separation of church and state

Guest Post From Jon: Does “Under God” Belong in the Pledge of Allegiance?

March 13, 2010 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 3 Comments

People waiting for Fourth of July parade Pentwater, MI. Photo BF Newhall

Waiting for the Fourth of July parade to start in Pentwater, Michigan, one of the last places in the world where you can sit on the curb in your white shorts. Photo by BF Newhall.

Jon wrote this post a couple of years ago when a Federal Appeals Court ruled in favor of keeping “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. I don’t think Jon has changed his mind on this issue since. Meanwhile, he’s started his own — very political — blog on OpenSalon. It’s called The Galactic Report. If you like a good, stiff political debate, The Galactic Report is the place for you. — BFN

By Jon Newhall

We were sitting at breakfast on Friday morning when Barbara pointed out a story in that morning’s San Francisco Chronicle. A three-judge panel [Read more...]

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition Tagged With: american flag, don't miss, jon newhall post, pentwater, pledge of allegiance, scottville, separation of church and state

GodsBigBlog: Does a Teacher Have the Right to Wear a Muslim Headscarf? A Nun’s Habit? A Sikh’s Turban? Not in Every State

September 3, 2009 By Barbara Leave a Comment

Three states still have laws on the books prohibiting public school teachers from wearing religious garments in the classroom.

According to the Associated Press, the century-old bans were originally aimed at Catholic clergy and religious. But more recent attempts by a Muslim and a Sikh to strike down these laws have failed.

For details, check out the Associated Press report.

What do you think? Do teachers have the right to wear religious garments in the classroom? Or is their wearing of a headscarf, a turban, or a priest’s collar an establishment of religion in the schools?