Why can't school kids sing carols?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

"No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."

That's all the U.S. Constitution has to say about separation of church and state.

There is no "wall of separation." It only stipulates what "Congress," as in U.S. Congress, can or cannot do.

Those powers not given to the federal government are reserved to the states.

Which of the following statements more accurately describes the controversy related to singing Christmas carols in public schools:

A) Singing Christmas carols in public schools is tantamount to establishing a government religion.

B) Prohibiting the singing of Christmas carols is prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

How we got from the U.S. Congress not establishing a state religion being interpreted as saying kids can't sing a Christmas carol in a local school is a huge leap (or lapse) in logic.

I can see churches all over the Northwest suburbs taking up special collections to buy large boiling pots for kids who don't pretend to be praying during the moment of silence in schools passed by the Illinois legislature.

If the Shermans want to change society, why don't they take their lawyer off speed-dial and call their legislator instead? Better still, why don't they run for public office? No religious test is required.

Eric Carver

Palatine