They did not print my letter mind... But YOU - lucky you, can read it anyway.
To the New York Times.
With reference to New York Times article of January 3rd 2020 last.:
In Miami Speech, Trump Tells Evangelical Base: God Is ‘on Our Side’
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/us/politics/trump-miami-rally-evangelicals.htmPresident Trump´s plan for prayer in school.
To the Editor,
Being a ´somewhat´devout tax filing Catholic myself, I note with
interest that our President will bring prayer back into schools. I am
delighted, but I do wonder about the logistics.
For example how will
it work for my more than somewhat devout tax filing Hindu friend?
Will prayers be recited from her faith on specific days of the week,
or month?
And what about school children whose parents identify as
Agnostic? - Which, according to thePew Research Center, includes 4%
of the U.S. Population*. Will those parents be given a tax break
because their children will be obliged to tolerate prayer in school?
Which
or whether, I would be thrilled if this can happen before St. Patrick's Day, so we
can all have a rip-roaring round of ´Hail glorious St.
Patrick` in the school auditorium.
And no doubt my Hindu
friend will be just as delighted when her community can celebrate
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights in that same auditorium this
coming October.
Full disclosure: The writer is very proud to identify as a friend of Mr. Bill Butler Esq.
Mr. Butler argued and won "the school prayer case" in the U.S. Supreme Court, namely, Engel v. Vitale (1962).
On consideration, Mr. Butler may have been on to something.
Yours sincerely,
Haus Frau Róisín....
From: Judith X
Sent: Tuesday, January 7, 2020, 10:07:28
Subject: Re: Re. Times Article 01. 03. President Trump´s plan for prayer in school.
Terrific
letter!!
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I'm afraid that some Supreme Court decisions have never been fully accepted, especially Roe v. Wade and Engel v. Vitale.
In fact, I read recently that the rise of the far-right Evangelical
contingent in the US can be traced back to the prayer case in 1962. And
of course, when abortion was legalized, many providers have been
murdered, and clinics have been bombed - seems that it was safer for
doctors when they quietly provided the service illegally (though there
were plenty of unsafe back-alley procedures back then, too).
From: Paul X
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2020, 4:51:13 AM
Subject: Re: Re. Times Article 01. 03. President Trump´s plan for prayer in school.
It is nearly 58 years since Engel was
decided, and in those decades the face and physical makeup of the people
of the United States has been, if not fractured, radically changed in
approach and beliefs in the existence of an Almighty who guides us and
protects our form of life. There is no uniformity of culture remaining,
and so, sectarian groups hold onto to what they had and resist those
changes. Society and evolving norms look upon much of religion as going
the way of the Dodo. I remember those thousands of days in school,
reciting the Catechism and the Pledge of Allegiance and being vaguely
aware that the sentiments were just words we mouthed in response to the
teacher's authority.
My own feeling
about this school prayer fiasco is that a one-for-all wording will be
achieved and that modern children will mouth the new incantation with
about the same enthusiasm and deep intellectual thought as we did , even
before the homogenization of America and the loss of individualism that
followed.
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From: Marty X
´
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2020, 1:48:17
Subject: RE: Re. Times Article 01. 03. President Trump´s plan for prayer in school.
Very nice!!!
From: Chris X
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2020, 11:23:33
Subject: Re: Re. Times Article 01. 03. President Trump´s plan for prayer in school.
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From: Marianne X
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2020, 11:02:31
Subject: Re: Re. Times Article 01. 03. President Trump´s plan for prayer in school.
I
love your letter and the good points it made. And let us not forget
that, in addition to Hindus and agnostics, we have many Jews, Buddhists,
Sikhs and Muslims in this country.
Prayers representing the faiths of these people would not be included either.
As
for myself, I have never understood why some people persist in equating
a lack of prayer in public spaces with a prohibition of religious
expression. Everyone in this country is free to go to his or her
preferred house of worship to pray, and of course may also do so at any
time at home. Why insist on praying in public and compelling everyone
else to participate?
