Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-01-19
LETTERS TO THE STAR
On Religious Obsevonces in Public Schools

u
IS letter lends eloquent,
though unintentional, support
to the position taken by the
Jewish Community Council
of Greater Washington on
religious observances in our
public schools.
1t is unfortunate a pro-
feSsorial lecturer in the his
tory department of a univer-
Sity can so handily dismiss,
or fail to recognize the raison
d'etre of our American form
of democracy. All credit is
given to the Protestant Ref
ormation for religious toll
Grafton rather than to the
founding fathers, whose
proximity to WITHDRAWING
and intolerance of different
Protestant communities to-
ward one another, prompted
them to establish, for the
first time in recorded history,
a nation dedicated to the
principle of the separation of
church and state.
1t is interesting that Edith
LoWry's references to Chris
tan or Protestant religious
tolerance in this country pre-
date the Constitution of the
United States. After the Con-
Stitution, religious tolerance
was granted not by religious
bodies, but by the law of the
land, which Prof. Lowry seems
unable to comprehend. The
law of the land does not al
low for majority rule on re-
ligious issues, but relies rath-
er upon a complex system of
checks and balances designed
to uphold the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights, even
against the will of the ma
jority, when necessary.
Prof. Lowry is concerned
with "the duty of our pub
lie schools to see to it that
our children know their
American history and its re-
ligious foundations" I, too,
share that concern as does
the Jewish Community Coun-
Gil of Greater Washington.
The following is a direct quo
tation from the councils let
ter to the local boards of
education:
"On the other hand, religi-
Gus holiday observances must
be clearly distinguished from
acceptable intercultural edu-
cation programs and activi-
ties in the public schools,
which are unrelated to re-
ligious holidays, or to religi-
Gus belief or observance of
any sort. For example, class
room discussion on such sub
jects as religious freedom,
religious pluralism in Amer
lea, the fact that different
religions have different be-
liefs and observanceS, and the
need for mutual acceptance
and respect among members
of different religious groups,
can be experiences of lasting
value in many a classroom,
and are consistent with the
general responsibilities of the
public schools in American
democracy.
Similarly, religious prac-
tees and observances in the
public schools must be dis
tinguiShed from the inclu-
sion of historical and other
factual information about re-
ligion that is intrinsic to the
normal public school curricu-
lum. The public schools may
and should teach with full
objectivity the role that re-
ligion has played in the life
of mankind and in the de-
velopment of society, when
such facts are intrinsic to the
regular subject matter being
studied, such as history, lit
erature, music, art, etc. Fac
tual and objective instruction
concerning such facts raises
none of the problems to
which we have tried to direct
your attention in this COM
munication."
Assuming that. in general
my historical education was
based upon much the same
information as that of Prof.
Lowry, 1 find it difficult to
agree with her implicit con-
clusion that the implementa-
ton of the councils recon-
mendationS must lead to the
public abandonment of
Christianity in the United
States. On the contrary, these
recommendations, which are
entirely in keeping with the
Constitution, would serve to
strengthen Christianity and
all other religions by putting
, the responsibility for re-
ligious training where it
properly belongs, in tn e