Can we learn about a country and the people who live in it without learning about the religion of the region? If we’re going to learn about the culture, don’t we have to get a picture of the people’s daily lives? Can we get a true picture of their daily lives and leave out their beliefs (religion)?
In America, we have our constitution which gives us the freedom of religion. It also defines a separation of church and state. Where, then, is the line between the two when it comes to teaching children in the classrooms in America? It seems that this line is left to interpretation—oftentimes crossed—oftentimes a double standard. Here’s a recent example:
In Maryland, high school student Caleigh Wood, refused to participate in an assignment that would require her to write the Islamic conversion prayer. This prayer includes the verbiage “there is no god but Allah”. Caleigh believed this crossed the line contradicting her Christian faith.
Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of Thomas More Law Center, filed a petition on Wood’s behalf which stated, “The schools are promoting Islam over Christianity or any other religion, and you have a double standard, which we believe is a violation of the establishment clause.” He also stated in a press release, “Under the pretext of teaching history or social studies, public schools across America are promoting the religion of Islam in ways that would never be tolerated for Christianity or any other religion.”
Thompson’s petition was denied by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. It ruled that this case did not violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Charles County Public Schools, where Wood attended, stated after the decision that the school did not “impermissibly endorse any religion and did not compel Wood to profess any belief.”
As for Caleigh—she received an F in the class and was made to watch a pro-Islam Power Point presentation. Did this cross the line? If so, what can be done in creating the proper boundaries in the classroom? If not, does the line keep moving in preferring certain religions over another? Don’t we need to be true to our country and teach American children the Christian culture we were founded on? Where is it?!