Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1964 University Daily Kansan
Page 5
Experts Discuss Religious Teaching
By Cheryl McCool
Should religion be taught in public schools and how can this be accomplished?
Educators, religious leaders of the various faiths, and law experts tried to answer this question. They discussed the merits of having primary and secondary teachers trained to teach religion from an objective view point.
This was the subject of the third annual Law and Society Institute sponsored by the KU School of Law, September 29 and 30. It was sponsored by the Kansas School of Religion Project, Religious Freedom and Public Affairs, National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the University Extension.
"From the view of the professional educator, to teach religion properly the teacher shouldn't discuss either side of a religious controversy in such a way as to show one side as being correct. Ideally the teacher presents both sides of the case objectively.
EVERETT KIRCHER, professor of education at the University of Kansas. said:
"Parents don't want their children to hear the wrong side." Prof. Kircher said. "They spent years trying to teach their children the right values of life. They don't want the child to hear views that are equally right from other sincere and intelligent people. The educator might be teaching the child how to think, and the parents don't want this. Every community has some subject it doesn't want discussed and often they should. Some subjects are to be fought about, not thought about."
PROF. KIRCHER SAID he felt that there were two main forces that prevented universities from turning out teachers who were capable of teaching religion in school.
"The first reason is that the secular professor in the university doesn't feel that there is such a thing as the religion scholar who can be trusted to be objective. The secular scholar believes that anyone who teaches religion does so to gain adherence to his own personal beliefs. The only way to dispel this belief would be for the university to hire some genuine religion scholars and in this way the image may be changed." Prof. Kirchner said.
"The second force is that the public is interested in schools teaching religion, but only when the schools express the parents' beliefs," he said.
ERNEST E. BAYLES, professor of education at KU, said:
"The basic reason for the lack of religious discussion in public schools is that we do not understand democracy and the democratic education theory. Historians and political scientists are not willing to define
democracy well enough to get a clear view of democratic educational procedure."
The panel was asked where the responsibility of teaching religion rested, with the community or the educators. The question produced some differing opinions.
PROF. BAYLES said he thought the initiative belonged to the teacher.
"We as professional educators have the obligation to fit the student for the highest development of citizenry. If it can be done in a decent way, the community will go along," he said.
Prof. Bayles' view was opposed by Prof. Kircher and Dr. Marion McGhehey, executive secretary of the Kansas Board of Education. Both thought that the responsibility should belong to the community's board of education. The only other alternative would be for the state to make religion a required subject in the schools.
RICHARD DYSON, assistant professor of law at KU, said the chief opposition seems to come from within the churches themselves. He said it is here that biases and attitudes clash with the community as a whole. Comments were made against religion being taught in the primary schools. Most of the panel members
Official Bulletin
GERMAN GRADUATE Reading Exam.
Sat, Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m., 110, Fraser.
Sat. Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m., 110 Fraser.
FOREIGN STUDENTS interested in a United Nations Dinner? Saturday, Oct. 24. Chanute. See Dean Coh If interested.
CATHOLIC MASS, 5 p.m., St. Lawrence Chapel, 1910 Stratford Rd.
CARILLON RECITAL, 7 p.m., Albert Corken
INTRODUCTION TO AWS for freshmen, 7 p.m., Kansas Union.
CLASSICAL FILM, 7 p.m., Dycho Adelitaum
INQUIRY FORUM, 7 p.m. St. Lawrence Catholic Student Center, 1915
KU. MARKETING CLUB, 7:20 p.m.
Room Forum, Kansas Union, "Promotion of major league sports"—Tom Hedrick.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT Movie, 7:30
WESTERN CIV. Discussion, 9 p.m. St.
Lawrence Center, 1915 Stratford Rd.
TOMORROW
CATHOLIC MASSES, 6:45 a.m. 5 p.m.
St. Lawrence Chapel, 1910 Stratford.
CHEMISTRY COLLOQUIUM. 4 p.m.
121 Malott, "Long Term Protective Anti-
Malaria"—Dr. Edward F. Elfanger,
Parke-Davis Research Lab.
QUACK CLUB CLINIC, 6:30 p.m. Robinson Pool.
KU-Y MEMBERSHIP MEETING, 7:30
n.m. Kansas Union.
KU AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, 7:30 p.m. Basement of red-roofed farmhouse west of Templein. Demonstration of club equipment.
SPU, 7:30 p.m., Pan American Room,
Kansas Union.
CHRISTIAN FAMILY MOVEMENT, 8 p.m. St. Lawrence Center, 1910 Stratford Road. Group 1, All Catholic married couples welcome.
SOCIOLOGY COLLOQUIUM, 8 p.m.
206 Blake Hall.
FRESHMAN NEWS NOTE
Student Union Activities will present the first of its Fall Concerts Saturday, October 3rd at 8:30 p.m. in Hoch Auditorium. The GOOD TIME SINGERS, Capitol Record artists and stars of the Andy Williams Show, will present a fabulous assortment of folk music for your enjoyment. Plan now to see this first show.
THE GOOD TIME SINGERS SAT., OCT. 3
"There was a Supreme Court case a while ago," Prof. Casad said, "that did deal with the question of a baccalaureate. Because of some technicalities of the case, there was no decision."
Tickets now available at the Information Booth, the Union and Bell's Music Store
would serve secular educational purposes as well."
Certain religious holidays and ceremonies are observed by public schools. These occasions are not in strict alliance with some religious beliefs. The panel was asked if such occasions, such as Christmas and Baccalaurate, were legal.
Prof. Dyson added: "The American public should be honest with themselves. The Supreme Court has been trying to do this in their recent rulings about religion in public schools. Schools should not establish religious holidays. We should measure our honesty by those who do not observe Christmas as a religious holiday."
ROBERT C. CASAD, professor of law at KU, said:
who voiced an opinion said that young children were too vulnerable. The school would not be able to teach religion without teaching faith. They said this was a duty that belongs to the churches
"Special programs such as Christmas and Baccalaureate are within the law. It would depend on how such Christmas programs are presented. If it is stricty to allow students to perform and entertain, it is all right. However the schools could choose some other program that
Tomorrow "Public Support of Church-related Schools" will be discussed by Dr. George La Noue, Teachers College of Columbia University.
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