Editor:
We are writing to applaud Terry Parks, Eaton Community Schools Board of Education member, for his wise and lawful approach to the topic of “Released Time for Religious Instruction.”
The Saturday, April 27, 2024, issue of The Register-Herald quotes Terry as follows: ”I guess if I were a parent who had a kid in school today and I wanted them to get a religious education, I would do one of three things. I would put him in a Christian school like Dayton Christian or I would remove them from school and homeschool them myself – or I would do the simple thing which is what my parents did to me years ago. I would take them to church.”
Thank you, Terry!
The First Amendment of the United State Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The context of this first amendment was the freedom to practice religion of any type free from the dictates of the government. It is the reason the Pilgrims fled to the Netherlands and then to the “New World” to practice their religion without the threat of the English government requiring them to worship the Church of England.
It is why James Madison, after hearing the Baptist minister Elijah Craig preaching from his jail cell in Virginia, fought for the freedom of religion so that regardless of religion, its practice would be free.
Our public schools are full of students from diverse backgrounds including different faiths and no faiths. It is not the public schools’ responsibility to teach religion. In fact, it is the public school’s responsibility to teach broad mindedness and civic responsibility and respect for differences.
And so, we applaud those members of our community who are trying to keep separate public school teaching and religious education. And we encourage all members of our community to urge their public school board members to keep the limited public school day a completely academic school day. Our children deserve nothing less.
Harold and Jean Bussell
Monroe Township, Preble County
