In what way is teaching the major tenent of a religion or religions in public school not an establishment of said religion or religions? The schools should not mention God or gods at all, whether affirming His or their existence or denying it. I am a Catholic and I do not think public schools are a place where my children or anyone’s children should learn about religion.
The battle to squeeze our beliefs into public schools, whether we can win it or not, is not a battle we should fight. We have our marching orders and we have the greatest weapon ever created. Do we need to use it against our enemies’ children? No. If you truly believe, as I do, that reason and logic lead one to faith in God and His Son, we need not dilute our message, dilute our truth, by trying to force it upon those protected from it by this country’s laws. You choose to live here, I choose to live here. We must work within this framework in order to validate that decision.
It has nothing to do with it. The parents decide what to teach their kids and the school teaches what they want taught. If all the parents who care happen to be Catholic, Catholicism is taught, if Baptist -- Evangelical Christianity is taught, if Jewish -- Judaism is taught. Of course in reality there will be a choice of religious classes to attend because school districts have families of many religions.
It isn’t an establishment of religion ... because it doesn’t establish a religion.
Endorsement of majority religious values is not an establishment of religion, and should not be unconstitutional. Forcing majority values on the minority is establishment, and unconstitutional. And, for what its worth, that means forcing them to abide by the majority religion ... not simply forcing them to hear of its existence.
Religious minorities are far too intolerant of the majority.
SnakeDoc