Supporting prayer in public schools ignores history

Supporting prayer in public schools ignores history
EDITOR:
As a history teacher for the Akron public schools, I am appalled at the number of people who obviously did not pay any attention to their American history class who attended pubic school in Mineral Ridge. We teach very explicitly the separation of church and state because that was the whole point in the Constitution as to why our founding fathers wanted to make sure those "well-meaning" Christians did not force everyone to share their beliefs. In a public school it is our job to teach the material only, not the little extras. If you want it taught it should be done at home or in church. One goes to school to get educated in the arts and sciences, and if you want to be educated in religion then you should spend your own money and go to a religious school. Do not expect the public to pay for that also.
My husband and I believed a good education is a well-rounded one, and that is why we paid the tuition to have our children attend a school where they were permitted to pray along with a diverse group of students of many religious backgrounds who would have been forced to pray a Christian prayer every day while not allowed to speak of their faith had they gone to a public school such as Mineral Ridge.
No one is saying that God is offensive. Many people believe God is pretty wonderful, and that is why we teach them that in our homes and our churches and the way we act in our everyday lives. This still does not give any public school the right to force all students to pray. I say force because what young teen would have the courage to refuse to pray and not be looked at as a trouble maker? As a teacher in an inner-city school where there are students from many different backgrounds, I fully understand what our founding fathers were trying to do by keeping religion separate from our government. I find it offensive that those Christians in Mineral Ridge wanted the schools to "teach" religion and use my tax dollars to do it, yet for so many years when our children went to the non-public schools they only grudgingly allowed us to ride their school buses.
MARTHA McNEIL
Mineral Ridge
School officials struggled before complying with law
EDITOR:
We, the members of the Mineral Ridge Clergy Association, were saddened by the recent events in the Weathersfield Local School District challenging our long tradition of beginning each school day by providing students the opportunity to pray The Lord's Prayer together. We were always pleased that this opportunity was provided to our students, teachers, administrators, and staff. At the same time, we couldn't help but expect that this tradition in our community would eventually come to an end.
At the same time, we support our school superintendent, Michael Hanshaw, and the members of our school board, knowing that their decision to stop using the Lord's Prayer was based on compliance with laws and regulations regarding the separation of church and state and not on their own personal beliefs. We are also aware that for some of them, this decision was the result of much inner turmoil and struggle.
We will continue to keep our schools, our students, our teachers, and our administrators in our prayers and will continue to lend our support whenever it is needed. It is our hope that our community will do the same.
The Rev. BOB DONATO, pastor, Grace Church of the Nazarene; the Rev. MONTY EASTMAN, associate pastor, Mineral Ridge Church of Christ; the Rev. BOB GLEASON, pastor, Mineral Ridge Church of Christ; the Rev. DAVID HILL, pastor, Ohltown United Methodist Church; the Rev. CURTIS MILLER, pastor, First United Methodist Church; the Rev. RICHARD MURPHY, pastor, St. Mary Catholic Church; the Rev. MARK PHILLIPS, pastor, First Presbyterian Church.