Religious Neutrality
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The Supreme Court has issued many rulings concerning religion in our public schools. Some of them seem ridiculous to have offended anyone. The rulings have changed considerably over the last 60 years. The first amendment guarantees us the freedom to exercise our chosen religion. It states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Maintaining religious neutrality in the public schools is a difficult job. It runs on a fine line where teachers and educators could veer either way and be in a heap of trouble for a minor faux pa. It is an area where rules are more than a little murky and maintaining clarity is in the eye of the beholder, in this case, the judicial or executive branch of our government.
The Secretary of Education has handed down some guidelines that can be used by the public schools for making policy. They are:
Religion is part of our heritage, teach it as part of history, read and study the bible as literature, debate religions pro's and con's, do not advocate any one religion, but teach comparatively...