GATLING@SUVM (Keith E Gatling) (02/09/90)
Gee, I always thought that the original reason for the
"disestablishment clause" was because of all the abuses that were
suffered in England by people who weren't members of the "official
church." Not only that, but the record of how the Massachusetts
Puritans treated Quakers and other non-Puritans gives good reason for
the disestablishment clause. We've seen rather clearly that once any
particular religious group gains power, chances are that they'll put
the screws to anyone who disagrees...and this was happening even
within Christianity. Hence the disestablishment clause.
Now, as far as removing prayer from the schools goes, on the
surface this might look like a most terrible thing. However, after a
bit of careful thought, it begins to look a little different. Let's
say for the moment that most people on this list believe that
Mormons, as well meaning as they may be, are not true Christians.
How would you feel about school prayer if you were a Baptist living
in Salt Lake City? Remember, they will be offering Mormon
prayers...and when the teacher tries to put things into a religious
perspective, it will be from the Mormon religious perspective. Still
think that taking established prayer out of public schools is a
terrible thing?
Let's take a less intense example. You live in New York City,
where there is great cultural diversity. The first question is, if
prayer is allowed in the public schools, who chooses the prayers?
The individual teacher, the principal, the board of education? If
the principal or the board of education choose the prayers, will they
be so watered down in an attempt to not offend anyone of a different
religion, that they would be totally meaningless and a mockery of the
very idea of prayer? If the teacher were the one to decide what
prayers would be offered, would this mean that during the course of
nine years in elementary school your child could spend a year hearing
Jewish prayers, another with Hindu prayers, another with Moslem
prayers, and so on...*maybe* getting a whole two years of Christian
prayers (and I'm not even getting into Baptist prayers versus
Catholic prayers)? How would you feel about that?
Perhaps there was some wisdom in the decision to remove organized
prayer from public schools. Perhaps this wisdom was that parents
should hold the responsibility for the religous upbringing of their
children, and that the state was ill equipped to do so. That a
Jewish mother living in Boston shouldn't have to worry about her
child being taught Christianity (and I note a difference between
being taught Christianity and being taught about it) in a school she
is obligated to support. That a Catholic father in Brooklyn
shouldn't have to worry about his child being taught Judaism in a
school he is obligated to support. That a Baptist mother in Salt
Lake City shouldn't have to worry about her child being taught
Mormonism in a school she is obligated to support.
In other words, the fact that organized prayer is not allowed in
the schools which your taxes support protects your right to bring up
your children with the religous beliefs that *you* think they ought
to have. You may argue that it leaves them being taught no religious
principles at all in school, but would you rather have them taught
none or the "wrong" ones?
Frankly, Cheryl and I have decided that when we have children, we
will send them to a Catholic school. At least this way they can do
the Christmas bulletin board without having someone threaten a major
lawsuit. I really believe that if you want religion to be a major
part of your child's school experience, you should be willing to send
your child to a religious school. At least that way you know that
you are in with a like minded group of people who all want their
children to have that experience and who share the same beliefs.
Maybe someday this country will go on a voucher system similar to the
one in the Netherlands, so that every parent can pick a school,
public or private, for their children to go to...and this will allow
more people to send their children to religious schools if they so
desire. However, let us not forget that while a religious school may
require extra expenditures, if the religious component is that
important to you, then you should be willing to pay the cost of it.
But before we try to force our idea of the proper religious component
on others, we should consider how we would feel if their idea of the
proper religious component were forced upon us.
When I think of what my children would have to learn if we lived
in Salt Lake City, I say "Three cheers for the disestablishment
clause!"
keg