Most students will remember reciting “one nation under God” during the pledge of allegiance in elementary school. 

The 2002 case in which Michael Newdow sued Congress for forcing his daughter to say “under God” during the pledge marked a growing liberalization in policy towards religious diversity in schools.

The separation of church and state in public schools is still facing debate today.  Continuing the trend toward a genuine separation of church and state is necessary. It is important that promoting religious diversity is emphasized over promoting what some might dub traditional Christian values.

Only by acknowledging religious diversity, and preventing our education from endorsing one religious viewpoint, will students be able to understand and appreciate our diverse culture. 

Our history books teach us that we are all the sons and daughters of immigrants (even Native Americans, who migrated from Asia). They teach us to celebrate ethnic diversity, but often focus solely on the persecuted Protestant pilgrims when describing our nation’s religious past. 

Such an education not only alienates non-Christian and non-white students, but it also teaches Christians a superior mindset. These effects can lead to a discriminatory student population.

During the Cold War, California passed laws preventing teachers from discussing communism in schools. Other laws also prohibited Communists to be teachers. These restrictions were typical of the United States government endorsing a single viewpoint at the expense of diversity. 

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 released official guidelines on the protection of prayer in public schools. The resulting document highlighted the role of the Constitution in protecting prayer: “The First Amendment forbids religious activity that is sponsored by the government but protects religious activity that is initiated by private individuals.”

Essentially, the Bush administration initiated a policy of allowing religious diversity in the classroom while preventing endorsement of a single religion. This concept should apply not just to prayer, but also to textbooks.

The Georgia State Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that an introductory paragraph to a biology textbook that stated evolution is a “theory, not a fact” should be taken out because it endorsed a single viewpoint. 

The textbook was also found to contain references to alternate explanations for the development of humans. This establishes a precedent for allowing students to be taught many viewpoint without endorsing one. 

Removing restrictions on public schools that prevent diverse viewpoints from being taught will lead to a student population that can understand diversity of religion in the United States. 

Promoting schools teaching many religious viewpoints without endorsing a single view will help appreciation of other’s beliefs.