Separation of church and state?

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Nightshade
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Separation of church and state?

Post by Nightshade »

Interesting how some things are overlooked...
In recent years, three American public school districts have provided taxpayer-supported lunches meeting Muslim students’ dietary standards. They have not similarly provided lunches satisfying any other students’ religious standards. The halal foods purchased with public funds are costlier than comparable non-halal foods.

This is problematic under the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment and Equal Protection Clauses. Even if a school district endeavors to provide all students with food satisfying each one’s religious requirements, it would arguably entangle the government in religious observance and so violate the separation of “church” and state. If a school district goes out of its way to provide food satisfying the religious requirements of only some students, but not others, it risks illegally giving them unequal advantages and elevating their religion over others. This is especially so given that the school food is paid for at least partly with public funds, although the schools have been reluctant to reveal how much tax money is involved.
http://pjmedia.com/blog/federal-governm ... epage=true

Perhaps if these provided foods were 'Kosher' Jewish foods, there would be an outcry from the leftist atheist community and a flock of lawsuits against these school districts would follow for violating the separation of church and state.

Oh wait, I guess there isn't any problem with mosque and state...just synagogue or church and state that has to be kept apart.
In effect, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and San Diego appear to have established Islam as an official religion, whose rituals are endorsed by the government and paid for with public funds. New York City and New York state may join them. Other religions, such as Judaism, are unrecognized. It may be halal, but it sure doesn’t sound kosher.
So, are you willing to endorse an official state religion?
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Top Gun
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Re: Separation of church and state?

Post by Top Gun »

Around here the public schools all get off for just about every Jewish high holy day, and we don't even have a super-huge Jewish population. So is our local government endorsing Judaism as an official state religion?
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Re: Separation of church and state?

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Top Gun wrote:Around here the public schools all get off for just about every Jewish high holy day, and we don't even have a super-huge Jewish population. So is our local government endorsing Judaism as an official state religion?
Wow, things must have changed, when I went to school only the Jewish teachers had off on their holidays, and we had a substitute that day.

Of course we also went to school when it snowed…

Damn, it’s no wonder the local Mastery Charter School has to go back in the middle of August, to make up for all of those lost days.
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Re: Separation of church and state?

Post by callmeslick »

we get a couple of Jewish holidays off in our school district here in Delaware. Not so, when I lived in PA. As for Halal foods, they are pretty commonly accepted around here, and the idea that they are more expensive is puzzling. I often buy Halal chicken at the ShopRite, as it is less expensive or about the same as the American brands, and in many cases better quality. As for the matter of certain cities making Islam official, that idea has been overblown and debunked repeatedly.
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Re: Separation of church and state?

Post by Ferno »

Just because a school has added a certain type of food to their menu, doesn't mean they are "endorsing a state religion". So, TB, are you willing to endorse a state religion yourself?
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Re: Separation of church and state?

Post by Vander »

I don’t have an issue with catering school meals to accommodate religious dietary needs as long as there is a fair and consistent method of inclusion applied. I don’t consider such to be an egregious violation of church/state separation in the absence of religious favoritism. (Yes Halal, No Kosher)

Does that mean I’m supporting an official state religion? Of course not. It means I support a state that acknowledges the reality that religions exist, and strives for equal treatment.

Who am I kidding. As a leftist atheist, I *obviously* want to exalt the muslims and burn the jews.
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Re: Separation of church and state?

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Re: Separation of church and state?

Post by Lothar »

Vander wrote:I support a state that acknowledges the reality that religions exist, and strives for equal treatment
This is tremendously important. The school lunch program doesn't exist just to feed Christian kids; it exists to feed whoever's in the school. It's not effective at doing that if it doesn't meet the dietary needs of the kids in the school, whether those needs are religious (including "hippie") or medical in nature.

My district always offers a vegetarian option for every meal, and always offers something to substitute in place of pork dishes. We don't specifically have halal dishes or keep full kosher kitchens complete with separate meat/cheese dishes. But if there was a high enough need, we would, and it would be an appropriate use of tax dollars.
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