I'm not sure if this exactly falls under the "evolution vs. creation debate", but I think it's an important issue (especially during this holiday season) that I don't see on this board.
I was born a Catholic in a southern town outside of New Orleans. I was always a strait A student at the top of my class and when I got to high school, I started learning about evolution and sociology and spent the summers in Los Angeles and Toronto, learning about other cultures and religions. Because of that, I became an aethiest (specifically an Evolutionist -- I hate the word aethiest, reminds me of an insane, immoral devil worshipper or something).
In high school, every morning we had a moment of silence before going to first period, I had to "pledge my allegience to...one nation under God", and every year we had off for the week of Christmas and spent the prior week in Christmas activities. There would be school plays, christmas dinners, lighting of the tree ceremonies with the school band playing Christmas songs, etc. etc. We spent about a week on these events and spent zero time in class. While this was fine with most students (who didn't want to be in class), I care about my education (I'm not a book nerd, I just wanted to get into a good Business school -- I'm now in LSU, the third best public Business school in the country) and I go to school to learn, not to participate in events celebrating religions I don't believe in. I don't hate Christmas (as a kid I loved it and know it brings people happiness), but I don't practice it and I shouldn't be made to. Get this... every year we'd have an event in which students would buy 10 dollar male or female gifts and they would randomly be exchanged among male and female students. No one was required to participate, but those who didn't were required to spend the day sitting idle in a library and be looked at by other students as strange outcasts to be bullied. Honestly, in home room our teacher would say "Okay, in just a minute we're going to walk over to the gym for the gift exchange event. Oh and (in a condescending voice) if anyone doesn't want to participate you need to go to the library now..." And then everyone would laugh under their breath and glance around the room. Of course aethiests and other religious students would just spend 10 dollars and participate instead of spending the day bored out of their minds listening to Christmas music over the PA system, and the rest of their high school years as an outcast. So every year I'd spend 10 dollars, forego a day of education, participate in a religion I don't believe in or practice, and end up with some crap CD I didn't want.
My parents pay property taxes for my education, not so that money can be spent on a 30 foot Christmas tree, christmas dinners, and decorations (including, I kid you not, a stable with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus) when we don't even have money for up to date books (our Keyboarding and computer books were honestly from the 1980s when it was 1998!) and money to fix the heater in many classrooms during winter. School is for EDUCATION, not religion. And no one can deny that those week long events were in the name of Christmas and Christianity. Imagine if Jewish parents gave their eager to learn Jewish kids each 20 dollars for the day's school lectures and when they get to school, the Catholic principle stops them and says, "I'll take that, now you two go wait in the library while we use your money to practice our religion." It's the same thing. Practicing religion is fine, but let's keep it reserved to the home and church. Every week of christmas we had no school, and I got to sit at home without being educated and reflect on the true meaning of separation of church and state. I got very little out of my high school. I would have been better prepared for college and life if we spent more time and money on EDUCATION! THAT is what school is for.
Christians tend to look at us who are trying to keep religion out of schools as immoral bastards who are trying to get rid of Christmas. We are more moral and are trying to be considerate to everyone. How can someone sit back and participate in Christmas events in school when they know that they're DEEPLY offending a quarter of the student body? That's immoral. I hated high school. If high school had been reserved for EDUCATION, I would have had a much happier time and would have been better prepared for college. This is happening to millions of other students right now, today, this Friday. Christianity is the dominant religion in the U.S., but it should not be forced on everyone in a country as diverse as ours in public places with public tax dollars. 14 percent of the population is aethiest. That's about 45 million people. There are also large percentages of Jewish, Muslim, the religion that celebrates Kwannza, and other religions in the United States. If you put Christmas in schools then to be fair you also have to put Hanukkah and Kwannza in school and call school off for a week so they can practice their religion and that would throw the school system into chaos. That's why school should just be about education. How can anyone possibly have a problem with that? I really want to know.
Also, what's with the huge opposition over saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"? It's the same meaning and it doesn't offend 24 percent of the population (or 75 million people).
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