I have long understood it. However, what I do not understand is how a prayer at a high school football game or teaching that there MIGHT be some other explanation to the origin of man other than the atheist approved one or allowing a menorah or Nativity scene on public land at Christmas time is "establishing a religion".
Prayers are allowed at high school football games ...
If you've long understood it, then why did you ask whether "Congress" referred to a local school board? It is the answer to that very question.
However, what I do not understand is how a prayer at a high school football game or teaching that there MIGHT be some other explanation to the origin of man other than the atheist approved one or allowing a menorah or Nativity scene on public land at Christmas time is "establishing a religion".
As for prayers at public school football games and Nativity scenes in public squares, those who have a different religion or who believe that all religion is a bunch of superstitious nonsense have exactly the same right to have those beliefs respected by the government (that derives its power an legitimacy from the average atheist in EXACTLY the same manner as from the average Christian) as does the Christian.
I know for a fact that the Christians would be the first people screaming their heads off a school let a Muslim prayer leader into a school to talk about how great Mohammad was, or praising Allah. They don't consider that to their fellow Americans, Christians talk about Jesus or even non-denomination prayers about God is out of place and distasteful, when sponsored by the government or when the government gives it actual or tacit approval.
The Government simply has no right to ignore the Buddhists, atheists, Muslims, Jews, etc., and have someone up there praying to God or using municipal property to further the tenets of Christianity by displaying religious icons. Nor does it have any business giving governmentsl imprimatur to religion in general or any religion in particular. If people want to pray or display statutes of Jesus, let them do it in their churches and homes, where that stuff belongs, and not in the public square where it has no place.
For example, the atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, Hindu, etc. entering the courthouse where that idiot Roy Moore put up his ridiculous statute must look upon that and understand that the wheels of the very government which gains its legitimacy from him are already lined up against him on account of relgion. To do that to anyone is simply evil in a pluralistic nation, such as the United States of America.
As for teaching evolution, it is secular science, nothing more. The fact that atheist and agnostics (being rational, reality-minded folks) agree with it, or the fact that it gets creationists' panties in a knot, is really irrelevant. It is not a "tenet" of atheism, as evidenced by the many religious people who believe it; it is not religious in any way. The alternative, bringing in religious explanations into the public schools, is highly objectionable, because the public school system has simply no business inculcating superstitous or religious ideas into the minds of children.
Excuse my bluntness, but if someone want wants his kids growing up ignorant, believing that the world was poofed into existence 6,000 years ago or that there is some mystical invisible designer tinkering with life, that is his choice. But that choice does not give him or any parent the right to poison the minds of my kids and other children into believing that garbage.
Frankly, if religious people are so hot on teaching religion, they should send their kids to religious schools, and leave everybody else alone.