In response to Scott Rank’s Nov. 30 column, “Church and state shouldn’t be completely separated,” no one is seriously advocating a ban on the Declaration of Independence in public schools. I believe that the school’s motive in this matter was not a conflict with the fact that documents mentioning “God” were being taught, but rather how they were used by a specific instructor.

Fifth-grade teacher Steven Williams, who identifies himself as an “Orthodox Christian,” was originally warned by school administrators after he used George W. Bush’s proclamation of a “National Day of Prayer” in class and he later attempted to teach documents like “Currency and Coins — History of ‘In God We Trust'” and “What Great Leaders Have Said About the Bible.”

Portions of Rank’s editorial are misleading and inaccurate. Although the term “separation of church and state” does not appear in the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights explicitly states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” This concept forms the basis for a secular American republic and ensures that religious dogma will not govern the United States.

Rank neglects to mention that although 19th-century abolition had deep roots in Christianity, pro-slavery advocates of the age claimed an equal reliance on Christian doctrine as a rationalization for slavery. Moreover, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was merely one of several organizations, including the League of Women Voters, devoted to women’s suffrage. However, the WCTU and conservative Christian elements did play the key role in the prohibition of alcohol — one of the most glaring and embarrassing failures in American constitutional history.

Furthermore, although it is not correct to compare America to a theocratic state, there is no doubt that evangelicalism, on an unprecedented scale, is one of the central factors of the current administration.

Need I mention Bush’s numerous “faith-based initiatives,” his Presidential Prayer Team or his enormous support from the Christian conservative right? As governor of Texas, Bush proclaimed June 10, 2000, to be the official state “Jesus Day,” and Bush has publicly claimed on several occasions that he is a direct representative of God, declaring, “I trust God speaks through me.”

There is a large difference between objectively discussing how religion has impacted history and actively affirming religious tenets in public schools through skewed teaching practices.

Tyler Niska

Senior

History