For whatever it is worth, my experiences in public schools suggested a lingering religious influence over how sex ed was taught, subtle messages which had the effect of promoting theism over atheism and Protestantism over other monotheist religions, and while Judaism received favorable treatment one of my teachers who went on to get elected to the school board would only refer to Arabs and Muslims in his lectures as "Islamofascist bastards" until eventually given a light slap on his wrists by school administrators. The Pilgrims, "Christian" character of early state institutions, and manifest destiny were glorified in lessons whereas anti-atheist discrimination in the past century and the long campaign of cultural genocide waged against Native Americans within U.S. borders - largely in the name of Christ - was not even
acknowledged prior to tertiary education.
Being atheist or even agnostic at those early ages was to bear a stigma - to be considered and at times even ostracized for being "un-American," in cahoots with Satan, and inevitably bound for Hell in the eyes of many peers. Now, if jmfcst wants to portray the public school system as a secular threat to family values then he can go right ahead and do that. But I figure it's still worth my time to note that in hindsight I feel every bit as opposed to the intolerant, authoritarian overreach of church-approved values into the minds of impressionable children in our public school system as he does to those being promoted by the state. Why is it so disagreeable that students be taught to treat each other fairly and with respect, develop and use their own analytical thinking skills, and go learn their religions' teachings during any of the many hours during which they are not at school?
While I think jmfcst made a few decent points, right now I'm very strongly agreeing with Dibble.
