Schools juggle holidays for other faiths

[TechBear_Seattle]

Schools juggle holidays for other faiths
By CARA ANNA, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 21, 3:57 AM ET

ALBANY, N.Y. - Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and Christian — each faith has its holy days. Schools across the country are asking how to respect them all.

Consider the University at Albany, which canceled classes on major Muslim holidays. Faculty wanted the move out of concern for Muslim students after the Sept. 11 attacks. But then came the questions: What about Hindus? Buddhists?

President Kermit Hall last fall decided to return to the original calendar.

"Can you operate a university and give each religious group an accommodation? I think the answer is, 'No,'" he said.

The article continues at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060721/ap_on_re_us/school_holidays

[bmcatt]

1. What's wrong with just "no holidays"?

When I was in school, I always wondered why it was ok for everything to be closed on Christmas, but not on Yom Kippur. I think the simplest solution is to stop favoring *any* religion. Favoritism is favoritism, regardless of who's being favored.

Or, as was said on The Daily Show: "Christmas is a day when christians all across the country can reflect on the birth of Christ, while everyone else can reflect on the meaning of separation of church and state."

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Yes, they reflect on the separation of church and state...

while they open their Christmas presents under the Christmas tree.

I say the more holidays the better.

Where I work, I can take off any day I want and call it a religious holiday. I usually take off Good Friday. Our school (my workplace) is closed on Christmas but we don't get paid for it. We don't get paid for most holidays.

[trotsky]

2. Forget official holidays.

Everyone can have "floating" holidays - excused absences - that they can use to celebrate whatever religious holiday they want.

The atheists can save them all up and extend their spring break or something.

[Zebedeo]

3. Since we are told that atheism is not a religion or even a belief,

there would seem to be no reason to excuse atheists from work on account of religious holidays.

Just saying.

[Finder]

4. That is what the poster said. nt

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. I'm sure they could come up with one of their own!