Religion in Schools

     The subject of religion in public schools is probably one of the most highly contested situations in the educational system.  The United States has repeatedly faced issues concerning separation of church and state because of constitutional rights to freedom of speech and religion.  Because religion is a deeply rooted part of our society, it is very easy for beliefs to carry over into schools and other places where people have a great deal of interaction.  It is very interesting how lawmakers and other members of society have handled the issue of religion in schools over time.  In 1935, a lawsuit was filed by the Watch Tower Society of the Jehovah's Witnesses on behalf of two children who were required, against their religious beliefs, to salute and pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag (Jehovah's Witnesses believed this was a form of idolatry).  The children had refused to participate in the daily flag and pledge activity, and were both expelled from school by the directors of their school district, despite having written letters to the school board explaining their reasons (Haynes, Wigdor, nd) .  At this time, the court found in favor of the children's right not to participate.  Interestingly enough, in 1940 (close to WWII), the US Supreme Court reversed their decision and ruled that the government had the authority to "compel respect for the flag as a key symbol of national unity"(Haynes, Wigdor).  In 1943, the Supreme Court reversed its decision again during another case involving Jehovah's Witnesses basically saying that the government does not have the authority to force people to salute the flag or say the pledge because of their right to freedom of speech. 
     On a different note, there was a case in Illinois involving a federal judge ruling against a state law requiring public school students to observe a moment of silence at the beginning of each day (this was meant for prayer or personal reflection).  The lawsuit was filed by an atheist father of a high school student who believed that the moment of silence was an "unconstitutional breach of the separation of church and state" (Calefati,  2009).  Those in favor of the moment of silence believed that it created an avenue for personal choice whether to pray or not.  Those opposed to this decision felt that it was a way for religion to be incorporated into public schools.
     Another topic of debate concerning religion in schools is the issue of creationism vs. evolution.  There is a never-ending argument over how much of each type of theory should be taught in the classroom.  This is a very difficult issue to resolve because they are both based on theoretical information.  Creation is a biblical notion that God created the earth, while evolution theoretically explains existence of life from a scientific perspective.  The manner in which these subjects are taught in public schools will probably be challenged for a very long time to come.
     Based on the previous information, I think that lawmakers will constantly be faced with the challenge of how to find a balance between religion and free speech when it involves public education.  When you live in such a diverse country as the United States which prides itself on our various freedoms, you have to accept that there will always be difficulty finding a happy medium when it comes to the issue of religion in schools.  I strongly disagree with the School District's decision in 1935 to expel two young children for following the beliefs they were taught by their parents.  The children were simply going by what they felt was right and they weren't doing anything that hurt other students by not participating in the pledge activity.  Granted, this was a religious based action and I understand that the school felt obligated to carry out rules, I just feel that the situation could have been handled much better without expelling the children.  In the case of the atheist and his high school daughter, I think the court should have never even allowed it to proceed, and thrown it out as a frivolous law suit. I'm not really sure why a moment of silence is even needed as part of the daily routine schools, but unless Mr. Atheist could prove that the school was forcing his daughter to pray to God during this time, I don't see his point in the least.  My opinion about the moment of silence is that it is the court's way of trying to make everyone happy in a relatively neutral way.
     It is concerning to me as a future science teacher that I will be faced with teaching evolution and/ or creationism.  I know that I will have to be very careful in how I approach this subject in my classroom, and hope that I will be equipped with a strong set of guidelines.  My goal is to approach this with an open mind, and to be sure that I teach in a manner that obeys the educational and legal process.