Evening star., 1949-06-09
Religion Glasses
ForFaII Studied
In Arlington
School Bourd Hears
Arguments For and
Against Program
By Robert G. RoIIinqs

The Arlington School Board to-
day had under consideration the
question of whether a program of
religious education on released
time will be continued in elemen-
tary schools in the fall.
The board last night heard sew
eral score residents at a public
hearing in the Stonewall Jackson
Elementary School. About 200
persons were present.
Board Chairman Barnard Joy
announced at the outset of the
meeting that the board wanted to
consider the religious education
program mot from the legal
standpoint but from the stand
point of the best interest for the
general welfare"
Religious education has been
offered in a growing number of
elementary schools in the county
for 20 years under sponsorship of
the Arlington Council of Religious
Education. At the beginning of
the 1948-9 term, the council as
sumed complete responsibility for
the program in line with an opin-
ion by the Virginia attorney gen.
eral after a Supreme Court deci-
sion in the McCollum case in
volving Champaign Gll) woman
and her child.
Must Be Nonsectarian.
The Virginia attorney general
stated that the instruction must be
nonsectarian and could be taught
only to those students whose
parents made a written request.
About 1000 pupils in 18 schools
are enrolled.
Among persons speaking before
the board last night. in opposition
to the program were the following:
L. D. MacIntyre of the Arlington
Committee for Separation Of
Church and School. who asserted
the instruction is actually Sec
tartan: that students are under a
social compulsion" to take the
course and that children are
divided "along religious lines"
Mr.. MacIntyre introduced David
Carliner who read statement by
DR.. Julius Schneider, a phychia-
trist, who wrote he believes the
program "is threat to the emo
tional health of these children in
each classroom who are left be-
hind" (when pupils leave regular
classes to go to the weekly religious
Instruction..
"If what is wanted Is ethical
training and character building,
incorporate into the school cur
riculum any of the several good
courses on human relations and
mental health which are avail
able"
Called Unconstitutional.
Richard B. Kennon Of the Ma
tional Education Association, said
religious instruction "has no place
in the public schools because such
teaching is unconstitutional"
Rabbi Ira Sud of the Arlington
Jewish congregation. declared:
ut is said that without religious
instruction our public schools
would become-or remain-God-
less. This is a gratuitous insult
to the thousands of God-fearing
teachers and school superin-
tendents who for generations have
worked to develop the American
school program.
The Rev. Andrew j. Robbins,
pastor of the Arlington Seventh
day adventist Church. said:
Whenever a State has attempt
ed to teach religion in it's public
schools, the result has been en-
bassassment to numbers of public
school children and the accentu-
ating of religious differences.
Principle Held Violated.
"What is more. it has signally
failed in most cases to reach the
children of 'unchurched' parents.
who are the very ones who need
religious instruction"
The Rev. Gilbert A. Phillips Of
the Arlington Unitarian Church
said the members of his church
believe the program is IAN en-
croachment on the historic Ameri-
can principle of separation of
church and State"
Among those speaking in favor
Of the program were the follow
ing:
The Rev. Fred Williams, presi-
dent of Arlington Council of Re-
ligious Education. who said that
Ivan Booker of the National Edu-
cation Association, a well-known
Arlington resident. favors the pro-
gram.
Miss Elizabeth Longwell, Bridge
water. Va, who Is in charge of the
program throughout the State for
the Virginia Council of Religious
Education, who stressed the need
OF pupils for Bible study.
Miss Longwell declared the ira
ditional place for religious train
ing has been in the center of
education and that it has only
been in the last $50 years. with
the establishment of the American
free school system. that the pro-
hlaro hoe dovel0Y,ed
Miss Longwell said THE week
day Bible classes has been the
most successful plan to date"
She pleaded for "the funda-
mental right Of parents to pro-
vide at least one hour of Bible
instruction per week"
A 16-year-old Washington-Lee
High School student. Adrian
Shoemaker. said the 130 mem
bers Of the schools Hi-Y and
Tri-Y organizations yesterday
voted unanimously in favor OF
continuation of the program. The
youth, q member of the Claren-
don Presbyterian Church. said he