Over here... you know across the pond, a man can be elected purely on religious issues. How else can someone account for the win of Bush? I don't mind it cause I voted for him, but I'm sure somewhere there is a demo man (that can't make his mind up on anything ;)) kicking himself because he didn't do a lot on the religious front. [He said he was Catholic... and he thought it would get him elected :lol:] Heck, Mr. Bush didn't really tell us much of anything he was planning to do in his second term... He got re-elected mainly on his religious views. Over here, though, there is a very thin line between religious matters and those of the state... although it says NOWHERE in the constitution that there should be a separation of church and state... There can't even be student lead prayer in the schools here if anyone else can hear it. In fact the only God in schools here is "One nation under God." Well... maybe "In God we trust." Eh.

I tell you what, over there you guys do things that would make the average Americans hair stand on end!

Things get even stranger when it comes down to the legal aspect of worship in education.

Under a law designed in the 1940's schools have to, by law, lead an act of collective worship every day [ie prayers] this is for every school religious and non religious, and the prayers should be 'of a wholly or majority christian character' how the small ammount of Muslim schools feel about this is anyones guess!!??

It also means that you break the law if you don't provide collective worship. When schools are inspected, if they do not provide collective worship they cannot pass the inspection! Bizzare!

Wow. I didn't know that untill I just read that there. Prayer in schools is bad. I'm a very religious person but I don't think it is right to force that onto anyone else. I am in favor of not allowing open student or teacher lead prayer. If it was a Muslim forceing my kids to pray five times a day I would be ticked off... well now turn the tables... so I'm in favor of no prayer in schools. Sure each individual child and teacher can say a prayer for themselves or even in a small group - just as long as it doesn't interfer with me, my beliefs, or anyone elses.

What ama says is true, BUT parents can choose to remove their children from RE lessons and/or collective worship. Teachers can also refuse to teach RE.

Locutus, you're absolutely right about the prayer thing. A friend of mine had her (infant) class praying to Allah in an RE lesson - I was horrified. But no-one can make a law against teachers or pupils praying - no-one will ever know that they're doing it.

At my school we dont have to do prayers every day. We do get RE. I my self am not religious and i too think it it unfair to make children pray. i dont know about other schools in the Uk but in mine we follow christ, i think this is unfair as we dont encourage people to follow other religoins,

@ Vicky tell that to the people who passed that very law in my state! We stiil do it as I have said but we aren't legally able too.

@ Presdient_susan I too think it is completely unfair!

Sorry, my post was rather ambiguous. All I meant was, prayer is between you and God. No-one but you (and Him!) need know that you're doing it so, whilst they can make as many laws as they like, they can't stop you from praying :)