Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Subtle Religious Discrimination in Connecticut

These two examples are known to me personally. Many more are in the newspapers if one keeps an eye open for such things.

CT, Gales Ferry: when she was in elementary school, my daughter told me at supper that it is against the law to talk about God in school. This was an impression created by her teacher and by the general attitude at school (and in the news).

CT, Montville: Students in a fifth-grade class was asked to write a book report on any book they each chose pertaining to history. A girl chose the book of Genesis for her report. Her teacher told her that was unacceptable because of the "separation of church and state." Her father talked with the teacher and asked what limitations had been put on the assignment. There were none. With only a little persistence from the father, the teacher permitted the girl's topic. I suspect this teacher did not have an "agenda" of any kind. She was just doing what she thought was required, an impression created by some of the misdirected lawsuits that make it into the news.

I used to read USA Today regularly. Part of the paper is a one-page overview of a couple headlines from each state. Scanning through just that small view I often found examples similar to (or worse than) the stories above.

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