>>What some people seem to forget is that the first amendment guarantees freedom OF religion and not freedom FROM religion.
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>Even purists acknowledge that rights are contextual. So in certain cases I think it's an "it depends"
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>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.
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The issue with the kind of stuff you cite is that it makes children with other beliefs feel unwelcome and conceivable coerced to practice someone else's religion. There's also a clear difference to me between what students do on their own and what school officials (teachers, principals, etc.) lead. If a student-led a capella group wants to sing a Christmas carol, that's quite different than the curricular school choir (for which students receive a grade) doing so.

I objected strongly in my HS to the practice of foreign language classes learning a carol in that language and then singing it in an all-school assembly. The idea of learning a song in language class seems great; it provides a practical experience. But making it a carol made (and makes, to this day) non-Christian students uncomfortable. (BTW, my "reward" for writing an opinion piece in the school paper on this topic was someone etching a swastika into my locker.)

>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.

For sure. I also object to any government dollars being spent on exercise of religion. If business want to group together and buy Christmas decorations for the business district, fine. If the local government contributes, I object.

Tamar