Life In God's Country - Literally

I just got back from our kids' end-of-year school awards banquet. They're doing well both academically and extracurricularly: they take after their father (*modest cough*).

We're lucky to live in one of the better public school districts in the state. Well, not so much lucky, really, as due to the research and planning we put into our choice of where to live, and the subsequent time and effort we've put into becoming involved with the district, schools, and teachers (*another modest cough*).

While that (parental involvement) is worthy of a lengthy post by itself (numerous studies have shown that parental involvement is the most significant factor in student and school performance), what I wanted to mention tonight was that the ceremonies both opened and closed with a student-led prayer.

I'm not what I would consider overly religious. As far as I'm concerned, my beliefs are my own business, just as your beliefs are yours. I do, however, reserve the right to mock certain religions if, IMO, they do things that I consider foolish. Muslims and polygamists come to mind. Muslims because their religion seems to encourage adherents to kill non-believers, and polygamists because who in their right mind would want more than one wife at a time.

Anyway, I don't get too bent out of shape about how other people practice their religion, as long as they don't force it on me. If a student leads a prayer, or chants a chakra, or kills a chicken, or some such thing before a ballgame or a ceremony, so what? I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, in that they are wishing the audience well, and stand quietly for the minute or so it takes without taking any offense. I do, however, draw the line at teaching religious beliefs as part of a class. Comparative religious studies, okay. Proselytizing, not so much.

So back to tonight. Most of the folks in this part of the country are Christians of one flavor or another. The prayers tonight were nice, short, sincere wishes for blessings to be bestowed upon the attendees. No harm, no foul. No muss, no fuss.

There are many things in this universe that puzzle me. One of them is why some folks let stuff like this upset them so much.