Evening star., 1948-07-08
Jobs Easy to Get

70 the Editor of The Star:
In recent edition Of The Star Roger Phil
lips complained that his daughter cannot ind
work because so many married women are
working. He says she is mature and single
and probably always will have to work for q
living Well, then she will also be one of the
married working women herself someday, un-
less her personality Is such that no one
marries her.
Married women have q right to work to
continue their careers and thus offset the hum
drum Of housework. All married women's
husbands do not earn suficient money espe-
cially If there are children to provide for.
Every paper I pick up has ads wanting
employees. This is boom-time and there are
jobs for all who will Cooperate As a rule,
employers prefer dependable, experienced mar
ried women to unpredictable young girls But
if single young persons are educated and able
to get along with people. they can get jobs.
especially if they pass Civil Service exami-
nation r. A. MYERS.
Religious Instruction Permissible
To the Editor OF The Star:
The recent decision of the Supreme Court
with respect to religious instruction in the
Illinois public schools is unfortunate indeed.
The position taken by the American Bar As
sociation in this matter, as shown in an article
published in The Star, is evidence that the
views held by fair-minded persons who are op-
posed to the courts decision are not without
foundation.
It is interesting to note in this connection
that nowhere in the Federal Constitution does
J. the phrase separation of church and state"
occur. The First Amendment forbids Congress
to pass any law respecting the establishment
of religion or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof Neither Congress, nor any State legis-
lature, has attempted to establish" particular
religion. Laws which have restricted religious
freedom have promptly been struck down by
the Courts as unconstitutional But the po-
sition taken by some timid. persons that the
use Of funds derived from taxation to pro-
vide for religious instruction, or the use of
school buildings for the purpose aforesaid,
violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments,
is entirely groundless.
Reason tells us that it would be unfair for
State to favor any particular religion. Such
law undoubtedly would be unconstitutional
But this does not mean that the State cannot
aid the growth of religion in general. Gov
ernmental aid to religion exists today, even
in the District of Columbia. Church property
is exempt from taxation. Therefore, the money
that would ordinarily be used to pay taxes
Is retained by the churches to carry on their
good work. Thus the States and the Federal
Government are actually encouraging and aid
ing the spread of religion. No one would con-
tend that this violates any fundamental Ameri-
can principle
Those persons who hold that the name Of
God can never be mentioned in connection
with any official act of the State or Federal
Government are prompted in this belief by
purely humanistic approach to religion. His
tory books, used in our schools, are replete
with statements of the moral and ethical etr
fects which the jewish Christian culture has
had on mankind. They seem to regard religion
as merely factor which has contributed to
the temporal prosperity of individuals But
nothing is said about the salvation of souls or
Could 1t be that Americans have lost their be-
lief in God? Surely state which is so con-
cerned with the temporal welfare of its citizens
would not wish to put stumbling blocks in the
way of their eternal welfare. But, as we have
seen anything is possible with those who
tacitlyfif not openly, hold that belief in the
hereafter is ridiculous.
If the citizens of particular community de-
sire to have representatives of the various
religious faiths come tofthe public schools and
teach classes in religion, and If these classes
are made voluntary, those not desiring to at
tend them being assigned to some other useful
study, and if no preference to any particular
religion is given, those citizens are to be COM
mended, and no Court State or Federal, should
frustrate their desires. J. BOWIE LILLARD.