Is it legal to teach religious songs at a public school in the USA?

Question

I just realized this, because now I go to a Catholic private school.

When I was in 5th grade, I was in Chorus at the Suburban public school I went to.

When at this private school that I now go to, I was told, in History class, that a public school could get sued for teaching religion.

In chorus, we had to sing this song that was partially in Latin. In English, this was one of the lines:

The snow lay on the ground
The stars shown bright
When Christ our Lord was born
On Christmas night

Wouldn't this be considered illegal for a public school having students in the Chorus singing religious songs? This was not a Christan Chorus. It was just a song Chorus to sing songs.

Answer 1

It is not illegal to sing Christmas songs in public schools!
It would be illegal if it was compulsory to sing Christmas songs.
It would also be illegal if singing Christmas songs was followed up with a lecture on how not accepting Jesus will lend you in hell.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Answer 2

It relies upon. The regulation enables the coaching and making a music of religious music in a public college placing, so long because of the fact the emphasis is on the coaching and delight interior the music, and not the furtherance of the religious subject or message. the main present day Federal courtroom ruling on the concern replaced into Bauchman v. West intense college, in Utah filed by utilising 15-twelve months-previous Rachel Bauchman (A Jew) over Christian songs performed by utilising the choir at Salt Lake city's West intense college. Ms. Bauchman claimed that the songs have been sung prayers and as a result constituted a contravention of the corporate clause, and required her to sing prayers of a diverse faith from her very own. Rejecting this argument, the courtroom mentioned that music has a purpose in practise previous the mere words or notes in conveying a temper, coaching cultures and historical past, and broadening understanding of arts and that the determination of the music had a in maximum cases secular purpose of coaching music appreciation. notice even with the undeniable fact that those substantial words.... "a in maximum cases secular purpose". in the adventure that your pals music instructor is selecting music for the choir based no longer on its secular musical fee, yet on the religious message, then he's breaking the regulation. The devil, as they say, is interior the info. Richard

Answer 3

It is not illegal to sing Christian songs in a public school. Singing a song does not equal teaching the religion and forcing the beliefs on people. Most schools that do have Christian songs, also include non-Christian or non-religious songs to have a balance between them.

Answer 4

It probably wasn't illegal as long as students were not forced to sing those verses against their own will or persuaded to believe in those Christian values over other religions.

Answer 5

Students and teachers have rights! You have the right to teach the children songs of that nature. For example you can teach the children Christmas songs. The only problem I can see is if you are a ta school that the ACLU likes to stomp out peoples rights and free speach.

Answer 6

at christmas time. songs will usually have religious tones cause christmas is from the word CHRIST. so even if you are in public school, you can't completely avoid religious cultural exposure,

Answer 7

Gosh no-it's so cute to see the little Muslim & Jewish children singing about Christ! Seriously, public supported charter schools can be religious.

Answer 8

Change the question to a song about Ramadan, and see how the answers change.

Answer 9

its hard to say, even the presence of one religon more than another is somewhat unconstitutional. I think there is some wiggle room here though.

In my opinion, religon doesn't belong in public schools, period.

Answer 10

no no no