As we continue to fight efforts that damage religious freedom, we must affirm the principle that you should not have to pass a religious test to get a government-funded job. If you know of anyone who works in Head Start that should be involved in this issue, let us know. If you are a social service provider or member of the clergy, join our grassroots effort to prevent government-funded discrimination. Go to www.stopreligiousdiscrimination.org where social service providers and clergy can register their opposition to government-funded religious discrimination.

"We simply cannot graduate people into the world today who are ignorant about religion," said Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, a Virginia-based group that advocates for improving the teaching of religion in public schools. "You would have thought we would have done more about it, given how important religion is these days. But I think post-9/11, we've woken up to this."

Both Republicans and Democrats backed this year's measure to create two high school electives about the holy book and its influence on law, government, literature, art, music, history and culture. Supporters of Senate Bill 79, which passed the House 151-7 this week and is awaiting final approval in the Senate, say the classes are needed to ensure students understand the roots of American democracy or the inspiration for great works of art. But many of those lessons already are being taught in English and social studies classes. In Georgia, students learn the role religion played in historic events, such as the settlement of American colonies, and key facts about the translation of the Bible. As early as seventh grade, students learn the origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Middle East, as well as the division between Sunni and Shia Muslims. In high school, they read world literature textbooks that include selected works from the Torah, Bible and Quran.

A new Navy policy that encourages chaplains to use only "nonsectarian" language outside of divine services has prompted criticism that regulating prayer services violates the chaplains' First Amendment rights. Under new rules signed by Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter, chaplains of all faiths in the Navy are asked to consider the views of their audience before invoking specific religious beliefs in prayer.