Written by Don Byrd
There is a big difference between praying with students and educating students about religions of the world. It is the difference between promoting religion and studying about religion. To be sure, walking that line can be tricky and should be only done thoughtfully.
It sounds like officials of the Minneha Core Knowledge Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas were trying to do just that in exposing children to elements of various religions. But outcry over a bulletin board describing the Five Pillars of Islam convinced them to remove it.
As Charles Haynes notes in his column today, if we are going to allow teaching *about* religion – as the Constitution allows – then we have to be willing to include in that discussion Islam and other culturally influential faiths.
Such teaching about religions is not only constitutional; it is essential for giving students the understanding of the role of religion in history and society necessary for a good education and citizenship in a diverse society.Moreover, teaching about religions in public schools (as distinguished from religious indoctrination, which is unconstitutional) contributes to understanding across differences and counters the ignorance at the root of the controversy in Wichita.
Minneha Core Knowledge Elementary School is doing exactly what public schools are supposed to be doing in teaching about Islam, Christianity and other faiths in ways that are constitutionally and academically sound.
I don’t envy teachers tasked with maintaining that line between promoting religion and teaching about religion. If we are going to educate children about the world, however, information about religious influences and impact can be appropriate when taught in the right context.
That doesn’t mean Christian influence only. But it also doesn’t mean excluding Christianity from the discussion. Culture warriors on all sides should take note.
