Religious Holidays in Public Schools

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by Manul

If we are to be truly American, shouldn't we include Muslim Americans and their holidays?

I could ask the same question about Jewish holidays and Hindu days and Buddhist and Pagan (although many are really close to Christian days cuz the Christians ripped them off from us Pagans) and any other religion practiced by any American.

Why is Islam any different than any of the above?

My objection is to ANY religion taught in primary or high school, it doesn't belong there. Separation of church and state, period.

I'm not so sure the Constitution says religion cannot be taught in public schools. The 'religion' part of the 1st Amendment is about establishing a government sanctioned religion and giving the people the right to freely exercise their own religion. (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.)

There is a line at the end of Article 6 that says there shall be No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. Several states actually do have a religious test even though it is clearly prohibited in the Constitution.