religion in public schools

Submitted by inge heikenfeld (United States), May 13, 2006 at 10:42

response to Cory. I absolutely agree. No teacher/school should pass their beliefs/religion on to our children. Maybe though we ought to start with our administration. When we feel dissent for Islam because of what we perceive in the news, most not understanding the whole story/history and hear our presidents say "God bless America" aren't we deserting the idea of "One God for All"? aren't we suggesting that God is in our daily political life? aren't we promoting the idea that God may be on our side because we call on him publicly from any podium in the White House?

My daughter asked me a couple of years ago (age 12) if two nations fight a war and pray to God to help them, who will he help and by what standards will he decide? considering that every nation has mostly good people? It's a simple question with a much deeper incentive. I believe that we Americans need to be able to seperate religious remarks from political ambitions and understand that even people who believe in the sun or the trees can be patriotic. I don't expect, in fact I despise remarks like that. I hope that in the future the emphasis will lie in the content of the speech/any speech/decision and not in the "bla-bla-bla" with a "God bless America" at the end, which deceivingly makes the person/speech/decision all right.

Once we have condemned this religious incentive throughout our government, it will enable us to stop any religion or religious incentives taught in our schools. I am a believer in Ethical and Cultural teachings, maybe our current administration ought to take a lesson there as well.

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