Perfect Case For Freedom From Religion Foundation

Any atheists file a complaint yet? Or, are Muslims off the "target".

Is christmas a religious holiday? Could thanksgiving be considered a religious holiday? How about excused absences because of religious holidays?

I say that this is a perfect example of what atheist and other secular Americans have been saying all along. If we allow religion (Christianity) to have a place in our public school systems then you have to allow all other religions the same place. So I say this is up to the religious in our nation. Do you guys want to just keep adding religious holidays and events to public school calendars or do you want to have our children attend school for education?

I can recall that recently, during the discussion about prayer at our local public high school games, many Christians felt they had the right to pray over the PA because they were the majority. When the day comes that they are not the majority how will they feel about Muslim prayer being broadcast to their children?

Its all or nothing folks....As a secular Humanist/atheist I vote nothing. School is for learning science, math, history, reading and writing, and in higher grade levels job skills. Not religion. That should be taught in churches, temples and mosque. Or in your private lives and homes. 

DA said a mouthful. Whenever I've mentioned the growing Muslim population in Huntsville or the somewhat large Sikh population in Montgomery, people just say it won't happen in the Shoals. How long did it take for Hispanics to make up a third of the population of Franklin County?

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As a conservative (but not radical) Christian, I agree with you.  Keep religion out of the schools.  If parents are sincerely interested in their children receiving religious instruction, they can arrange for it at home, church, coven or synagogue, but keep GUMMINT out ot  it!

BUT...with OUR government, and certain educatonal 'leaders', currently and VERY OPENLY showing what amounts to FAVORTISM of Islam over all over relgions practiced in the USA (out of fear of reprisals or an attempt to curry favor with???), WHO IS TO SAY that Christian holidays aren't to be observed and mentioned in the halls of our public schools?

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I'm not sure what your post means. Unless something has happened that I don't know about schools 'let out' for thanksgiving and christmas. Not only are they mentioned in schools but they even decorate for them. What am I missing in your post?  Some states acknowledge all sorts of "religious" holidays and allow excused absences for them.

This is 2011 and we, in this country, have made our country attractive to people all over the world and "invited" them in. They've come here to live and work, most legally, and so where do we draw the line? Do we tell them they can no longer practice their religion?  It's just what DA said, this is exactly what we've been saying, you can't demand what you believe are your rights and at the same time refuse others their rights. Do some religions use this against us? Absolutely. But you have to ask who put us in this position. It certainly wasn't atheists. And again as DA said, religion has no place in public schools. It's personal and should be kept in the home, their private schools, and buildings the religious have spent billions to build for their worship pleasure.

Most schools in this country don't have Christmas vacations or Easter vacations any more. Instead they call them winter vacation and spring vacation. And any decorations put up for either holiday are secular in nature, you know, reindeer and baby chicks. And trees - in a lot of places, they have even taken to calling them "holiday trees" instead of Christmas trees.

Jewish holidays fall around the same time so both Christians and Jews get their holidays off. I'm not sure about Muslim holidays, or Hindu or Shinto or any other religion.

I have never heard of an Easter vacation.  Ever.

Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday, but a celebration of the American Indians for their support of the the first white settlers in America, thus keeping them alive.  

The day will soon come when schools give each student personal days to take off for whatever religious events they prefer. 

I will continue to celebrate the sacrifice Santa made by dying for our sins on Black Friday, and being reincarnated on Dec 25 into the Tickle Me Jesus. 

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I think they gave the mondays after easter off as a "holiday".  Thanksgiving was considered very religious since you were supposed to be thanking gawd, and many people still consider it a religious holiday.  For instance, there are always posts or threads on discussion boards where christians ask why atheists celebrate thanksgiving because it is supposed to be a day when you thank gawd. Same for christmas, it is always brought up and will be again I'm sure.

Excused Absence from School for Religious Holidays

SB 361 (Barker)

Committee: House Education

ACLU Position: Supports

Summary: Adds observance of a religious holiday to the list of reasons students shall be excused from attendance at school.  Students who have a written note from a parent or legal guardian will have their absence excused and will not be penalized.

Status: Passed the Senate (37-Y, 3-N) on Feb. 10.  Passed the House (99-Y, 0-N) on Mar. 5.  Signed by the Governor on April 11, 2010.

Easter Monday is not a federal holiday. Most aspects of public life are not any different to any other Monday. Public transit systems usually run their regular Monday schedule in many parts of the United States.

Though not largely observed in the United States, the day remains informally observed in some areas such as the state of North Dakota, where there is no school on Easter Monday, and some cities. Easter Monday was a public holiday in North Carolina from 1935 to 1987. Traditionally Polish-influenced areas such as Chicago observe Dyngus Day as well.

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/easter-monday

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I think it could easily happen in the Shoals.

Have you seen the preview of the reality show called "All American Muslim"? It starts tomorrow night on the cable network TLC.

Why does someone elses religion matter to you? How can that affect you?

You follow the only true religion, so it should not matter if your congregation is 100% of the population or 1%. 

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Who is your questions intended for?