Sometimes it takes being exposed to other religions and belief systems. My neighbors are part of BSU (the Baptist Student Union) and attended a forum last week where a panel of aetheists and other non-Christians talked about their perception of Christianity. I told them that they should have put me on that panel!
but I had other plans anyways.
On your 'separation of church and state' comment, I'll repeat some of what I said on your gay marriage post:
"The spirit of our Bill of Rights is just as delicate to me as the spirit of the Bible. Yet the difference ... is how religion may change a person's convictions but it may not necessarily affect other people; and how government may not change a person's convictions, but
government does necessarily affect other people's lives. My hope is that we, as teachers, see the difference between defending religion by not "prohibiting the free exercise thereof" yet imposing our convictions on other citizens by banning research, abortion or marriage for religious reasons, because there should be "no law respecting an establishment of religion". It is a delicate distinction, and I personally believe, from my reading of the Gospel, that Jesus abused neither government nor religion while he was on Earth."
In the classroom, these "laws" become our policies as teachers; for example, our policy on excusing students from class so they can attend their religious Holydays. I believe it also includes listening and responding to parents who question Christmas or other Christian holidays that American teachers often integrate into their curriculum.