Teaching about religion has never been expressly forbidden to public schools. Article presents a program for teaching and establishing the academic study of religion. (GB)

This report addresses civil rights issues that derive from the First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion and prohibition against the establishment of religion. The commission is acting under its legal mandate to study and collect information and to appraise the laws and policies of the federal government with respect to…

Traces federal and missionary efforts to suppress peyote religion and Pueblo religious practices, 1888-1937. Describes Gertrude Bonnin's personal campaign against peyote and efforts by Smithsonian ethnologist James Mooney and Indian Affairs Commissioner James Collier to preserve Indian religious freedom. Lists state and federal laws against…

This chapter reports on legislative activity and court litigation during 1983 on issues relating to school prayer. Eighteen bills and resolutions have been introduced in the 98th Congress on this issue; 7 relate to voluntary prayer, 4 to equal access, and 3 are concurrent resolutions, not legislative in nature, expressing the belief that periods…

Considers "The Culture of Disbelief" (Stephen Carter) and "Educating for Intelligent Belief or Unbelief" (Nel Noddings) and how to incorporate religious issues in public school education in light of the persistent religiosity of Americans, a current discomfort with religious issues in public forums, and strong emerging conflicts whose effects are…

The Religion in Elementary Social Studies Project (RESS) at Florida State University provides an opportunity for determining the effectiveness of an innovative curriculum in religious study. The project stresses objectives dealing with sensitivity, empathy, and tolerance as well as information about religions. Two second grade level classrooms at…

To encourage a more meaningful celebration of the 1976 Bicentennial, the Interchurch Center is distributing nationally an exhibit of 18 posters, each 36" x 40", which portray various facets of the history of religious freedom in America. Reproductions of the posters together with an informative text make up the contents of this…

Observes the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on religion have been fairly consistent, but controversies arise from judicial interpretations of the Constitution's religious clauses. Traces history and development of major court decisions and religious issue rulings for both the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses. States religion in public schools…

The American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 requires federal agencies to respect the customs, ceremonies, and traditions of Native American religions. This report and its recommendations are the result of a multi-agency cooperative effort with Native traditional and tribal leaders to assure that the interference and insensitivity of the past…