Religion doesn’t belong in schools
To the Editor:
As Sylva prepares for its school board runoff election July 26, many signs sporting crosses by one of the candidates have popped up around the local landscape.
The candidate whose signs bear this symbol previously campaigned as a “conservative mom.” While the U.S. certainly allows for anyone to have their own political and religious views, this candidate’s rhetoric presents serious issues for a school board position, since school boards are supposed to be nonpartisan entities and there is a separation between church and religious belief from public schools.
If one wants religious oversight of education, there are many options, including homeschooling and private schools. However, public schools should not be places of religious indoctrination. Perhaps this candidate should seek to be a board member of one of the local private schools rather than bring her “conservative, Christian mom” views to a position that would affect children other than her own.
Jessica Cory
Sylva
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9 comments
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"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The first amendment of the constitution dictates this freedom from persecution by zealots of other sects. Its framers remembered the Spanish Inquisition and English persecutions of Anglicans, Catholics. and Jews (Muslims were too exotic to be considered "religious.") They remembered a time when the wrong haircut on a monk or the wrong definition of the Trinity could get you drawn and quartered.
They knew that religion had too long been inimical to science--and American science has made us leaders of the world. They knew too that official embracement of any religion forced other believers into hiding. Keep your religion in your home and church and out of our schools. Do it to save us all.Tuesday, 07/19/2022
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Contrary to popular belief, the "separation of church and state" isn't found anywhere in the constitution, although this principle helped in shaping some of our 1st amendment rights.
I don't know why people get so bent out of shape because someone prays at a ball game, or speaks the name of God in a public space. No one is forcing you to pray, or to believe in prayer, or to believe in God. What exactly are we so afraid of, that biblical principles may actually set a corrupt moral compass straight? Or that Believing in a higher power might actually keep our kids safe? Every time I hear someone say "we have separation of church and state" I chuckle. If anything, this separation was meant solely for the government to stay out of our worship, that they couldn't make any one religion, THE religion of this nation. We are free to believe and to worship however, whomever, and wherever we so choose. Public schools are just that, public, so you don't want your kid "exposed" to religion, but maybe I do, so what makes your rights, or your belief superior to mine. The problem with today's society is that no one wants to be offended, or be forced to take part in, or have any other belief, other than what said person desires to be "right". Get over yourselves and move on.Sunday, 07/17/2022
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I agree and yet we have a Supreme Court that thinks it’s ok for a coach to kneel and pray on a public school ground and have some of the team kneeling with him. What do these 2 situations have in common? In public school, board or teacher, one’s particular version of faith should not be proselytized. Public schools are for people of all faiths, or no faith, and there should be protection from persuasion by adults in power positions.
Sunday, 07/17/2022
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I agree and yet we have a Supreme Court that thinks it’s ok for a coach to kneel and pray on a public school ground and have some of the team kneeling with him. What do these 2 situations have in common? In public school, board or teacher, one’s particular version of faith should not be proselytized. Public schools are for people of all faiths, or no faith, and there should be protection from persuasion by adults in power positions.
Sunday, 07/17/2022
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Things changed for the worse when one of the major political parties merged their political interests with gun manufacturers, so-called Christians who want to tear down the separation of church and state, and xenophobic white power groups.
You can guess which one I mean.Sunday, 07/17/2022
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Thank you! As a person of Jewish heritage, I can share with you of being forced to participate in religious holidays that weren't mine, being bullied, insulted and harassed, and made feel like a very unwelcome outsider. No religion belongs in school. Religion is a club where everyone must believe the same thing or be shunned. Is this the abuse we want our children to suffer?
Sunday, 07/17/2022
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Well stated.
Friday, 07/15/2022
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I find it interesting that the way things used to be are not like they are today. I grew up going to church as most of my town did. We were taught to respect each other and especially our elders. We had reading of the Bible first thing upon arriving at my public school, the pledge of allegiance and reciting of the Lord’s Prayer. We had very little crime, no school shootings. There was the occasional rowdy bunch of high schoolers that got in trouble for under-age drinking of beer but that’s about it. In my opinion when Bible reading and prayer and patriotism was removed from daily school life something happened in this country and it wasn’t good. Oh for the good ol’ days.
Friday, 07/15/2022
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Jessica failed to mention something more serious that doesn't belong in schools and that is Marxist brainwashing that is being pushed on young minds.
Friday, 07/15/2022
