European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 03, 1964, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday october 3, 1964 supreme court s advice goes begging most schools ignore invitation to teach religion by Louis Casseu Washington Insl Public schools arc ignoring the supreme court s invitation la teach the Bible and religion objectively according to a nationwide Survey by unite press International. When the court ruled in Jun that devotional exercises in Public schools Are unconstitutional it went out of its Way to emphasize that there would be no objection to study it the Bible or of religion. Presented objectively As part of a secular program of indicating that such instruction is not Only permissible jul desirable the court added it Mixhwl Well be said that one s education is not Complete with out a study of comparative re Ligion or the history of re Ligion und its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly May be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic the Survey showed that som Public schools were offering courses la religion or the Bible a both before he court ruled. A few Ihen added Sueh instruction but they were exceptions. A majority of school authorities polled displayed a marked Lack of teachers Are scared to death to do anything with said w. W. Dick Ari Zona state superintendent of education. He pointed out that the state Constitution forbid sectarian leaching in Public schools. He said teachers fear that any attempt at objective teaching about religion might be construed As illicit teaching of a particular religious h. Downs executive Secretary of the Massachusetts association of secondary school principals said Educa tors Are afraid to take on the headaches that would go wit courses in the Bible or re such courses to said would expose school officials to emotional charges of Favori Ngone religious viewpoint Over another. Reporters encountered the same attitude in Many other is an motion us thing and some criticism would be inevitable said Ernest assistant superintendent of schools for the Pharr san Juan Alamo school District in Home and Church arc really belter equipped to Waller Bruno Washington state superintendent of Public Insl Rullon said in this stale there is a very Strong tradition of Church state separation. Asa result our teachers have tended to stay away from Al mention of people have Strong feeling about religion or. F. Melvyn Tawson superintendent of Cit schools in Sacramento calif., said. The person who tried to Leach such a course would be under severe scrutiny to scythe least. The teacher would have to be a Genius to handle it learning soldiers receive language Insl Rullon Al he special warfare Center at it. Bragg n.c., where there is training in counter insurgency psychological operations and special War fare. The language school teaches everything from burmese to Hwa Hlll und the army claims no one has failed the course. A lawyer acts to end Church tax exemptions by kath1e Dibel Baltimore Leonard Kerpelman an attorney she wants to save american taxpayers millions of dollars. He is trying to outlaw stat and Federal tax exemptions for Church properties and Church owned businesses. Kerpelman 91, believes the suits eventually will reach the supreme court and become Milestone in Church slate relationships in the United estimates that in Balti More alone taxation of Church buildings would add i7 million to annual tax income. Ills clients in he suits Are the free thought society and the group president Lemon Crew. The society pays Kurpel Man a 110,000 fee. Many states. Including Mary land allow exemptions for Church already has presented opening arguments i Baltimore Superior court con tending the exemptions violate against establishment of a re says All taxpayers arc forced to contribute involuntarily to the s u to r i of churches because the churches use Public Money for such serv ices As streets and police an fire not action. The churches Are saying serve us serve us. We serve god " Kerpelman said. In another suit Kerp Elmanis attacking Federal income tax regulations which allow churches tax exemptions on profits from businesses they own including hotels service stations and publishing churches voluntarily pay the taxes but the exemptions run into millions of exemptions also Are unconstitutional because they violate the constitutional pro vision of the sep Ratum of Church and state he maintains. Since he filed the Church properly suit Kerpelman says Many of my jewish friends Are giving me the cold store. They re getting an edifice com plex. However there s no place in Hie Bulc that says churches have to spend this much Only Money is involved. It snot i finc Abii no in Vilma of Kerpelman himself is a Man who relishes controversy. I Man is his own without getting into hot educators staid that Lack of time rather than fear of controversy. Is the Princi pal Factor in the problem. It is a matter that should bereft up to the churches said John Gamble curriculum director for the Nevada depart ment of e. Kllc. Acting chief of instruction for the Californi department of education said a course in comparative Roll Lilon might be a valuable elec Tive for High school student but we just Don t have the time. There Are so Many other things that arc already in some cases educator seemed to take a More resale love View of constitutional limitations than did the supreme court or the Legal officers of their state. In Reno nov., fur example school superintendent Procter hug sr., said the state Constitution made it necessary for Reno schools to keep As faraway As possible from the whole subject of religion but the state attorney general. Har vey Dickerson said the Nevad Constitution merely prohibits sectarian instruction an would not bar objective teach ing Abou the Bible and re Ligion. Leon p. Olnear. Superintend ent of the Oregon department of education said he agree with the supreme court that it would be legitimate to teach the Bible As literature or As history but i know of no plans by any school District to move in this West Chester county . Or. Bernard of Haiku superintendent of schools for mama Roneck said no courses in re Ligion or the Bible arc planned because there has been in indication of Public a few educators Are making an Active Effort to get parents teachers and school boards interested in the possibilities pointed out by the supreme court. In California the Board of education adopted a policy Resolution last december saying that schools should have no hesitancy in leaching about ii added hat we urge our teachers to make Clear the contributions of religion o our civilization through history Art and or. James e. Allen. Newyork stole education commissioner also urged Public schools to teach about religion especially about its role i shaping America s heritage. By bringing Young people Toan understanding of what a vital Force religion has been. A and will continue to be our schools can create interest Inland respect for religion he in slate superintend ent of education. Thomas , issued a statement to teachers lust month in which he emphasized that schools Ore not required to be an should not insolent about god he Tuimil. Schools have a responsibility to present knowledge shout Rel lion and to assist students to develop a understanding of the role which religion has played in the growth of our Here und there the Survey found teachers who have put the court s advice into prac Tice. In Newton mass., an eng Lish teacher named Tayer 5. Warshaw has begun giving his classes systematic instruction in the King James Bible As on of the masterpieces of Litera Ture. The Bible is indeed a religious Book hut ii is also a part of our secular cultural Heri Tage said Warshaw. A knowl Edge of he Bible is essential to the Pupil s understanding of allusions in literature. In music and in the Fine Noti in news Media in entertainment and in cultured in Indiana the state depart ment of Public instruction has authorized a course in biblical literature As an elective subject for High school Stu dents. In Georgia mrs. Bernice me cull Nugh of the stale Board of education said that Many perhaps most teachers in clude the Bible As source material for objective study in literature courses you simply cannot teach literature if the student do snot have u knowledge of the Bible she said. You Are Rob Bing children unless they have this european edition Paini a Dahl directory of circulation of Ficci Munich i Uzi England London. Italy leghorn. Durby Spain Madrid. 2,50ft. n Ember a Alrefai m of mry n
