July 9, 2022
Prayers, whether on the football field or in the classroom, should never happen. But if they must be allowed, as ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court, they should not be in the name of Jesus. This is a diverse country, made up of people of many different religions. And none of those faiths is more important than another.
We should never make Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or any other faith’s children and their families uncomfortable with a Christian prayer. Their faith is as important, true, and relevant as any Christian’s faith. If the coach in Washington state were a Muslim, the court would not have ruled in his favor. Furthermore, evangelicals and many other Christians would be outraged.
We have all heard the argument that the United States was founded on “Christian principles;” therefore, we are a Christian nation. Really?
Yes, most of the founders were at least nominally Christian, offspring of immigrants who had fled a state religion. However, when they arrived here, those Christians drove Native Americans off their lands. Even today, indigenous people are, at best, treated like second-class citizens. Also, some of the founders enslaved African people and built this country on their backs. Approximately 150 years after slavery ended, Blacks continue to suffer from major inequities and bigotry by white supremacists.
Does this sound like a nation based on the teachings of Jesus? Indeed, this is not a Christian nation nor should it be.
If prayers must be allowed in schools, all faiths must be included.
Bob Blackmon
Troy
President, Justice Center of Rensselaer County
and
Lisa Curry
Augusta, GA
Daughter of the late Robert J. Doherty, former Troy city councilman and co-founder and first president of the Justice Center of Rensselaer County