>the implementation of school prayer
I'm not too interested in getting bogged down in the argument, I'm sure that we could fill up pages and pages and still not find a resolution, matters of belief rarely do. I'm more interested in the differences between cultures.
I suspect that it hasn't been an issue in the UK to any great extent is that
a) We have never been offered the choice of removing it (certainly in recent times) so what passes for "religion" in most schools is rather tame moral stuff that most people can subscribed to. A catholic priest told a friend (true, but maybe a little out on a limb) that she would be better to sent her child out of the Catholic system as the doctrine was so far watered down for schools as to be almost unrecognisible. There are a high proportion of non-Catholics and (mainly) Muslems who choose the Catholic schools because of their better results and (supposedly) higher standards of behaviour. Church of England schools are full to the brim for the same reason.
b) We are much more hypocritical about religion. I suspect that people are more honest about the subject in the US. Anyone is Church of England or Church of Scotland by default and that seems to worry very few people. The only time most of my friends seem to "get religion" is when there is competition for a good school. Outside Northern Ireland and the West of Scotland there is a high degree of religious tolerance and a low level of interest in the subject.
