Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-01-16
Religion in
Public Schools

Tie lGuueSl Vi Tie JEWISH
Community Council of Great
er Washington directed to the
school boards Including Mont
gomery County, in the Metro
politan Washington Area that
they prohibit religious observ-
ances and practices in the pub
lie schools is a pure and UNI
adulterated attack on long
established American institu-
ton and therefore, must not
be tolerated!
Why is it that these prac.
tics which have been an ac-
cepted way of life for the past
100 years or more are now
coming under attack more and
more? Which groups in this
country have the most to gain
from such attacks on our way
of life? We have had minority
groups in the public schools
for years and years, and yet
these observances We're held
without any apparent i'll af-
fects on those students. | re-
member going to school with
Jews and Catholics and we
never looked upon them as be-
ing non-conformiSts. Matter
of fact, personally respected
the fact that they observed
their religion in a different
manner than the rest of us,
and | certainly did not con-
slider them to be any less an
American than myself. ideas
like this usually originate with
adults, not childrenD
Let us not forget that this
country was founded on a be-
lief in God and her way of life
is based on Judeao-Christian
principles, and therefore, it
can hardly be considered out
of place to have religious OBJ
servances and practices con-
Quoted in the public schools
where our children are educat.
ed in the greatness of Ameri-
ca. You cannot divorce reli-
gion from the principles on
which America was founded!
Would our Jewish friends
have the words "In God We
Trust" struck from our coins
and currency? Would they
want the Nativity Scene re-
moved from the Pageant of
Peace? Perhaps the President
should not place his hand on
a Bible while being sworn in?
This idea carried to an ex-
IRENE could mean that our ma
tons honored dead could not
have a religious ceremony if
they were buried in a State or
Federally wned cemetery.
Need l go on? Do our Jewish
friends not think that this
would be forcing their ideas
on US2
In so far as the so-called
principle of Church and State
is concerned, the Constitution
al amendment being referred
to made no such statement. 1t
said: Congress shall make no
law respecting an establish
ment of religion or prohibiting
the free exercise therefore"
In effect, what our founding
fathers were saying was that
the government could not es.
tablish a national chMrc
There was no intention, if one
considers the spirit of the Con-
stitution and also if one reads
any of the personal writings
of men like Franklin and JEFF.
ferson, of removing God from
any and all public observances.
I'd like to make one more
point. When a person emf.
CRATES from a foreign country
and desires to become a nat.
uralized citizens of America,
he must take a loyalty oath
and pledge his fidelity-fidel.
ity to our flag, our Constitu.
ton, our way of life and our
customs :. our Christian Gus
toms! If 1 were to choose to
become a citizen of Israel, it
would be natural to assume
that l would make no attempt
to force my Christian ways on
my newly adopted country or
on any of its public institu-
tons. / am a Catholic now,
but | would oppose any at
tempt on the part of the
Church TO forge the public
schools here in America either