To the editor:

“Debate on religion in school rages” was part of the headline of a lengthy editorial on last week’s “Faith Page” (July 11). The columnist wrote of the historic debate regarding the teaching of evolution in schools versus the Biblical account of God’s creation of the world in six days. The lawyer for the teacher of evolution eventually lost the case. If freedom of religion had been upheld, neither side would have won. Should any one religion or belief be promoted or displayed in a public school? Today science books teach evolution and children are sometimes told they can’t talk about God in class. A simple way to uphold freedom of religion would allow teachers to acknowledge and explain that evolution is one way of explaining how the world and people got here.

A teacher could inform students they are “free” to state their beliefs when answering questions in class or on paper, in a respectful way. The editorial also noted disagreements over the displaying of The Ten Commandments, teacher led prayer, and reading of the Bible. Do these actions reflect the beliefs of the individual students? Is the school to be children’s source of morality as some have expressed? “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) Parents have the chief responsibility, along with the church, to teach religious beliefs and pleasing behavior to their children.

Public schools do a good job of encouraging students to “be kind” and can teach respect for others and their property and other good behaviors without promoting or displaying items related to religious beliefs. Being free of debates about religion in the school, schools can focus on the academic achievements of its students, opening doors to the arts an athletics, working to meet the needs of each child.

Trudy Madetzke

Marshall