>What some people seem to forget is that the first amendment guarantees freedom OF religion and not freedom FROM religion.


Even purists acknowledge that rights are contextual. So in certain cases I think it's an "it depends"

For instance, I've been an atheist pretty much all my life. In elementary school our chorus sang religious/Christian Christmas carols, our high school football team had a few banners in the high school halls with Christian quotes, and there were other elements of religion in different areas. I never cared one way or the other and wouldn't care today. When I see atheist organizations getting all worked up about really stupid and trivial things and saying they should be protected under the notion of "freedom from religion", I revert to a different saying - "no harm, no foul". I'm not ideologically (nor physically) harmed nor fouled by any of it.

Now...if our neighborhood police suddenly decrees I have to have a nativity scene in my front yard because it's a Christian neighborhood, I think most would agree that's a different story.