21st Century Culture Clash Begins in Cranston
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
The prayer references “Our Heavenly Father,” and as I stated a few weeks ago, in today’s politically correct world everything is OK except being a “conservative” or in this case historical. The prayer wasn’t erected by right-wing nutjobs seeking to infect the student population with that vile religion Christianity, but has been in place since the school’s inception. I’m unsure if I’ve stated this within these pages before, but the Constitution protects freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Most of the founding fathers were some form of “Christian” and using religion as a basis for political thought was not uncommon nor disparaged as it is today. And so, even as recent as 1963 – when Cranston HS West opened - the general public believed it worthwhile to call on “Our Heavenly Father.”
Fast-forward 50 years, and the debate going on at the School Committee meeting is a debate I believe we are going to have over the next 10-20 years. Last century the culture wars centered on gender and race whereas the 21st century culture wars will be waged over religion and its place within our public discourse.
Most liberals do not like that many proponents of marriage don’t want to see it redefined because of their religious beliefs but have no problem standing alongside them to help the poor, needy, and/or downtrodden. It seems that their religious beliefs are OK, so long as they agree with a liberal worldview.
Let me be clear, I’m not advocating for a theocracy but asking you, dear reader, why must someone check their religion at the door when it’s inconvenient to the public discourse and perhaps out of step with majority/politically correct thinking? It appears unfair at best, schizophrenic at worst.
In my opinion, that’s why Mr. Paolella was calling on people in the room to stand up for the prayer. The prayer is part of the history at Cranston HS West and for Mr. Paolella enough was enough. For him, he was unwilling to stand idly by while yet another “institution” was attacked by those more concerned with not offended than understanding the meaning behind the prayer and why it’s important to Cranstonians.
And I can hear some of you readers right now saying, “Come on, Don! We’re a secular society stop trying to throw this religion down our throats!” I won’t disagree that we are many degrees from the time when religion was the fabric of public and private life. Still, I’m asking you to pause just for a second and consider two things:
- What harm is done by keeping the prayer?
- Why was the prayer posted in the auditorium in the first place and what, if anything, would you suggest as an alternative to the prayer?
I’m curious to hear some of your answers and, I’m surprised the majority of members on the school committee voted to keep the prayer. Perhaps it is a signal that the ACLU and their kind are not going to kill off every tradition many Americans hold dear?
Probably not.
Honestly, I think it’s only a matter of time before what many traditionally call American is no more and in some cases outlawed. Mr. Poelella is calling for heroes and I want to let him and others know, I’ll be right by your side fighting the good fight. However, the cynic in me says the fight will be long, will be arduous but will eventually end in defeat.
But for one night in Cranston, tradition faced off against political correctness…and won!
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Comments:
Matthew White
2:32pm on Wednesday, March 09, 2011
ACLU will win this case easily. Prayer and religion have no place in the public school system. This is not a question of political correctness, this is a simple case of maintaining the separation of church and state. If a public school in a predominantly muslim area in Detroit chose to hang a vaguely religious banner mentioning Allah, this would be met with vehement opposition. If the prayer banner is allowed to stay in Cranston, why not allow various religious displays in public schools across the country? This rule cannot and should not have any exceptions.
Also, you seem to lay claim to the term "marriage proponent", defining it as someone who is opposed to gay marriage. I would argue that the real "marriage proponent" is that individual who wants to make extend the rights of marriage to individuals. A "marriage proponent" is someone who wants more adults to make commitments to each other. A "marriage proponent" is not someone who seeks to continue the long stain of prejudiced treatment of gays by clinging to two-thousand-year old scripture and obsolete ethical principles.
Kevin Borrelli
4:47pm on Wednesday, March 09, 2011
First of all Don I think you wrote a tremendous article. Matthew you are completely wrong about maintaining separation of church and state because it does not exist. There is no such thing as separation of church and state in the United States because it is in no official government document and it is especially not in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. What the Bill of Rights does state is exactly what Don says it "the Constitution protects freedom of religion, not freedom from religion". It was designed to let people practice whatever religion they please but it does not remove religion from every portion of society. If you look all around you, you will see in documents, historical monuments, and history that religion is an important part in American society and in the foundation of America. The Declaration of Independence states within the first 126 words of the Declaration of Independence, it states that there is a creator, he gives us our inalienable rights, he has a moral law which governs man, the government exists to protect the rights he gives, and below the god given rights you rule by the consent of the governed. The currency says in God We Trust, on the top of the Washington Monument it states Laus Deo which in Latin means Praise Be To God. Every congressional session starts with a Christian prayer and more importantly the Rhode Island Constitution Preamble states: "We, the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and to transmit the same, unimpaired, to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution of government." If you want to remove this prayer you will have to remove all these symbols of religion and the various other ones in American society.
One last comment on this school prayer is that it is a nondenominational prayer. It does not support one religion over another. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other religion all believe in a higher power namely a "heavenly father". The main three religions and various others also use the word Amen. Clearly this prayer does not support one religion over another. This is not an unconstitutional banner, it does not support one religion over another, and it must be kept up and I am very proud of the 4 school committee members that voted to keep it up and I am also proud of Superintendent Nero and the many that came out and supported the banner staying up.