Let's Put Christmas Back in the Schools

It's another holiday season...without the holidays. Children everywhere are asking why their religion, so popular in the house, is taboo in the school system. Why can't the schools handle Christmas and everything that goes with it?

How can we hope to teach our children tolerance if everything controversial is forbidden? We can't. So we must allow some religious education in the schools. The problem is where do we draw the line?

Teaching about Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism are clearly allowed. What about when the history book displays a cross? When the teacher gives a lesson about the origin of various religions and brings religious symbols in as an example? What if a religious symbol escapes to the halls? What if there is a Christmas Tree in the cafeteria (along with a menorah for religious equality)? How about a Santa Claus? A Nativity Scene?

How can we possibly hope to draw a line about what is acceptable? We can't. Thus the question arises of which is more important: free speech or a non-controversial learning environment?

The right to express one's views is a liberation that makes America great. To deny that freedom in a government run program such as public education is an oxymoron. How can we teach our children to be American if we don't teach them the value of an individual opinion? The choice is simple, let religion thrive in the schools despite the risk at offending a few people.

There should be no favoring of one religion over another. Ninety-six percent of America is Christian. We cannot tiptoe around the four- percent minority. Someone will always be offended. This is the nature of life. The best thing that can be done is to allow the minority to display their religion (or lack there of) as much as they care to participate.

The lack of religion causes more problems than it solves. If all religious things are forbidden from a school, children will naturally wish to pry into religious matters. If religion is permitted, it becomes less of a big deal and in time no one really cares.

The main argument to disallow religion in school is that it is Unconstitutional. The "separation of church and state" clause that is supposedly violated has a different purpose than to ban Christmas trees. "Separation of church and state" is in the Bill of Rights for the sole reason as to stop America from becoming a religious monarchy like England. It has no relevance in terms of a Christmas tree in school.

Let's bring Christmas back into our schools, one tree at a time.