by Lori Shevokas

Created on: April 29, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2011

Teaching Our Children Misrepresentations of the Constitution

We send our children to school to learn how to read, write, add and subtract, and to learn about good citizenship. We set them up with studies of great men who had new concepts of not letting the government interfere with their religious beliefs and practices, but then our children go to school to learn that bowing your head for a silent prayer is grounds for detention. Reading the Bible during silent reading time is grounds for confiscation. Asking your new friend on the playground if she is a Christian is grounds for suspension. However, worst of all is the misrepresentation of our nation's founding beliefs  that certain Christian holidays are not religious in nature.

Among the holidays noted for this outright lie are St. Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. The school has no problem teaching about "Santa Claus" in relation to Christmas, just as long as you don't mention St. Nicklaus or Christ, two people from where Santa Claus and Christmas are derived. Make sure all the children know about Hanukkah, and that it is a Jewish holiday, and make sure they are fully educated in Islam and Kwanzaa, but please don't mention Jesus Christ. Please don't mention the Christian Saints. Teach about dinosaurs, but forget about Behemoth and Leviathon. Teach Greek and Roman Mythology, but don't teach that Rome is home to the Vatican City. They can Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam, and call it Social Studies, but if you teach about Christianity, everyone wants to scream, "Separation of church and state!"

Why are Muslim students allowed to leave class to go pray, but my son cannot even say a silent prayer before a final exam? Why can the teacher ask if there are any Jews in the class during WWII studies, but my daughter is threatened with suspension for asking her new friend if she is a Christian? Why can teachers pass around copies of the Koran and the Torah, but my nephew's Bible could be confiscated if he pulls it out during school?

The Constitution of the United States says the government cannot interfere with the religious beliefs and practices of private citizens - not the other way around. Saint Valentine was a Christian who was persecuted and executed for his beliefs. Saint Patrick used the three leaf clover to teach the Trinity and salvation to the Celts. Saint Nicklaus was a Christian who spent his life seeing to the welfare of children. Jesus Christ is the son of God who was crucified for our sins, and who was resurrected three days later, walked the earth for 40 days, and ascended to Heaven. He is the reason we celebrate Christmas and Easter. Stop teaching kids lies. If you choose not to teach the truth, then that is one thing, but don't lie to them. Simply omit the lessons from the curriculum.

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