Religion and schools: a query

Max B. Sawicky sawicky at epinet.org
Fri Aug 27 23:41:25 PDT 1999


Carrol Cox wrote:


>I have a query. What is the evidence that schools *used* to
>teach religion and no longer do? From 1935-1947 I attended
>first a rural grade school, then a small town high school. I
>received no "religious" instruction, I never experienced school
>prayer or a moment of silence, and no one ever challenged
>the correctness of evolution.

In my public elementary school in New Joisey, we had a recitation of the Lord's prayer and a bible-reading every morning, from kindergarten until the day the Supreme Court said no more.

Doug
>>>>>

We had a prayer every a.m. that couldn't have had the slightest meaning to anyone.

I don't think public schools have ever taught religion. Maybe in the south, but I wouldn't know. I'm a Jersey guy too.

In a perverse way they are lending it a significance it wouldn't otherwise have, by treating it like it is radioactive. I'm referring to episodes where kids write book reports about the Bible, or mention god in their commencement addresses, or meetings in school facilities after school that get people in an uproar and rouse the ACLU to fruitless actions. The kind of stuff Nat Hentoff write about.

mbs



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