tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post2295295341028925696..comments2024-03-28T13:08:26.494-04:00Comments on Religion & American Law: Happy Holidays to some...Brantley Gasawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02894338478934982958noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-88546499146116407462013-12-18T15:59:31.363-05:002013-12-18T15:59:31.363-05:00I think having winter break when it is makes sense...I think having winter break when it is makes sense. It is a good bookend between semesters and covers a holiday where most students would be absent regardless. However, I do believe that Muslim and other religious holidays should be taken into consideration. Yes, the school accommodates the best that it can under the circumstances, but in the end of the day it is still unconstitutional and the minority is not being properly represented or defended.Benjamin Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425760933102237136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-38910901968740146582013-12-09T14:51:51.837-05:002013-12-09T14:51:51.837-05:00I too think that this is a burden to free exercise...I too think that this is a burden to free exercise. I think that if the school is going to recognize days off for other religions, then all religions have to be considered. This would be to prevent choosing religion over religion. I understand that it is difficult to recognize all religions and public schools have requirements for the amount of days that the school has to be open, but I think that the Muslim's have a valid argument. I do appreciate the accommodation and the teachers working with the children with the work that they would be missing, but it is unfair that they have to choose between faith and education. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12095335262232690097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-28678611656534246412013-12-09T14:02:10.170-05:002013-12-09T14:02:10.170-05:00I agree with Sayeh and think that not giving the M...I agree with Sayeh and think that not giving the Muslim's their day off is unconstitutional and a burden on their free exercise. It's not fair that this school is accommodating two religions and refusing to accommodate another just because it is a minority religion. The point of the constitution is to protect the minority from being overruled by the majority. I also agree with Sayeh's point that if the school is going to deny certain denominations, they cannot award any sects the days off. <br />I think the numbers are irrelevant and we must abide by the constitutional concept of neutrality among religions, where one religion is never favored over another.Gabby (东碧柔)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01208742107973775296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-53687199762969171252013-12-09T13:56:58.489-05:002013-12-09T13:56:58.489-05:00I agree with what has been said before me and I th...I agree with what has been said before me and I think the school is doing a good job of making it easy for Muslim students to miss classes without being set back too much.<br /><br />I am, however, persuaded by Sayeh's point that it seems inconsistent to give some religious practitioners holy days off from school and deny others this accommodation. Missing school is a burden on their free exercise and the Muslim families are asking for a very limited amount of time off. I think the school should consider accommodating Muslim families further by cancelling school on their holy days.Jennie M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13806138538524287490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-26785206202944851602013-12-09T13:25:00.965-05:002013-12-09T13:25:00.965-05:00I don't think it's fair to take Catholic a...I don't think it's fair to take Catholic and Jewish holidays off, and not take off Muslim holidays as well. Disregarding winter break, which just happens to coincide with Christmas, if other religious holidays are recognized by the school, then Muslim ones should be as well. It is placing a burden on Muslim students' and faculties' right to free exercise because they are forced to choose between practicing their religion and attending classes. I don't think that there is enough of a state interest in not adding a couple of extra days off during the school year. But if the school is unwilling to recognize all of the religious holidays, then maybe none of them should be recognized at all.Sayeh Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02819285451257157344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-29411408252363368712013-12-08T21:48:40.564-05:002013-12-08T21:48:40.564-05:00I agree that Muslims should not be given their day...I agree that Muslims should not be given their days off of school. The school district policy is secular that it takes into consideration numbers of potential students and staff that would be absent. Considering that it is not that many that would be absent, it is not enough for the schools to consider it a day off. It is really unfortunate because it is a majority v. minority thing and technically the minority should be protected all the time from the majority but in this case I find myself troubled to favor the minority. Mostly because schools would technically be dismissed for various days in the school year. The parents who think that there is a burden because the student has to decide between religion and academics need to understand that they are actually being helped at the end of the day. The schools are allowing these students to be excused for their absence and teachers have made themselves available to help students with what they have missed. I think that this is an example of the school district being tolerable of the situation, rather than requiring the students to definitely attend school on their holy days, the district accurately accommodated so that they can be excused and even gives the opportunity for the student to go over material they might have missed. I also do not see an Establishment issue arising from this. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16446374291496664840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-85441477355277427782013-12-08T15:10:49.431-05:002013-12-08T15:10:49.431-05:00I agree with Cori that Muslim students should not ...I agree with Cori that Muslim students should not be given their holy days off in this situation, until the numbers show that the amount of absences from the school system in general negatively effect the school district. In my school district at home, we did not used to have Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur off until the school district began loosing money from too many absences.<br />I respectfully disagree with Liz that easter and Christmas grant an economical reason for school to be canceled. I do not believe that should play into the matter at all. In addition, I think it is only convenient that Hanukkah and Passover fall at at the same time as the Christian holidays that have extend time off, as they are not the significant holidays in the Jewish religion.<br />Quite frankly, if we were to only give holy days off, which I think is perfectly legitimate, there should only be one day given for Christmas, Easer, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Eid al-Adha, and any other holy day that causes significant absences. The burden on religious exercise must be balanced with the burden of the school to shut down. Also, I don't see establishment as an issue here as long as we are focusing on the numbers. Tyler Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12201835260110186685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606201113344523885.post-28349165534595498602013-12-08T14:18:39.077-05:002013-12-08T14:18:39.077-05:00Muslim holidays should not become school holidays....Muslim holidays should not become school holidays. I do not see this as a burden to free exercise. People of all religions are forced to make choices. For example, Catholics do not have days off of work for Holy Days of obligation and, thus, must choose how to meet their religious and societal obligations. Also, Jewish holidays (such as Chanukah and Passover (unless these holidays coincide with Christmas and Easter respectively) are not school holidays. The secular purpose of the law is historical (as Maryland was founded as a Catholic state) and economical (as Easter and Christmas are major shopping periods). Therefore, this is not a law that directly affects Muslims.Liz L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05437350971379301967noreply@blogger.com