Conversely, although a majority of the justices of the Supreme Court consider Christmas trees to be mere secular symbols, the guide counsels sensitivity to the fact that for many Americans the tree's religious significance remains. Nowhere does the guide ignore the requirements of the Constitution or suggest civil disobedience. To the contrary, each parent, student, teacher, and child is admonished to go the second mile in the name of good citizenship. The guide's greatest contribution may be the civic framework set forth in chapter one, which provides the ground rules for how those with deep religious differences can live and learn together in public schools. Of particular significance is the emphasis on the responsibilities of being a citizen.
Universal rights imply universal responsibilities, says the guide.
Emphasis is placed not only on what we debate, but how we debate it. It is essential, says the guide, that we treat one another with civility and respect-especially when we disagree. What the guide lacks is the extremism of the right or of the left. If the editors of Finding Common Ground have their way, the public schools of America will not become religious academies. But neither will they be scrubbed clean of the healthy influence of religion.