If we have seperation of church and state in the US then why do we get time off for Christmas?

Question

The first amendment says: "CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

The opening part is what caught my eye. Public schools for example, give time off for Jewish holidays, Christian holidays, but never Hindu holidays or Muslim holidays. So doesn't that mean that they're favoring Christainity & Judism over other faiths? Isn't that a violation of the first amendment?

I have no beef with Christianity or Judism, I'm just wondering why it's like this. If there's seperation of church and state, why should we get days off for any holiday?

Good points people, I never noticed that.

Contour, seperation of church and state means that the government can't create laws that favor certain religions. Technically, the church could gain power if it were democratically elected but while in power it wouldn't b able to create laws that favor Christians. You can have a "Church Party" elected, but it would still have to go by the constitution.

What about days we get off strictly because it's a religious holiday? Schools get off on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and there aren't any fancy terms for those days.

Answer 1

Re-read that first sentence. It says ". . . ***establishment*** of religion".

How does allowing people time off for religious holidays establish a national religion? What denomination or religion has been singled out as the Official Religion of the United States, that you are required to become a member of in order to be a citizen?

The original intent of the First Amendment was to prevent the U.S. Government from establishing a State-sponsored, required church that all must attend to enjoy the benefits of citizenship. This was to avoid the abuses of countries like England, which set up the Church of England and forced everyone to be a member.

Remember, the First Amendment gives us freedom to worship (or not) as we please. It is freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. And you have the freedom to not participate in a religion. But the fact that you do not participate in an organized religion is your choice and your right, while my decision to participate is my right. If you are an atheist, I'm fine with that -- your choice -- but don't try and tell me that I must become an atheist, too, to avoid offending you. That just violated MY constitutional right to freedom of religion.

BTW -- the reason for the holidays is because the majority of people in the U.S. are members of churches of their choice -- Jewish, Christina, Muslim, Hindu, Wiccan, whatever. And in the U.S., the largest majority is Christian Since the vast majority of them would be taking the day off in order to freely exercise their religion of choice, why not just give everybody the day off and the heck with it.

BTW -- my Jewish friends get time off for Hannukah, but I don't. Muslims take days off for Ramadan, but I don't get time off. Why isn't anyone bitching about that? No, everyone pisses and moans about the Christian Holidays, which the vast majority of Americans celebrate.

If you feel it unfair to take time off during the Christian holidays, then DON'T. That is your right to freedom of religion, or a lack thereof.

Answer 2

The flip side of separation of church and state is religious freedom. If anything, separation of church and state is only the means, while religious freedom is the end. While the government should not get entangled with religion, it should respect religious freedom by accomadating the religious beliefs of government employees, public school students, and in some cases even military personnel. This includes being allowed to wear religious clothes, observe sabbaths and holidays, and exemptions from certain activities such as swearing oaths, saluting the flag, taking gang showers, or reading Harry Potter.

In the case of Christmas it is such an overwhelming part of US culture it's easy to justify national day-off as a means of accomadation. I agree that a strict separation of church and state means that the government shouldn't recognize the religious beliefs behind holidays and I think minority faiths should be allowed an excused absence even if their numbers aren't sufficient enough to warrent closing schools and government offices.

Answer 3

i don't have a "hissy greater healthful" if a pupil voluntarily and non-disruptively prays at college. I do have a concern if the government composes or selects the prayers and then MANDATES that each and each pupil shall pray. I also have a concern while the government MANDATES that each and each pupil will study the bible devotionally. And in the previous the ideally suited courtroom governed that scholars can't be CO-ERCED into prayer, scholars have been punished in the event that they did not pray or study the bible, in public faculties that had had MANDATED prayer and bible study. i don't care if Christmas is a federal holiday as long because of the fact the government does not MANDATE that each and each citizen shall attend church and worship Jesus Christ on that day. My artwork supplies me each Saturday and Sunday off, the two days are considered a Sabbath, consistent with which faith or denomination. i don't have a hissy greater healthful because of the fact maximum places of work artwork from Monday - Friday and close for the two person-friendly non secular Sabbath days. i does not be non secular, yet I nonetheless have confidence in an afternoon of relax. in actuality, I take 3 of them, I basically artwork Tues-Friday.

Answer 4

I believe it is because these holidays such as Christmas and Easter have come to be more than a religious occasion. I am in religious in no way, however i celebrate the holidays with never a mention of Jesus or god. Many people and cultures do. As for the Muslim and Hindu holidays i think that goes back to the founders of this country. When we were established it was by Christan's and Catholics, people who celebrated these holidays, there fore these traditions were passed down. When we started getting immigrants from other religions a lot of them adopted many of our customs in order to fit in. Still many more people celebrate Christmas and other primarily christian holidays in this country then any other, it may not be fair but it is true.

Answer 5

If you're Hindu or Muslim and you want a day off for your religion, just let them know and they'll give it to you. It just happens to be that a majority of the country celebrates Christmas and they are therefore trying not to prohibit the celebration thereof by making them work. So, you have it backwards, they aren't making a law that established Christianity as a religion promoted by them, but are respecting peoples rights to worship.

Answer 6

Tradition, mostly.
Schools also get time off for "President's Day," and that has no religious association. Notice that schools now call time off at christmas "winter break" or other such name, so that there is no association with a religious holiday. What used to be "Easter Break" is now "Spring Break" for the same reason. There's nothing wrong with giving time off, but officially these are NOT for any religious holiday -- no school holiday (or federal holiday, for that matter, when banks & government offices close) any longer is officially associated with a religious observance.

Answer 7

call it what you want, christmas is not a holy day it is a holiday. christmas was started by man back in the early centuries maybe around the 14 or 15 century. you will not find christmas in the bible at all. so there is no infraction of the law between the church and state here. i could be mistaken, but i don't think i am.

Answer 8

There is no legal "seperation of church & state" it is only 1
sentence included in a "letter between Thomas Jefferson & John Adams. It is not in the constitution or any other official document, America Wake Up.

Answer 9

Holidays are not law. They are observed days off. The government observes all December holidays on Dec. 25 (Christmas, Channukah, Kwanza, etc..), but also requires employers and schools to allow individuals to observe their own religious holidays. There is no law saying that no one can work on Christmas. The government observes the day off, but individual companies and schools choose whether to observe it or not.

Answer 10

If you think this one is questionable then you need to check out what they are trying to do with the second amendment. They are trying to rewrite it to say you have a right to bear arms only if you are in a militia. Check out an ap feed and you'll see what I'm talking about. Whatever happened to the constitution means what it says.