Oh... the Puritains were great at being persecuters in England as well... does the name Oliver Cromwell ring a bell?
The Bible was a book commonly used to teach reading because it was a widely available common text in a day when books were scarce and a common one more so. However, when the McGuffey's Readers were created and used by 1800's students, they had a generous dose of Biblical teaching.
I do not believe that students are being forced to learn non-Christian religions. They are being taught about the religions used by other peoples around the world and different times in history to learn about those peoples as a culture. I see the same with the UNC reading. In an area where many in our country are making Islamics out to be Satanists, they are looking at college (which is supposed to broaden the minds and the experience of the students) as an opportunity to teach the students some things about it. I see it as a cultural study, not a religious study.
Religion is a Humanity discipline after all, like Languages and Literatures.
I have as many issues with the hypersensitivity of many about the display of seasonal religious artifacts, but I do agree with not allowing the continued permanent installation of religious artifacts in government structures.
