
Letter
Religious Coercion Has No Place in Public Schools
To the Editor:
In Roger L. Beckett's Commentary ("Why Religion Belongs in the Classroom," July 7, 2017), he makes some valid points on the need to teach religion in our nation's public schools. His essay, however, glosses over critical constitutional distinctions and particular religious-coercion issues raised by a new Florida law he cites. Public schools are not devoid of religion. Over 50 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that schools may teach about religion in a secular and objective manner. And students are permitted to engage in a host of voluntary and private religious activities such as group prayer during nonclass time and participation in after-school or noncurricular religious clubs. But the First Amendment's establishment clause prohibits school-sponsored religious indoctrination and coercion.
That is exactly what Florida's so-called Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act authorizes. In the classroom, it plainly empowers a teacher or parent to give a Christian, Jewish, or Muslim prayer to children as young as 5, or conversely, an ethical-humanist message expressing disbelief in religion. It also authorizes K-12 students to proselytize or denigrate religion at compulsory and noncompulsory events such as football games, holiday assemblies, or graduation. Constitutional prohibitions on government advancement, endorsement, or coercion of religion may be distasteful to some. However, they are the reason why religion has flourished in America. Public schools' adherence to these prohibitions reflects a profound respect for religious freedom and recognition of the extraordinary diversity of religions represented by the students in our public schools.
Vol. 37, Issue 01, Page 28
Get more stories and free e-newsletters!
Viewed
Emailed
Recommended
Commented
Sponsor Insights
5 Resources on the Power of Interoperability from Unified Edtech
Hiding in Plain Sight - 7 Common Signs of Dyslexia in the Classroom
All Students Are Language Learners: The Imagine Learning Language Advantage™
Climate Change, LGBTQ Issues, Politics & Race: Instructional Materials for Teaching Complex Topics
Evidence-based Coaching: Key Driver(s) of Scalable Improvement District-Wide
Tips for Supporting English Learners Through Personalized Approaches
SEE MORE Insights >
- Elementary School Principal
- Hartford School District, Quechee, Vermont
- Executive Director
- Tarrant To and Through Partnership (T3), Fort Worth, Texas
- 2019-2020 School Psychologist
- Newport News Public Schools, Newport News, VA, US
- School Psychologist
- Milford Public Schools, Milford, Connecticut
- University Guidance Counselor. IB School. Dubai.
- Galvin Education, Dubai (City) (AE)
We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.