The Observer, April 13, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 24
No place for religion bias in schools
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
While reading the April 6 edition of The Observer, I was shocked and more than a little horrified to come upon an article entitled "Religion should be taught in public schools." Personally, I think that all viewpoints should have equal opportunity for expression and I commend The Observer for having given space to a wide variety of opinions over the years. However, this particular article is so full of misrepresentations and misinformation that I would feel personally remiss if I did not make the effort to try and set the record straight.
The first areas of this article that I would like to address are the misrepresentations of the true meaning of the phrase "teaching religion in schools" and the "Theory of Intelligent Design." The article seems to be implying that the argument centers around whether or not children should have access to "religion" classes where they would be able to learn on an equal basis about the various beliefs and teachings of a variety of religions, and portrays the "Theory of Intelligent Design" as some sort of cultural enrichment activity meant to inform students about alternative viewpoints.
However, as anyone marginally familiar with the arguments concerning intelligent design already knows, the question of unbiased, educational instruction about various cultures and religious beliefs is not even superficially related to the actual debate. Let us not mince words. The goal of many fundamental religious organizations, and the reason for the creation of the "Theory of Intelligent Design," is nothing less than to force one particular set of religious beliefs and tenents upon others. Indeed, the "Theory of Intelligent Design" is itself nothing more or less than an attempt to circumvent existing restrictions on the power that religious groups would have to impose their beliefs on others.
The article also states that "the only reason the barrier between the church and state has managed to function [is]…the tolerance and respect that ordinary people have." This assertion is almost laughably false. As someone coming from a private school where the entire student body was asked to recite the Lord's Prayer several times a week (despite my school's lack of a formal religious association), I can say without hesitation that without formal governmental restrictions, I believe the same thing would take place in many public schools. Indeed, this entire debate would not exist if people were not trying to do just that!
Thomas Sanders
Undergraduate Student
