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LIFESTYLE

79% Say Religious Holidays Should Be Celebrated in Public Schools

At a time when most Americans see political correctness as a serious problem in this country, an overwhelming majority continues to believe religious holidays should be celebrated in the public schools. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 79% of American Adults favor the celebration of at least some religious holidays in the public schools despite legal challenges over the years that insist it is unconstitutional to do so.  That figure includes 48% who feel all religious holidays should be celebrated in public schools.  Just 17% think there should be no religious holiday celebrations in the schools. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

These results have changed little since December 2009.

Similarly, 73% of American Adults think religious symbols like Christmas nativity scenes, Hanukkah menorahs and Muslim crescents should be allowed on public land.  Sixteen percent (16%) disagree, and 11% more are undecided.

These findings, too, show little change in surveys dating back to December 2008

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on December 3-4, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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