There's a difference between teaching someone about a ceremony and converting people to a religious belief system. I don't see this as a religious ceremony as no one is told that they have to believe any of it and there doesn't appear to be any religious obligation put on anyone except to courteously observe.

As a teacher - I tend to believe understanding is better than not. Exposing students - especially if older ones, like high school age - to the beliefs of others, especially minorities, is one way to help them appreciate and understand differences so they become more tolerant. However, ceremonies just for the sake of the rituals alone - particularly for younger students - serves little purpose. Religion is here and people should understand various belief systems even if they do not adhere to them.

I don't think any religious practices should take place in school, but "world religion" courses can be offered as an option later on.

I'm sure this mother is fine with the Lord's prayer being recited every morning, as it was when I was in school, and would likely also take issue with its removal.

Religion is at the root of much self centered behaviour.

Exposing to religious cults and celebrations is wrong.
The same way we get angry when atheist kids are forced to pray, we should not accept that other religions are forced too.
One thing is to talk about, show videos, or the students that already have that religion show how it is done maybe followed by voluntaries as a way to spread knowledge, but participate is wrong.
And take kids out of class if they don't want to participate is ridiculous, again they can watch, the same way we watch a movie about some foreign culture/cult.

And remember that for any religion is forbidden to participate in cults of other religions, so this is the complete opposite of respecting religion, is the same as forcing to pray.
Don't let your hatred for the dominant religion blind you, the minorities religions are only about peace and understanding because they do not have power enough as the majority.

I for one am tired of people getting upset when their religious view point is not center stage. I feel that we need to expose all religions to the light of day. This mother is upset I am willing to bet because of the questions this simple ceremony brought up. Bad for her narrow view of the world.

would the mom be suing if it was a christmas ritual?

g

At work we have little, ‘celebrations’ for religious and cultural events. Cancer support coffee mornings for fundraising, Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year off. Australia Day off there, half a day off in most places for Melbourne Cup day to gamble on a horse race. This year we have had Dwali, national men’s day is coming up and kindness day got a mention in a meeting recently.
Things that bring us together can be useful, but to be forced to participate in other’s ceremonies? Sounds inappropriate and cohesive when involving children. I no longer celebrate horse racing events now that a co worker has educated me about the industry.

I wish to know the harm, real or perceived, the mother is entertaining. Such demonstrations are superficial and don't serve to indoctrinate the viewers.

Religion is in the subset of culture. In some places they are so entwined as to be indistinguishable.

AND I do not see "exposing" as in, "look, here is what these people do and why"
As exposing them to religion, but explaining why your new muslim students take breaks to pray or some such.

Explaining a religious culture is not the same as "exposing them to religion", ie, a fact claim that religion is true and valid, or an indoctrination into thier beliefs. In fact it is shown that the more folks understand about other cultures and their religions, the less fundamentalist they tend to become.

I think it is hard to learn about a culture without also learning the significance of local religions or belief systems to hat culture.

I would suggest this smudging ceremony is religious, given the element of woo involved by discussing the "spirit" of everything...an invisible, unproven entity. They blew it for me claiming its cultural the minute they said it's a "belief system." Read. ..religion. Just because it's not practiced in one of the more familiar, namebrand churches doesn't give it exemption. I could understand it being cultural if the purpose was to remove bad smells, get rid of bugs, give a smoky patina to interior walls. But no, it's only purpose is supernatural mumbo-jumbo.

That said, most evangelical xtians represent themselves as extremist nut jobs; seriously deranged bigots, hypocrites and religious radicals. So, while I tend to agree with the premise that this smudging ceremony was inappropriate as was presented, I'm sure this woman will now proceed to do at least 10 things equally inappropriate over the next week in the same venue and scream her head off about her right to do them. The xtian who cried wolf.

The smudging ceremony idescribed in tge article s not a religious ceremony, the plaintiff is an evangelical christian mom, typical racists and hypocrites, who went nuts when she saw the tribal smudges in her children faces so she is suing for infringement of her religious liberty. I think this is a typical overreaction of evangelical hypocrites. I say the lawsuit should be thrown out of court for being a ridiculous frivolous lawsuit and the woman should be penalized with court costs.

The purpose of separation of church and state is specifically to avoid these types of issues. By maintaining schools secular, you allow everyone to maintain their individual beliefs, because no one religion is being forced to anyone in a state sponsored way. Any religion, be it majority, minority, or cultural.

I'm not a fan of religion or culture.
They are far too intertwined.

This is a balence that will have to be dealt with until humanity finally rejects religion. I do not know that there is a good answer. We simply have quite a few bad answers to choose from.

powerful questions.

yes, sometimes it's legit, but needs to be handled carefully. It does not matter which group, sometimes, to study a culture means you MUST study the religion that influenced it. This does not mean you have to partake. I've watched a sun dance, but did not dance myself, and had the elements explained to me, but without seeing the ceremony the explanation would have been honestly useless.

So long as the institution is clear that they are studying a cultural practice, not attempting some form of conversion, then I think it's a useful study tool.

Time to hollar at the ACLU.

Canadian mom you should be disgusted and outraged that people who clearly believe in voo doo magic is somehow teaching your kids something. It is a waste of their time when they could be taught tangible sciences that do exist in this universe, not the hocus pocus crap any and all organized religions do. Thankfully they are dying out thanks to the age of information age, but the sooner it happens the better off we all will be better off.

Personally I would prefer a comprehensive world cultural class be taught that includes the world religions. Obviously there are too many to cover in a single year. It should be taught by a sociologist -- someone who does not have a vested interest in one culture / religion over the other.

Canadian mom i hope you win and win big. These blow hards have no right to force anyone to bow to kiss their ass.

It is wrong and should be considered a form of child abuse to tell children they will suffer pain, torture, agony unless they follow the word of this cobbled together stories of an archaic book of lunacy it portrays.. If ever there was a case of gross negligence, this certainly fits the the bill. Where is this line that separates church and state? If your want to believe that there is a magical man in the clouds, keep that shit to your self. Give the kids a chance to decide fore themselves. No mention of the over 3000 gods should ever be mentioned until they are old enough to buy a beer. The sick fucks that indoctrinate into whatever crazy belief they have needs to be crucified with their balls. If we as a modern society don't stop this this crazy shit will never end. The old people are too set in their ways, but we haver hope by not allowing them to influence our children. Us, as a civilization could be a thousand years or more advanced if not for this governmental backed controlling bullshit. .

Sometimes it boggles my mind the questions some people ask.
You're obviously talking about Islam, so why don't you just say so?
My answer is a resounding NO regardless of what religion they're talking about.

Let's get rid of Christmas and substitute "Bill of Rights Appreciation Day."

Wo wo wo! There's a price to be paid for being an atheist. Be passionate in your convictions.

Well it's a little more than just culture, there's a definite element of magical thinking and dare I say superstition involved. If the indigenous culture that owns these traditions doesn't want them described as being part of their religion then we should recognise that. Yet they do fit into the religious beliefs of the evangelical Christian who looks at all other magical beliefs and sees the work of demons. As such it was probably insensitive for the school to not consult parents properly about this.
It wouldn't bother me as I know magic is nonsense and for the most part so do my kids. To empathise with these parents I might imagine my reaction if my children's school wanted to teach alternative viewpoints about Father Christmas. On the other hand, if a secular court examined this claim for mental distress they should have to consider the role played by Evangelical Christianity in bringing up susceptible children to believe in demonic works and worse, for demons to be the cohorts of other races and religions.
It is a shame that children are brought up in fear of boogiemen even the mental distress that the parents complain about is real even neither the energy cleansing or the the demonic forces aren't. The sooner humanity grows out of these fairy tales the better. In the meantime there will be growing pains.