[steve86]

Nice try but the Occam's Razor lex parsimoniae principle of simplest explanation that works is the right one: Gang Symbol. I am acquainted with quite a number of Hispanics around here. Although such a thing seems to exist in Mexico and Central America, I've never encountered a single resident of this area who was influenced on an on-going basis by syncretic beliefs.

[wintertime]

Do you visit their homes? Do you invite them over for dinner? Do you go to their homes for dinner? Do you teach their kids piano lessons? Do you run their cub scout troop? Do spend any nights of the week tutoring in reading and math? Do you teach their girls sewing? Are you in the same church choir with them? Do you teach English classes?

When you do, get back to me.

Many of the members of our congregation from Mexico, and Central and South America come to the church with very syncretic beliefs. The more rural their background the more likely this is to be the case.

Also...From the article is it **impossible** know what the beliefs of this child family are. Catholic? Yeah! Sort of!

The point is that is IMPOSSIBLE to have religiously neutral education .. Government schools are NOT religiously neutral and never have been.

Solution: Work toward closing down all government K-12 schooling. What is needed is complete separation of school and state.