Saturday, October 16, 2010

Church & State

The Phrase “Separation Between Church and State” is not something new. In fact, Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase way back in 1802 when he wrote there is a “wall of separation between church and state” in a letter to the Danbury Baptists. Why was there this wall of separation? In the 1800’s it was to protect religion from government interference. Today, although it is based on the same principals, the phrase is used most exclusively to debate how much or how little religion should be allowed in public schools.

Jefferson’s letter later lead to what we know now as the Establishment clause. This clause states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Clearly, this clause is based off the principals of which our country was founded. The United States was founded by British searching for religious freedom, therefore this clause helps to ensure our country stays true to the values that which it was founded. Little did the lawmakers know at the time that this would cause great debates about how much or how little religion is allowed in schools. At the time the United States was not a melting pot of races, nationalities, and religions. Most people living in the United States were white Anglo-Saxtons. Today, as we all know, the United States has a very eclectic mixture of races, religions and national backgrounds.

In 1947, the Supreme Court heard the case of Everson vs. The Board of Education. Everson filed suit because he believed that public tax dollars should not be spent to bus students to parochial schools. The court did not agree with Everson. The court decided “the state must remain neutral, not adversarial in its relation with religious groups.” As a result of this case the separation of church and state became a highly debated topic, particularly the separation between religion and schools.

It would be nearly impossible to remove all religion from schools without sacrificing the education of the students. Religion is a huge part of the history of the world. It is intertwined with so many historical events, that we need to teach about how religion was involved in history. However, this is where it gets unclear where to draw the line. How do social studies teachers teach children about the holocaust, 9/11, or old western civilizations without mentioning religion? Clearly, the teacher must be very careful when they approach the topic in order to be sure they do not bestow their religious beliefs on students.

The separation of church and state has always been a core principal of our country since the USA was founded on the principles of religious freedom. However, over the course of history it has become increasingly more difficult to separate the two due the Constitution, Pledge of Allegiance, and Bill of Rights all being laced with Christian beliefs. The only conclusion we have come to is that there needs to be a balance between church and state. Students and teachers may have their individual religious beliefs but they cannot force them upon others. Most of all, it is important to share religious beliefs for the sake of tolerance and diversity education, but not force beliefs on others. In the modern day educations can refer to Religious Expression in Public Schools and Religion In the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law for information regarding religion in schools.

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