Freedom From Religion: Oppressing Our Children
I will never forget a sad exchange I had with a third grade student years ago. I was helping her edit her writers journal. The picture she drew above her words was a persons face in the sky above her home. A figure I realized was God as I began to read her short paragraph. She asked in her journal, "Is God real? Sometimes I think he is but I think people will say I'm foolish. I think He must be watching me but I don't know. I want to ask an adult about Him but I think I will get in trouble." My heart ached as I read the words aloud. She watched me intently and the expression on her face caused me to fight back a tear. I sensed that she had written the words knowing I would edit her paper and hopeful that I would answer her question. The very mention of God in the classroom had become so taboo that teachers feared the loss of their jobs if they respond in any way to such questions. Children perceive the fear (or with some teachers, disgust) their teachers have at...