18.- 23. Our National Community:
In the United States, government at all levels is to treat freedom of
conscience as an
inalienable human right of each and every person.
The freedom of conscience protections grow out of the First
Amendment.
Along with other portions of the Bill of Rights, the two
religious liberty clauses of the U.S. Constitution
underlie an American citizen's guarantee of religious freedom. They support
freedom of conscience rights of all the citizenry, even members of the smallest minorities.
The clauses form a civic framework for treatment of religion by government.
They also form the guiding principles for a civil
public school.
24.-32. The School Community:
As government institutions, schools are
legally bound to establish school communities in
which students are not insiders or outsiders based on their beliefs of
conscience. Public schools have to treat all students as fully free
to hold to their
particular outlooks. The schools as institutions are responsible for
ensuring that students can maintain personal individuality
of
conscience with regard to their religious or nonreligious convictions. Every
“citizen” of a civil public school has a freedom of
conscience right that is to be
respected and protected. The school safeguards religious
liberty throughout the school community.
Schools must be neutral toward all of the varied worldviews.
In a
classroom that is religiously neutral, teachers ensure a level playing
field for all, giving just consideration and respect to each person. They also model how, as Americans, we share
responsibility to
respect and guard the rights of others. Students learn to respect the freedom
of conscience rights of their peers. They learn that we are to be as
conscientious in safeguarding rights of persons who hold
unfamiliar or unpopular outlooks as we are
in protecting rights of persons
whose convictions are culturally mainstream.
33. Would there be a “level
playing field” in class if a teacher remarks to Tomas: "Tomas, you went last year, as I recall. Would
you tell the class what they’ll be missing if they don’t attend the
[revival, Easter sunrise service, etc.] we'll be going to next week? "
Example response: Tomas's talk would be an "advertisement" for a religious
event. Such mention, although informative, essentially promotes the
event. This is unfair to those students who have different
worldviews. (Note that the teacher
is familiar with this event. Tomas likely shares the teacher's
worldview.) It is one-sided to promote this event and not also those
events deriving from all the worldviews represented in class (about which a teacher is
not informed.) For a teacher, who is an authority figure, to elevate a religious holiday or event
tends to privilege the worldview. Religious institutions within communities are to promote
their own events in ways that do not involve public school personnel and their
students.
End of the Self-Check Test
answers. Return to Lesson 1.
