Thank goodness Rush has the sense not to touch this topic. I hear a lot of radio talk show hosts walk into this one thinking they are enlightened on the subject yet in fact supporting a system they themselves oppose and that is what I would consider an enemy to the founding of this nation.
I support religious education and a religious curriculum in religious classes. I would also support a prayer service for special events to simply acknowledge that we as a nation believe in a God and as a moment to reflect on the reverence of such occasions as warranted. But I oppose the concept of having prayer in schools such as in math class or home-room as a part of the curriculum.
Many people support the notion of prayer in schools citing the fact that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and then go on to quote Founding Father John Adams “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” I completely agree with Mr. Adams and that without Judeo-Christian values we would be in moral peril.
However...in the 1970's when the case was made to the U.S. court system to outlaw prayer in school, several relevant points were brought up. One of which was a problem that has plagued and divided the nation since before our war for independence was fought and that is: who is right?
If we begin to have a "blanket prayer" that unites denominations and offends none yet recognizes none of them....then what is the point of having the prayer or the religious service?
At this point, if a prayer service and religious curriculum was designed to accomodate all and respect none to abide by the sensibilities of the society you've essentially created a state religion with the government at the head of it.
Let me ask the pundits this then: If we're going to have prayer in class, who's going to teach it?
This is the problem I have with conservatives. They scream for self sufficiency and independence and then the very first thing I hear so many say on the thing that is and SHOULD be closest to their hearts is to outsource the religious education of their children to some liberal college graduate who's as ungrounded in religious morals (fill in your own idiom here).
Religious education is the duty of the PARENTS. Not the state.
Do you see where we're headed here? Oh that's what I would just LOVE. Barak and Michelle Obama and their safe-schools czar (who promotes and has promoted pedophilia currently and in his past as a teacher) presiding over the religious education of my children.
So then what?
If the individual churches would like to provide a curriculum or a building next to the schools so the students can attend off campus religious classes that do not interfere with their secular education while providing school credit then let them do so. If the parents are that concerned, then let them educate their children in their religious morals and duties. I'm not going to outsource my childrens' religious education to the state or to someone else. They get that here at home with me every single day and their Sunday School teacher gets them for a couple hours on Sunday and I reveiw what they learned with them and incorporate it into our lives.
Don't oursource your children's upbringing to the state is all I would say. Take responsibility for the upbringing of your children and their education or be involved in it.
