The author provides a brief cultural history of Sri Lanka (Ceylon), giving particular attention to the relations between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority and the effects that differing religions, languages, cultures, and educational opportunities have had on that relationship. (IRT)

In North Dakota during 1948, the Committee for Separation of Church and State succeeded in passing an "anti-garb" initiative, which targeted Catholic nuns who taught in public schools because of a teacher shortage. The committee protested the wearing of the religious habit claiming it had a religious influence on students. (KS)

This "fastback" examines the U.S. Supreme Court decisions and a few lower court decisions concerning religion and education rendered in the 1980s, and for background purposes, it also includes some decisions prior to the 1980s. The first of four parts discusses cases pertaining to prayer and religious activities in school. Included in…

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…

A DOCTORAL STUDY WAS MADE IN AN ATTEMPT TO (1) DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF THE THREAT POSED TO THE OHIO AMISH BY THE PROGRAM OF STATE CONTROLLED PUBLIC SCHOOLING, (2) REVIEW THE PRINCIPLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE OPEN CONFLICT BETWEEN THE AMISH AND THE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES, AND (3) ANALYZE THE AMISH RESPONSE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLING. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE…

In "Tucker v. State of California Department of Education," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a public employee has the right to engage in religious advocacy among fellow employees under certain circumstances. Judge Reinhardt suggests that government agencies either ban all employee displays about any topic…

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 definition of religious freedom from the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) to the most recent U.S. Supreme Court decision is not clear and well-defined. The two religious clauses found in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (those denying Congress the right either to establish religion or to prohibit its free exercise)…

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…

This paper discusses the relationship between the religious practices of Muslim employees and the requirements of the workplace. It is designed to provide information on the norms of Islam and the difficulties involved in its workplace practice, and to propose suggestions for resolving these difficulties that can form the basis for discussion and…

Recent trends and developments regarding the practice of religion in public schools are discussed in this report. Topics included are prayer, display of religious symbols and materials, holiday observances, weekend activities, distribution and study of scriptural literature, "parochiaid," and religious discrimination. The author…

Case law and the rulings of the National Labor Relations Board involving unit placement of religious faculty are reviewed. The rulings have been criticized by Roman Catholic religious orders as arbitrary, capricious, illogical, and illegal. Faculty unions wishing to exclude religious faculty from the bargaining unit have cited conflict of interest…

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…