Quote: There is no such thing as "religous education lessons" in our public schools.
Oh, I hadn't fully appreciated that. So public schools aren't even allowed to describe the tenets of the world's various religions, even if there's no attempt at proselytisation? That does indeed sound like a worrying gap in those children's education.
While there is no required religious studies course, and seldom an elective one, I think Jeff overstates the lack of religion in schools. Some pieces of literature, for example, need to be studied in the contexts of the religions involved, and, in my experience, are, no matter what that religion is. I don't know what Jeff's experiences are, but the notion that it's illegal to even mention religion in public school is incorrect and one that the religious right is likely to espouse, as it shows how we leftist big-government types are anti-Christian. (Of course, most of the same would have a hissy-fit if students were equally exposed to Islam. Not Jeff, I'm sure.) At the same time, I'm sure that there are a number of teachers that would rather avoid it altogether than risk getting anywhere near trouble, and there are a number of leftist nutjobs that get upset if religion is discussed at all. The real restriction is against the school leading the students in promoting religions, which was the crux of the complaint about the revised Pledge of Allegiance that students in public schools are led in.
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