A little religion still belongs in public
My column today:
Davidson County Schools experienced a Grinch moment last week: No Christmas was coming.
They could blame an erroneous TV news report, not a green killjoy with a heart two sizes too small, for the uproar.
The broadcast said the system was implementing a new policy prohibiting Christmas displays and other religious signs of the season.
In conservative Christian Davidson County, this went over about as well as a ban on basketball would be received at Carolina or Duke.
In Davidson County, school bands and choruses still perform Christmas music at holiday concerts attended by appreciative parents, with hardly a Grinch around.
But, all is calm again:
"The Davidson County Schools DO NOT have a new policy governing how religious holidays are regarded in schools," a notice hastily posted on the system's Web site proclaimed.
"The study of religious holidays and world religions is included in the curriculum, and specifically in subjects such as history, art, music and literature. Visitors to DCS schools see evidence of many lessons and projects that illustrate these studies."
Over in High Point, meanwhile, the City Council also was dealing with religion. An unnamed resident tipped off the state office of the American Civil Liberties Union about the council's practice of beginning meetings with a prayer by one of its members -- usually a distinctly Christian prayer. The ACLU contacted City Attorney Fred Baggett, who informed council members of court rulings putting such invocations out of bounds.
A prayer is fine, Baggett said, as long as it's "not directed toward a particular religion." It can invoke "a God, a higher power, the 'Lord of the Universe,' a generic, nonsectarian God ... which leaves out Jesus."
Then count us out, said Councilmen Latimer Alexander and Mike Pugh. They no longer want to pray with that restriction.
No matter. "We're going to keep on praying," Mayor Becky Smothers said Monday.
Councilman Ron Wilkins, a Baptist minister, often does the praying and has made an adjustment. Where he normally would close with, "In the name of Jesus," he now pauses for a moment of silence.
What if someone slips and pronounces the forbidden name? "Then we'll all say, 'Amen,' " Smothers said.
She did express frustration over the attention this has drawn: "This is one of the most beautiful and sacred times of the year and this is what we're talking about. If we spent as much time praying as we do talking about praying, the world would be a better place."
Yet, it's an important subject -- especially at this time of the year. Christmas and other religious traditions hold an important place in our cultural identity and deserve to be recognized, even in public settings. It's not going to make us a better nation to marginalize the Christian heritage of most Americans. That heritage, by the way, includes the good works of Christian charities, like The Salvation Army, that are so visible during this season.
The courts have overblown the constitutional concern about "establishment of religion," in my view. No one is threatening to create a state church, and nothing about a public prayer forces anyone to follow any particular creed.
Wilkins adds that the First Amendment, which prohibits an establishment of religion, also allows the "free exercise thereof" -- which he believes should protect his right to pray before council meetings.
"The prayer really is for the nine people on the dais," he said, referring to City Council members. They're all Christians, he added, and none has been offended.
What if one were, say, Muslim and wanted to offer the prayer?
"I wouldn't be offended if they prayed in the name of Muhammad," Wilkins said.
Good for him. When it comes to religion, this country should be pluralistic, inclusive and tolerant. The anti-religionists are the opposite. Why should they demand the public realm for themselves?
Doug Clark can be contacted at dgclark@news-record.com or 373-7039.
Comments (9)
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Seems like the ACLU is making its rounds... they came stomping around Winston-Salem and Forsyth County not too long ago, on the same issue.
Hey, Doug... check out my post... I think you might be surprised about how I feel on the subject (See... I been telling everyone I'm not as much of a left-wing liberal as they think, lol):
http://www.onlinegreensboro.com/~matthillnc/?p=1674
Posted on December 13, 2006 10:23 AM
I'm always skeptical when a government body like the High Point City Council decides to pray in public.
It seems to me that these "public displays of religion" are more about pandering to the TV cameras and audiences than about genuine reflection. After all, there's nothing stopping the council members from praying at home or in church before they get to the meeting.
Having said that, I agree with you that some folks are way too sensitive about this stuff. The city council having a prayer before a meeting hardly qualifies as establishing or promoting a state-sanctioned religion. No one is being forced to participate in anything.
The same goes for Christmas music at the PTA meetings. There's no forced participation here. No one's rights are being infringed up, save for the completely invented modern right of "my right not to be offended."
At one point in American history, the ACLU actually performed an important service of defending free speech, even unpopular expressions of free speech. Now, all they seemingly want to do is bash religion and push for a completely secular society.
Posted on December 13, 2006 11:26 AM
Thanks, Matt. I read your post and think it's very well done.
Thanks for your comments, js. Actually, High Point council meetings aren't televised and not many people attend, so for the most part they're praying for their own benefit.
Posted on December 13, 2006 12:03 PM
I just tend to be skeptical of any politician using religion in a public manner - Vernon Robinson and his Ten Commandments statue, Bill Clinton bringing out his Bible during the Lewinsky scandal, etc. My skepticism on this extends beyond just the HP council, although I still include them as well. It just strikes me as unseemly and self-serving.
However, I think we completely agree that such behavior shouldn't be restricted by law.
Posted on December 13, 2006 12:49 PM
"The study of religious holidays and world religions is included in the curriculum, and specifically in subjects such as history, art, music and literature. Visitors to DCS schools see evidence of many lessons and projects that illustrate these studies."
I've seen policies like that before in Guilford Primary School way back when my son was a kindergartener there (and it was a county school). Almost every day during December, I sent in money and he brought home Christmas tree decorations which we dutifully walked over to a neighbor's, never to be seen again. They told me it was the "historic" celebration of Christmas.
They told me the Christmas pageant was the "musical" celebration of Christmas that wound up with all the kids praying to Jesus while holding candles (while my son was the only one not dressed in red and green Xmas clothing because we didn't have any red and green). They read Christmas stories and told me it was Christmas literature. They went to churches to see decorations and told me it was the celebration of Christmas "decorations."
Then came Christmas at Sternberger when my daughter was there. The Social Studies coordinator for the district was brought in to deal with "those parents" (and that rabbi) who were unhappy with the amount of Christmas in the schools, and worse, a teacher's singling out non-Christian students (6-year-olds) to "explain their holiday" to everyone else.
"It's the study of many cultures," this Social Studies guy tried to tell us.
"Then teach Christmas culture during March," I recommended (to silence). I also asked him why they taught "Holocaust" to older students in November and he had no idea.
Doug, I disagree with you but don't play this as I am against Christmas (oh puhleez, don't go there). I am against establishing it as the norm in school because it's not good for kids because kids come in many flavors.
Of course, Christmas is a wonderful holiday to celebrate; just don't make it the norm IN SCHOOL. Don't teach kids by example that if they're not Christmas-celebrators, then they're not 'normal.'
There's enough Christmas all over the town. Let the schools teach math.
A central celebration in a building? Sure. A tree, a candleabra, a bunch of fake gifts wrapped up so everyone sees it when they walk in? Fine! A charity project? Great! Make it about the spirit of the season and then you'll really be celebrating Christmas.
Posted on December 13, 2006 4:03 PM
Thanks for your comments, Sue. Sounds like some have gone way overboard.
I'm pretty sure the schools are teaching math, even if the students aren't learning. If they're having a musical program in December, though, I don't see any harm in performing a few Christmas pieces.
Posted on December 13, 2006 5:10 PM
Sue,
How can you say that really celebrating Christmas can be done by simply appealing to some feeling of goodwill or generosity or happiness? Where does the "spirit of the season" come from?
Christians know that the spirit of the season originated with the gift of God in the form of his son Jesus. Today, Christians celebrate Christmas by giving to others as a way of honoring and remember that first great gift.
Jason
Posted on December 13, 2006 10:55 PM
Too bad it's sometimes the spirit only of "the season"...
Sue makes good points. Even if particulr schools or districts or politicians go overboard, does that mean there is a "right amount" ?
Posted on December 13, 2006 11:32 PM
Doug Clark and most of you are missing the point by ignoring the difference between government sponsorship of religion and the public display of religion by ordinary people. The US Supreme Ct. has interpreted the establishment clause in Art.I of the Constitution to mean that governments may not sponsor any particular religion. So every government agency, from Congress to the local town councils must refrain from offering prayers to Jesus or Allah or Buddha or any other symbol of a specific religion.
A few months ago I attended an event at the High Point Housing Authority where a woman offered a prayer in Jesus' name. As I explained to her, when she accepted the responsibility of praying at that event, she offered a prayer on behalf of al of us. People respectfully bowed their heads. When she wound up praying in Jesus' name, as a Jew I felt betrayed. I was left out. Why should a goverment agency line up with a specific religion? It must not, because the Constitution says it should not.
Our American culture always has been deeply rooted in accepting diversity. Just because Christianity is the majority religion in our country doesn't mean that Christians have the right to be dominant in public life--particularly government sponsored activity. As a Jew I enjoy sharing Christmas with my friends. That's my choice. But I hate it when my city tries to force Christmas on me. That's a choice my city has no right to make.
Ellen
Posted on December 16, 2006 4:39 PM