Evening star., 1948-06-26
Supports Supreme Court View

Courts recent decision on religious lnstruc-
ton In the public schools as an attack on
religion" When the decision first was an
nounced, The Stars able cartoonist portrayed
the court as having decided In favor OF atne-
ism and against religion. The gross miscon-
ception of the cartoon now Is repeated, sur
prisingly enough, by the more pretentious,
but equally fallacious, editorial reprinted from
the American Bar Association Journal.
To suggest that the court was choosing be-
tween atheism and religion is a gratuitous IN
suit to the eight justices who joined IN the
courts decision, and to the seven major ma
tional religious denominations which inter-
vened in the case and asked the court to ban
the Champaign system. 1t seems clear to me
that far from aiding atheism, tie decision has
strengthened the integrity Of free religion as
well as the integrity Of free public education
AS the court said, Both religion and govern
ment can best work to achieve their lofty aims
If each is left free from the other within its
respective sphere"
It is astonishing to find the story OF the four
immortal chaplains-Jewish, Protestant and
Catholic-Who went down together on the s. s.
Dorchester, used as an argument against the
court. Is it seriously suggested that the moral
Of this sublime act of heroism and faith is
that public school systems should include
religious instruction that inevitably emphasizes
creedal differences and embroils the govern
ment however innocently, in those religious
conflicts which too frequently have erupted
and stained the pages OF history? Is 1t not
truer to say that the moral Of the Dorchester is
that the public school system must keep dlv1-
sive forces out OF the schools-that the schools
must insure that the basic unities among our
people remain stronger than our creedal di-
hot ", fip,ac ~ ofj al rY1Si
act as united Americans and not as divided
sectarians?
Principle of Separation Stressed.
The issue in the Champaign case was not
whether the Government may foster religion
as an element in the general welfare; in many
substantial and significant ways Federal, State
and local governments foster religion. The
issue in the Champaign case was whether Gov
ernment in its desire to promote religion, can
employ the public school systems to the extent
Of having the tax-supported public school
buildings used for the dissemination of reli
gious doctrines. The court, as was its clear
duty under the principle of separation OF
church and State, said it could not
The public school system, as specially vital
organ of our Government, as a shield and
symbol of our democracy, has played decisive
part in the development of the American con-
cept of separation Of church and State. AS the
courts opinion shows, by the year 1875 the
principle of separation Of public education
from church entanglements was firmly estab-
lished in the consciousness Of the Nation. BY
that time, the prohibition Of the commingling
Of religious and sectarian instruction in the
public schools was the unchallenged rule. 1t
is the released time programs which are a COM
paratively new innovation in our public school
hat
during the long period of American history
when the principle of separation was unchal
lenged in our public school system that religion
suffered?
True, there is problem Of irreligion In
contemporary life. But the answer to that
problem is not more sectarianism in the pub
lie schools, but more religion in the churches,
the synagogues and the homes-in the places
which have traditionally been the soil Of
true free religion. What the school can offer
as valid contribution to religion consistent
with the schools basic purpose to educate
Americas children for democracy in an atnos-
phere free from sectarian pressure-is to pro-
mote understanding between religious groups
and respect for the basic ethical truths COM
mon to all the great religions. This the schools
already do in some measure; there are few
subjects in the elementary school curricula
which are not shaped and guided by our basic
religious concepts.
Churches and Synagogues' Duty.
As an old Sunday school superintendent who
still is vitality interested in its program, can
testify that our Sunday schools have failed to
exploit their possibilities to nculcate religion.
Much can be done in adapting modern school
methods and pedagogy to the needs Of religious
instruction in the Sunday school. This is
ejIo ~ fho rh31 nnoc nd o
synagogues. hope they will prepare to meet
that challenge without asking the public school
system to shoulder their private burdens.
We know from the studies made by the United
States once of Education that about half OF
the communities which have tried 1t have
given up the released time plan because 1t
Just didn't work from the standpoint Of the
schools or the churches. As a practical mat
ter, 1t Is questionable whether released time
programs can solve the problem at irreligion.
In the public school system the overriding
objective must be to train Americans. In our
public schools the child should be primarily
an American among Americans who are un-
shakably devoted to the basic unities Of the
American way Of life. Divisive forces must
be kept out Of the public school II 1t is to be-
come the Symbol Of our democracy and most
pervasive means for promoting our common
destiny" The Supreme Court, true to It's con-
stitutional obligations, has preserved the unity
and integrity of our schools as the foundation
of American democracy. They have helped
to keep the American public schools the best
in the world PAUL RICHMAN.
National Representative, Anti-Defamation
League Of B'nai Birth.
Help for Embattled China
TO the Editor Of The Star:
In his column last Sunday, Constantine
Brown again showed himself to be one of the
ablest political columnists in the Nations
Capital.
His revelations Of the manner in which the
Truman administration conspired to prevent
aid to China are amazing 1t was generally
known that Secretary Marshall sought to salts