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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 7,011,217 |
Question of the Week: 3 - 8/20/2000 Church and State, Religion in School... What is YOUR View? Church and State, Religion in School... What is YOUR View? |
| Reponses: There are 122 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| If The Schools Are Allowed To Post The Christian Ten Commandments, Then... | Aug 21st. at 7:15:58 pm EDT |
| lilith (dayton, Ohio US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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If the schools are allowed to post the christian Ten Commandments, then they should also post other religions rules or concepts. Personal, I do believe that we all have the right to believe and practice whatever religion that we want as long as we do not trend or degrade any other religion..... I can not foresee that could be done effectively in a school enviorment. |
| I've Always Been Strongly In Favor Of The Seperation Of Church And... | Aug 21st. at 7:49:14 pm EDT |
| Fiona (Durham, North Carolina US) | Age: 31 |
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I've always been strongly in favor of the seperation of church and state, particularly as it relates to the school system. Even as a high school student, I didn't have any clearly defined religious beliefs, but I would have felt uncomfortable being forced to pray in school. It's my feeling that no religions should be allowed in school unless all possible religions are equally represented....which would be a logistical nightmare for the school board. One thing that many people seem to overlook, however, is that religion is still in the classroom, at least last I heard, since almost all schools have the class recite the pledge of allegiance at least once a day which states that ours is One Nation, Under God (although at least it doesn't specify which God). And while we're talking about the murky division of church and state, what about the "In God We Trust" bit that's printed on all of our money. It's these little things that opened the doors for the bigger issues and just shows that while good intentioned with regards to seperation of church and state, our forefathers were perhaps not as careful as they should have been in applying it themselves. If you think about it though, at the time, their only real concerns were different types of Christianity. Enough on that, though. As to the voucher issue. My boss is a Catholic and pays the tuition to send her son to Catholic School because she does want him to have a religious education and I respect that. I also understand, therefore, her frustration at paying taxes for a public school system that she's not utilizing, AND tuition for her son's school. I don't know if vouchers are the answer, but I can understand the sentiments involved...for parents who choose to use private schools or to home school....as well as for people who don't have any children at all. |
| As A Junior In High School Who This Action Will Affect Directly... | Aug 21st. at 10:04:21 pm EDT |
| Kyle (Lyons, New York US) | Age: 16 |
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As a Junior in high school who this action will affect directly, I know exactly how a person of different religious background would be uneasy by the posting of the Ten Commandments at public school. To me I'm a little offended that a country considered to be a "melting pot" for different people, races and religions, would try to support an act of superiority over those who are not of their background or lifestyle. Their thoughts were to produce an environment to promote a sort of peaceful feeling when seeing it walking down the halls. For me, I don't believe any religion should be represented in a public school or any public building. There must be a separation of church/any religious practice and public areas where a person(s) might not be of that one particular practice. I've spoken out about this issue to people before. And their rebuttal was always the same: "If you were of that group, would you still be against an act promoting it?" My answer was also consecutive: "Yes!" I was raised to care about everyone and their feelings and ideals. To the idea of representing other religious practices also, sounds possible, but their is always someone who will not fit in and be offended. Then there are those who's religion (a.k.a. any form of Paganism in this case) that would be hesitated to be represented or even thought of mentioning. The best example I can think of is; would an atheist want to attend a public school when assured separation of church and state, want religion shoved in their face? When reading someone else's opinion they spoke of the little things in this country. Such as the line "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance. For me this was not a big issue. Since I did not worship the Christian God implied in the pledge, I simply rewrote that section. "One nation under Brigit, daughter of Dagda, with liberty and justice for all." A result just a few turning heads with confused looks, but they soon deal with it. |
| As Long As There Are Pop Quizzes There Will Be Prayer In... | Aug 21st. at 10:05:14 pm EDT |
| billielu (ft.scott, Kansas US) | Age: 48 |
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as long as there are pop quizzes there will be prayer in school...what that prayer entails is personal and private! The rest is not for the school to teach. |
| Religion Should Be In Schools If ~everyone's~ Religion Is Mentioned And Honored... | Aug 21st. at 10:07:24 pm EDT |
| Doreen Summer Rain (Southeastern Michigan, Michigan US) | Age: 36 |
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Religion should be in schools if ~everyone's~ religion is mentioned and honored - Atheism, Native American, Buddhist, Islam, Judaism, Wicca, African religions, Santeria, Jainism, X-tianity, Satanism, etc. The standard practice of only having X-tianity mentioned is a negative practice, and should not be tolerated if religion is in schools. If the only solution is to use only X-tianity in schools, then NO religions or churches should be mentioned or practiced in schools. |
| This Is Oddly Enough Not An Area I Had To Deal With... | Aug 21st. at 10:58:55 pm EDT |
| BrightRaven (Williamsburg, Virginia US) | Age: 22 - Email |
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This is oddly enough not an area I had to deal with in high school, despite the fact that I live in a very rural area. My friends knew I was Wiccan, and if any of the teachers heard us talking, they never commented. The issue of prayer in school never really came up- no one tried to lead anything, and the FCA (Federation of Christian Athletes) met *before* school, not during. I never tried to wear a pentacle to school, but I don't think anyone would have done anything if I had. There is a good chance, however, that I'm going to have a fight on my hands soon- I'm trying to start a PSU- Pagan Student Union- at my public university. We have been voted "Most Religious Campus" several times by various publications, and yes, the religions are pretty much all OT based. Most of the people I know are very open minded, but there's always close-minded jerks to be found. On the Ten Commandments issue, fine, post it if you want, but stick the Rede up there, find a nice all-encompassing Buddist statement, give us a line on Krishna's love of life, and for crying out loud, if you're going to try and be *Christian* remember the Golden Rule!! Hello! It seems that most "Christians" uphold the OT Ten Commandments over the NT Golden Rule. Not very Christian of them. Most of all, school districts need to stop this banning pentacles crud. It was actually a symbol used by Christianity in the Middle Ages; um, 'scuse me, but just what was it that Sir Gawain had painted on his shield? Not the crucifix, darlins. The school boards have shown us one thing, and that is that *they* need to be educated. They need to learn that the world is bigger than they can imagine, and there are many more paths on the Mother's body that they can ever realize. Just because it is not a path they understand does not mean that it is invalid or evil. Face down the unknown and welcome it, rather than running from it. |
| So, Say We End Up With "prayer" In School. Picture This...day... | Aug 21st. at 11:12:09 pm EDT |
| Cate (Boston, Massachusetts US) | Age: 40 - Email |
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So, say we end up with "prayer" in school. Picture this...Day 1 of freedom of religion on school grounds.The christian fundies gather in the chapel and the Wiccans & Pagans gather in the soccer fields for an open circle. Day 2- the christian fundies are appalled over the "satanists" goings on in the fields. The Pagans, well we explain it is our Constitutional Right not their Religious Right (which is neither!) and that this is "our prayer" and you know what......no more "prayer in school" issue! Simple. Done. Pray on your own time not school time!!! |
| Frankly, And I Know This Is Probably An Unpopular Opinion, I Agree... | Aug 22nd. at 12:02:58 am EDT |
| Andrea (Loveland, Colorado US) | Age: 30 - Email |
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Frankly, and I know this is probably an unpopular opinion, I agree with my husband (who gravitates somewhere between loose christian and atheist). There is so much distruction amongst our young people of any faith. I have been a witch all my life and will admit that I don't know a lot about the 10 commandments. I do know some of them. And frankly, as long as it portrays a positive message, I don't care if they put it in neon lights above the school! I suppose I believe that whatever religion you are going to be, you are going to be regardless of what your parents try to push you towards. They reach a certain age and are bound to experiment with other religions in some form or another. (I know I did) Granted, I don't have any children yet. But when I do I want them to know both of our faiths and be able to use them and take advantage of the benefits each has to offer. If they ever question the meaning of the commandments of the christian god I plan to explain my interpretation as I see it, and leave it up to them to pull what they can from it. If at that time they still want to become a christian (I imagine I'd be hurt somewhere inside) but if they take it to the most positive level I would not want to stop them. There can be some positive lessons to be learned from the 10 commandments as long as the reasoning behind them is explained. If nothing else it leaves room for disussion about other faiths! I know that people are all upset because religion in the schools only seems to mean ONE religion. I know that is a horrible thing! And I'm right by everyone else fighting to include every religion (although, if you think about it, some branches of satanists are calling what they do a religion and so they would have to be included as well or that would be hypocritical)! AND, I know that the christians or probably more the catholics at the time, did horrible things to the witches, accused witches and other pagans in the past (and sometimes now). That too is a terrible thing and so a lot of pagans don't want their children exposed to christianity. But I think if we got rid of some of the separation of church and state (only if it was related to ALL religions) I think it would benefit everyone and maybe something positive would come of a lot of our youth that seems to be so lost in this time. There is just so much fighting about religion in the schools. Even the christian children are afraid at times. They can't practice the way they want either. Even the main stream religions are affected by this and that only leads to a fighting attitude (which IS good sometimes). But I don't think the kids need to see or be involved in all the fighting. They have other things they have to deal with every day, they're young afterall. Then they see the parents doing it. It harbors resentment towards someone or some body of people. I just think it would be more positive for everyone if they would just let every religion do it's own thing. The only thing it it'll probably mean a more difficult winter program in the schools!! :) As for prayer in the schools I believe that the moment of silence that some schools are doing would allow you to spend a moment with whatever god or goddess you choose to speak to and I can't see that as a bad thing. I know it's wishful thinking to think that the school system would allow ALL religions but this is my thinking...the thought I wish to cast towards the schools system. To benefit all religions with the harm of none. Sorry for the ramblings. This is probably the longest post I've ever written. |
| I Think That Religion Should Not Be In Schools. The Exception To... | Aug 22nd. at 12:46:18 am EDT |
| Elizabeth (Nashville, North Carolina US) | Age: 26 - Email |
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I think that religion should not be in schools. The exception to this, of course, would be a course or curriculum on religions of the world, but that falls under history and is not really the issue here. Although this is a Christian phrase, the old adage "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's" can also apply to the Pagan community. I certainly try not to impose my religious beliefs on others...I would hope that they would extend me the same courtesy. |
| I Live In Canada, And Up Here The Rules Regarding Seperation Of... | Aug 22nd. at 1:55:08 am EDT |
| Erik Miller (North delta, British Columbia CA) | Age: 15 - Email |
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I live in Canada, and up here the rules regarding seperation of church and state are pretty much the same as those in the US. The only difference is that we don't have political candidates trying to put religion in school. MY belief on the subject is that religion and school should be kept as absolutely far apart as possible. The instant religion (regardless of which religion it is) is involved in how a school is run, even slightly, it shows religious bias and will start offending someone. I've had a chance to read the various articles that Wren's Nest links to about politicians lobbying for the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools and courthouses. They claim that they'll post it as "a historical document" and not as a religious one, but how is that possible? "Thou shalt honour no God above thy own Lord in Heaven." How is that not religious? If they omitted that particular commandment, then it would be perfectly acceptable (in my eyes at least), but then you'd be left with The Nine Commandments, and you'd be acused of being sacriligious (sp?) to the Christian faith. So really, there's no possible solution to the problem except to avoid posting it altogether. This proves my point that religion and the state must be kept as seperate as oil and water, maybe even more so. That's not to say that religion shouldn't be taught in classrooms. Quite the opposite in fact. I am utterly and completely FOR teaching of religion in schools, as long as every notable religion is covered. I say notable because if one had to teach about EVERY religion, then (to take an example from the WitchVox white pages) someone could say that they worshipped kumquats, and had a High Holy Kumquat Day, and the teachers would have to teach about it. However, notable could also be taken the other way, saying that only religions with x number of followers are acceptable to study. In my opinion, a "notable" religion is a religion that, at some point in time, was or is a majority religion in some part of the world. This definition would include Aetheism, Paganism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism (sp?), Santeria, Native American Spirituality, and even lesser known faiths such as Zoroastrianism. The teaching of these religions would have to be done in such a way that the teacher shows no bias (maybe except for his/her own faith, which would be extremely hard not to show) to any particular religion. The teaching of religions in classrooms would also help the problem that the politicians are trying to fix by posting the Ten Commandments: the declining level of spirituality, religiousness (if that's a word), and morales in today's youth. By examining the values, practices, morales, and history of various religions, today's youth could learn how to better treat one another, and (to quote a certain "historical document") to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. A minor myself, I would welcome with open arms any course my high school offered that dealt solely with religion, and I know many, many others who also would. However, school officials (paricularly public school officials) are so concerned with getting slapped with as few lawsuits as possible and avoiding anything that could produce a "situation" that they will probably not implement this sort of course in my school lifetime, or my (possible) child's either. *sigh* |
| While Students Do Not Leave Their Religions At The Classroom Door, Neither... | Aug 22nd. at 7:44:16 am EDT |
| PeanutButter (Topeka, Kansas US) | Age: 51 - Email |
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While students do not leave their religions at the classroom door, neither do those of us who teach school. The first amendment question becomes do I have to lead their prayers? Do I have to have the "no other gods before me" portion of the ten commandments posted in my classroom? Do I have to participate in a religion in which I do not believe? I'm happy to watch a religious activity in which I do not believe, but do I have to participate or prosthelytize? As a World Geography teacher, I discuss religion in my classroom all the time as an exploration of world culture. I do not, however, wish to be forced to espouse any religion, even my own, within my classroom. Religion is an individual or family choice; it is not a state or public school choice. School is about exploration and exposure to ideas from which to make individual choices, from which to form one's personal belief system. Limiting that exploration redefines education such that it becomes indoctrination. Freedom of religion is also freedom from religion. As an public employee, I do not believe that my employer, the state, has the right to force me to participate or indoctrinate others in any religion. Religion and the public schools is about the Constitution. It is not even about religion. It is about the freedom to choose. |
| Obviously There Is No Place For Religion In Public Schools. (yes - I... | Aug 22nd. at 9:46:34 am EDT |
| Julia Walkingfish (Pa- btween Phil.&Lancaster, Pennsylvania US) | Age: 40 - Email |
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Obviously there is no place for religion in public schools. (yes - I know the exception of a survey of world religions , etc.- but that's never the real issue is it?) I am a totally 'out' Witch and am sworn to never again hide what I am nor to tolerate slurs or discrimination. That being said , I teach my daughters by example and when the time is right , believe they will seek their own path. I just don't want anyone else putting their theories out at the expense of what I know of the way the universe works. Isn't it interesting that the bone of contention is always schools- places of supposed learning? I've yet to hear of a campaign to post anyone's commandments at the Post Office or the IRS. That is what makes it so insidious. |
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