On Monday the Supreme Court refused to review a decision of the 3rd Circuit Court upholding a ban on the singing of religious music in the South Orange-Maplewood Public School District in New Jersey. The school doors of that district are now officially shut to Christmas and any other religious music or celebration.

You gotta give it to 'em: at least they're consistent, and unabashedly so. These are government schools, y'all, and they will not be used to promote any religious views of any stripe.

Except, of course, the religion of secular materialism - the quasi-official religion of the Republic. This is the religion that believes the Ultimate Good in life is to realize as much Material Success as any person may desire. True devotion, therefore, consists in dedicating one's attention, affections, and strength to the lifelong pursuit of material happiness. Such as it may be.

So no more "Silent Night" and not even any playing or singing of great selections from the historic repertoire. The priests of secular materialism have achieved their goal: exclusive religious hegemony over the beliefs they will and will not tolerate.

Watch for other school districts to follow this same course, until all things religious - other than secular and material religion - are blocked, eradicated, and, as a result, denied legitimacy.

Your tax dollars and mine are supporting a religion which has free rein to inculcate its worldview to the exclusion of all other competing worldviews. The business of American public education is to prepare young people to take a responsible place in the economy of getting and spending. This is the American dream our young people are encouraged to embrace, and the schools do a pretty good job of achieving their objectives.

Well, at least they are consistent. The public schools will not be tainted by the distractions of what they regard as false religion - like, for instance, Christianity. Not very tolerant, I think you'll agree. But consistent.

It's good that we know where we stand with our schools. It's just not good to be standing there.

T. M. Moore