Note: Cultural Literacy

I will always fight for religious freedom. 

And as long as there are tests in school there will be prayers in school.

On the other hand I have friends, whom I respect and even love, who are Southern Baptists, Jews, atheists, religious apathetics, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Episcopals, Muslims, Sikhs, and some who are Methodists like me (and some Methodists unlike me!). They are each free to pray as they wish, (appropriately) share their beliefs, and practice their religion as they wish, as long as they don't use my government to promote their religion. 

In a pluralistic society, as ours has always been but is more so than ever, group prayer at government facilities, in public school classrooms or events, etc. is usually inappropriate. We fudge a little at Inaugurations and such by inviting a range of prayers from representatives of different groups, and over time getting to a wide variety of folks. I can live with that. 

But I don't want my child being pressured to accept religious positions by fellow students or teachers at public school. If there are going to be Baptist (for example) public prayers at school, then in a Democracy we must also allow Wiccan (for example) public prayers.

That DOES NOT MEAN that we should pretend religion is not and has not been an important cultural element of American history. I worry that some children are growing up culturally illiterate. The religious beliefs they decide to accept or reject in their personal lives are of no concern to our government. No less an authority than John Adams points out that ours is NOT a Christian government. But part of our public school standards should be that every American child know the basic history and tenets of the worlds great religions, and, specifically, the influence of Christian sects and beliefs on the history of our great nation.