“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.”
— First Amendment, United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is part of what is known as the Bill of Rights. When the Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787, several members of the Constitutional Convention felt individual protections weren’t strong enough. The Constitution was sent to the states and ratified on June 21, 1788, becoming the law of the land.
When the new Congress convened, it took action to ensure that individual protections were included in the Constitution. On Sept. 24 and 25, 1789, Congress approved 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them out for ratification. Of these 12, 10 were ratified on Dec. 15, 1791, and became the Bill of Rights.
The First Amendment contains five fundamental rights that Americans hold dear. Freedom of religion is the first listed. As with the other four, the interpretation of this right has been debated for over 200 years.
In the initial draft of this amendment, James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution,” wrote, “The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed.”
It’s clear that the idea of a “national religion” was abhorrent to the founders of our country. Madison also wrote, “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.”
In 1802, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists, who were concerned about one church dominating another. In it, he quoted the First Amendment, saying it built “a wall of separation between Church & State.” That phrase is not in the Constitution, but the meaning is clear.
In 1947, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Everson vs. Board of Education: “The ‘establishment of religion’ clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion to another... in the words of Jefferson, the (First Amendment) clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect ‘a wall of separation between church and State’.... That wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach.”
For years, right-wingers have been trying to reinstate teacher-led prayer in public schools. Now Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has signed a law mandating the posting of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom.
Following Louisiana's law, Oklahoma’s Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters has mandated the teaching of the Bible in every classroom, grades 5-12. “Immediate and strict compliance is expected.” These are all clear violations of the First Amendment.
Why do these people want schools to handle the religious education of our children? These are the same people who think schools can’t be trusted to let our children check out the library books they want.
These legislators need to be careful what they ask for. For example, what does a first-grade teacher say when a child asks about adultery? What does a high-school teacher say when a student asks if it’s OK to live by Judges 21:25? Situations like this can get sticky.
Oklahoma state Rep. Melissa Provensano expressed the view of the majority of people. “Religious instruction should begin with and remain in the rightful hands of parents and guardians.” (The Oklahoman, June 27)
I personally love the Bible. I’ve even incorporated its history into my teaching when appropriate. But I have also always been aware of my responsibilities as a teacher and a school librarian. It was not my job to proselytize students or take charge of their religious education.
No one is stopping parents from teaching their children about the Bible. But forcing public school teachers to do this is clearly a violation of the First Amendment.
If Republican politicians want to honor the Ten Commandments, maybe they could start by following them. Even better, encourage their presidential nominee to follow them. That would be a move I think we could all support!
Jeanette Strong, whose column appears every other week, is a Nevada Press Foundation award-winning columnist. She may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.