On Tuesday, Tamaqua school board members voted 4-2 to allow wrestlers to take part in a regional tournament taking place on a Sunday.

So what's the big deal?Well, it seems a faction on the board felt that consideration should be given to Sunday as the Sabbath, and that such events held on Sundays could "discourage church attendance."For that reason, some board members objected to participation by the Tamaqua athletes.At best, the issue is a slippery slope.At worst, some see it as an outrage, saying the board's purview doesn't include students' religious lives, or even lack thereof.Sometimes history provides the best lesson.It wasn't too many years ago that the Tamaqua school board found itself defending a looming civil rights complaint by a student.The young man, a class officer, was bright, articulate, studious and a person with strong values and convictions. He also happened to be a devout free thinker."I don't believe in God," he said.Yet he felt he was being coerced into attending a school-sponsored, church-hosted baccalaureate service.He strongly objected.The bottom line, he said, is that baccalaureate is a religious service for which he opted to decline participation. And he felt he had the right as an American to exercise that option.The American Civil Liberties Union took an interest in the case and the media took notice, too.But the issue ended fast when the school board acquiesced, with the matter ultimately attributed to a misunderstanding.Public school districts are bound by the Constitution and are forbidden to show favoritism of one religion over another, or belief and nonbelief.If a wrestling tournament is seen unfavorably because it potentially encroaches on a Christian's Sunday church services, then what about other religions? Shouldn't a school board take a similar stand against a Saturday football game that interferes with the Jewish Sabbath?Where should the line be drawn?Which religions should the district favor and be concerned about?The answer is easy - none.The Establishment Clause of the Constitution is the provision that prevents public entities like schools from taking sides with the faith-based community.This is a basic freedom that traces origins to the founding of this country and the guarantee of human rights.Belief systems and spirituality come in many flavors.We just observed a season of diversity when local residents acknowledged and participated in traditions of Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, and the nonreligious Kwanzaa, to name a few.In fact, the United States is home to more than 2,000 religions and about 400,000 churches, synagogues and mosques.Add to the mix countless humanists and others who ascribe to nontraditional beliefs and practices, and you end up with a colorful, pluralistic society that makes our country strong.A student's spiritual growth and related decisions are best left to the student, his or her parents and a minister, priest, rabbi or imam.A youngster's spirituality is the start of a very personal journey which doesn't belong in the lap of any public school director.But a school board should play a role - it needs to foster an environment that allows diversity to flourish and be appreciated.When that happens, everybody earns an A+.By Donald R. Serfass |

dserfass@tnonline.com