I don't like people bashing any group, OHG. Everyone has a right to his/her beliefs, and I support that right with my vote and with the way I live my life. Belittling or demeaning the beliefs of anyone is inappropriate.

I don't like the attitude or the exclusivity of a lot of evangelical Christian HSers, though. I think people do have to learn to be in the world (if not of the world), and too many times I think the really conservative Christian HSers are really separationists. Their lives, their choice, but I think it's wrongheaded. I prefer inclusion. I would never join a HS group that asked me to sign a statement of belief, even if I agreed with the group's religious beliefs. I disagree with the whole notion of exclusion in that context, and I won't support it.

FWIW, I must confess that I also have mixed feelings about the Bible-reading in public school. It depends upon how it's handled and when it's happening, but having religion in any form in the schools does make me personally uncomfortable. I think separation of church and state benefits us all by protecting our right to worship as we please. I'd be equally uncomfortable with a child reading the Koran or Scientology or Satanic tracts or any other religious/spiritual works at school for anything other than an historical study--and that usually doesn't happen until college-level classes. Teachers just aren't equipped for the situations that might arise.

Imagine some other religion were the dominant religion in our country, and kids were reading their religious works at school and your GS is a Christian. Wouldn't that be exclusionary and uncomfortable for him? That's what I'm thinking about here.

Now, if GS is off by himself reading at recess without making a big deal about it, I don't see a problem with that. But I don't like the idea of Bible studies in school (even at recess) or reading the Bible for class.

That's just my opinion, of course, and I submit it respectfully. But I want to make it clear that it is because I think a person's religious beliefs are so important and so sacred that I would prefer that people who are not trained to handle those beliefs stay far away from them. To me, that means keeping religion and public school separate.

FWIW...

Kriston