In the article Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up, the author focuses on what role religion can play in public schools in the United States. The article stresses how different issues in public schools such as having a moment of silence and Darwin’s theory of evolution raises a debate within our society (Calefati 2009).
Personally, I see nothing wrong with having a moment of silence in the classroom or reciting the pledge of allegiance. However, this is based on my religious beliefs. I feel that if the student does not want to participate in the moment of silence based on his belief that is fine; however, I do expect him to respect the opinion of others in the classroom and remain silent during the time.
In addition to the idea of respecting others, I would like to note that I have always believed that the United States was founded on the premise of “one nation, under God”. As we have started moving away from this concept as a nation, I can definitely see a big difference in our schools and society in general. As I research the idea of our founding fathers, I find evidence to support the possibility that they believed in a definite separation of church and state. Thomas Jefferson was actually responsible for coining the phrase. In his letter to the Danbury Baptists, he stated the following: "Make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church & State” (Library of Congress). According to a writer for the examiner.com in Austin, TX, “It seems that the debate of separation of church and state has been going on since the creation of the state” (Curran 2011).
As I continue to reflect on the ideas of the Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up article, I focus on the idea of teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution in the classroom. In the article, I was troubled to read that some parents said that “their children had been intimidated and ridiculed by biology teachers when they questioned evolution and that there is nothing wrong with debating a theory that is not proven fact” (Calefati 2009). As a future educator, I think that it is wrong to ridicule a child for questioning any theory that is presented to them. I believe that they have the right to ask questions. While I am on the subject of what is taught in the classroom, I do not feel that any religion should be taught as part of the curriculum within a public school. Religion is a matter that should be taught in the home. If a parent chooses to incorporate religion into their child’s curriculum, there are private schools that can accommodate this decision. The idea of someone teaching my children religious beliefs at a public school definitely bothers me. I understand that not all teachers are going to have the same religious beliefs as my family and me, and I really feel that it is my job as a parent to teach my children these concepts.
In the end, I think that students, parents, administrators, and teachers should all learn to respect that we are all different. We come from different cultures. We speak different languages. We are different heights and weights, and we have different opinions on religion. I think that respecting one another is the key. I would like to conclude my ideas on the topic of religion in public schools by recommending an interesting article that was written for The Tennesseean. A very appealing comment caught my attention as I was reading the article. Larry Crain, a Brentwood lawyer who is senior counsel for a Christian legal group called the American Center for Law and Justice, stated the following: “The school is always going to be the battleground…That’s where the reality of these competing views occurs—between those who espouse an airtight, hermetically sealed separation of church and state and those who believe there should be some toleration or accommodation of students’ religious views” (The Tennesseean 2011). (The article can be found at the following website: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jun/13/religion-schools-debate-shows-no-sign-stopping/)
References
Calefati, J. (2009 January 22). Religion in schools debate heats up. US News. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/on-education/2009/01/22/religion-in-schools-debate-heats-up
Curran, L. (2011, August 7). Religion in Government—Argument 1. Examiner.com-Austin, TX. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/religious-theory-in-austin/religion-government-argument-1
Library of Congress. Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
Religion in schools debate shows no sign of stopping. (2011, June 13). The Tennesseean. Retrieved from http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jun/13/religion-schools-debate-shows-no-sign-stopping/
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