Dear Editor:
I am a working mother raising two young children. So, it goes without saying, finding the time to write this letter during the holiday season does not come easily. But, where my children are concerned, I make time.
Last week, I was told by the local pre-school that no religious holiday could be observed in the classroom without parent participation; that for my kids, only the celebration of Winter Wonderland is permissible. The non-observance of religious holidays in school is nothing new and now is accepted by most people as the law of the land. My question to the school is what kind of educational system do we have that would leave our children ignorant of any religious teaching? It makes no sense to me that ignorance of any kind should be the goal of public education.
The argument is clear, there is a separation between church and state. However, there are many people today who question exactly what is meant by this constitutional precept. I once heard it said somewhere that man does not live by bread alone. I’m sure they meant women, too. I believe in a separation of church and state. Yet, it is apparent to me, given the creatures we are, we require nourishment for both our body and soul.
As a practical matter the teaching of our own history requires a dialog on the concept of the infinite as well as the rights of man. Most people know the word God figures prominently in our founding documents on the many buildings in Washington and in speeches given by our Presidents. In Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, the words “under God” are written to express the idea that we are not so much a nation founded by deed but in humility. In September 1787 a group of Enlightenment intellectuals meeting in Philadelphia gathered to debate a document they agreed might not last beyond 20 years. After fierce fighting over its ratification, Benjamin Franklin, urging unanimity, summoned a local clergyman to the hall and prayed, “…that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?” And there our forefathers prayed that we might be a nation of one people.
I suppose if the school had some credible evidence that the prohibition against religious expression would make our children better citizens, then, this non-observance would make sense to me. My hope is that we might recognize December is a month of celebration for all faiths and that the expression of our religious beliefs in the public square is part of our shared heritage as people.
A Hudson County parent