What would Moses say?
The recent drive to push religion into the public school system has been argued mainly on three points: 1) Today's children lack morals and character; 2) The founders were God-fearing men and God is mentioned in the United States Constitution; 3) It will stop school violence. All three are at best misdirected and at worst false. After Congress passed a bill last June allowing schools to post the Ten Commandments on school property the social conservatives shouted "Hurrah! Now these heathens will get some religion!"
It is interesting to compare the social conservatives' posture on sex education in the schools, to their posture on religious education in the schools. They insist sex education should be taught at home, so they can teach their children the values and responsibilities that go along with being sexually active which they find most relevant. Yet it's these same social conservatives who applaud Congress' move to place the Ten Commandments in school and teach their Johnny about religion which hopefully will instill in him some values, religion and morals.
They don't want their child learning about the birds and the bees in school because they don't like the idea of condoms being handed out in the nurses' office like candy on Halloween. But paste a pretty picture of the Ten Commandments up in the classroom that's a different story! Why is it that they don't want their children learning sexual values in the public school but they do want their children learning religious values in school?
It certainly doesn't hurt that most social conservatives are Christian and the Ten Commandments are based on Judeo/Christian philosophy. Let's see what happens the first time a Muslim student tries to post the segment from the Quran "On Good Deeds," or the Buddhists want to post the "7 Branch Prayer" or what about the Hindus and the "Bhagavad Gita?" You can bet we'll hear the old "I don't want my child learning those morals and values."
As a devout Lutheran I firmly believe that "...since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift..." (Romans 3:23). This means that I believe "good works" (i.e. being straight, reading the Bible a whole bunch, restraining oneself from enjoying a good micro-brew, etc. etc.) are not what will get me into heaven. It is only through God's grace will I go to heaven. Obviously other Christians believe differently than I, as do Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, etc. and should not be compelled to accept tenants of someone else's faith in a public school system. Parents who want their children to be schooled in a faith-based education can send their child to a private school.
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