And even in public institutions, there is little debate about the right of individual students, teachers and other school employees to practice their religion – by, say, praying before lunch or wearing religious clothing or symbols. This debate centers on public schools very few people are arguing that religious doctrine cannot be taught at private schools or that teachers at such schools cannot lead students in prayer. Federal courts, they point out, consistently have interpreted the First Amendment’s prohibition on the establishment of religion to forbid state sponsorship of prayer and most other religious activities in public schools. Many civil libertarians and others, meanwhile, voice concern that conservative Christians and others are trying to impose their values on students. Such an effort, these Americans believe, infringes on the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. Some Americans are troubled by what they see as an effort on the part of federal courts and civil liberties advocates to exclude God and religious sentiment from public schools. Questions about religion in the classroom no longer make quite as many headlines as they once did, but the issue remains an important battleground in the broader conflict over religion’s role in public life. More than 55 years after the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling striking down school-sponsored prayer, Americans continue to fight over the place of religion in public schools. (Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |