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Do not use edit summaries as a debate forum. You know better than this. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] ^{[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]} 11:11, 30 August 2008 (EDT)

Do not use edit summaries as a debate forum. You know better than this. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] ^{[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]} 11:11, 30 August 2008 (EDT)

''The secularism of the US public schools promotes atheism.''  This, I think may be true.  But that's a different thing from saying the schools ARE atheist.  If you take a look at the US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools <ref>US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools[http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html]</ref>, which is the government's official word on the subject, you get a pretty good idea of the governing principals and where the line is supposed to be drawn.  (Of course, there are always school districts here and there who step over the line one way or another, usually with much fanfare in the press.  This doesn't, however, change the fact that schools are ''supposed'' to follow the guidelines set forth by the Dept of Ed.)  Some highlights:

''The secularism of the US public schools promotes atheism.''  This, I think may be true.  But that's a different thing from saying the schools ARE atheist.  If you take a look at the US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools US Dept of Ed's Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools:[http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html], which is the government's official word on the subject, you get a pretty good idea of the governing principals and where the line is supposed to be drawn.  (Of course, there are always school districts here and there who step over the line one way or another, usually with much fanfare in the press.  This doesn't, however, change the fact that schools are ''supposed'' to follow the guidelines set forth by the Dept of Ed.)  Some highlights:

*'''''The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment requires public school officials to be neutral in their treatment of religion, showing neither favoritism toward nor hostility against religious expression such as prayer.'''''  This, I would argue, is pretty much the definition of "secular".  It's certainly not atheist.

*'''''The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment requires public school officials to be neutral in their treatment of religion, showing neither favoritism toward nor hostility against religious expression such as prayer.'''''  This, I would argue, is pretty much the definition of "secular".  It's certainly not atheist.