religious beliefs to administrators after a reporter asked her about an Internet Web site that focused on a local Wiccan group and was maintained by her husband. ...
“Organizations whose missions seem to be purging religion from public schools have used intimidation and myth to do what the courts have not done: Make schools religion-free. ... ” (Bosher)
“Religion does not get left at the doors of our public schools.
Approximate Word count = 1873
Approximate Pages = 7.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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