Religious Liberty Stops at the Schoolhouse Door

It isn't the public school system's place to support "students' legitimate expressions of faith". There are private schools, churches, temples, and mosques for that. Also, I've never seen a case where an individual or group of students that wanted to initiate their own faith-based prayer group were refused a request to gather and express their faith. The problem is when a teacher/authority figure/school administration gets involved and promotes one faith at the exclusion of other faiths. Freedom of religion also includes freedom from religion. Separation of church and state and all that. Since teachers are paid by the state, they are its representatives, and as such should refrain from pushing their own religious views onto others.

As for the religious student leaders in Florida who were barred from speaking at the graduation ceremony, I'd be all right with them speaking and thanking Jesus or their God...as long as student leaders representing every other religion were allowed to do the same.

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In today's classroom, however, the story is very different. Modern sensitivities decry the presumptuous suggestion that productivity, responsibility, and virtue are legitimate universal measures by which to evaluate a good citizen. The goals of education in today's postmodern, multicultural, post-religious, globally-oriented society have evolved past these antiquated ideals. Hence the rise in influence of the radical ideology mentioned earlier. Too many teachers today enter the classroom with an agenda far more ambitious than the simple desire to instill a love of learning; these teachers go into the education business to proselytize a religion. This religion is comprehensive in its scope. It will not tolerate dissent because it cannot withstand scrutiny. Ironically, the State is its staunchest advocate and most ardent defender.

I'm a public school teacher and my own kids were raised in public schools. I have never heard of or witnessed any such action in a classroom or by administration that even comes remotely close to "suppressing students' legitimate expressions of faith.." I have a fair idea that this article is using a few incidents, probably underdescribed, to incite passion about a supposed trend. In public schools, we pray and read scripture along with all other types of literature and debate religious and societal and philosophical issues (Our high school even has a Bible club!)...In fact, it is in my personal experience and well understood by many others that a religious institution is far more likely to "not tolerate dissent because it cannot withstand scrutiny" than is any public institution. I read this article as exaggerated victimization. Who's out to get whom? I'd argue that the religious-right and extreme conservatives are out to get public education; but, I don't know why when they've already spent untold millions on their own schools and colleges.

It's ironic too that when I or another teacher hear complaints about curriculum or a choice of literature or a debate on a philosophy in the classroom...99.99% of the time, it's a complaint from a Fundamentalist parent or group. They can't stand the critical thinking that goes on in the classroom.