It's an unusual thing to grasp that the french people want to keep religion something that is separated from the state completely. Does this include christians too? The reason I say it's unusual to grasp is that in the US the people that want to unify church and state tend to be the christians. And we have many of them here. They want religion included in schools but when asked about including other faiths: Muslim, Hindu etc they are opposed. Personally, I've had it up to my ears with religion. I'm tired of it and wish it would either go away or stay "at home" as you put it.
Until 1905 we used to be officially a catholic country so catholics are especially the ones who have learnt early to keep their beliefs quiet. Except obviously in religious institutions, it feels disturbing to see any religious display. But the ambivalence shows the situation is not yet ideal either.
I think religion is going to play a major role in the upcoming US Presidential election. I wish it wouldn't.
The whole problem is not so much the people who believe the religions, as the governments who run the law and the institutes.... it would be better if they left religion to people and did away with 'churches' and 'temples' and solid places of worship. Being Irish, I see far too many churches around the place, and went to a school where religious education was more or less orientated around Christianity....there is no room in schools here for anybody else. The answer in my oppinion is either do away with state regulated religion and keep religion out of government...or teach something like Philosophy; where almost every view is embraced and there is no room to form a prejudice.