The secular curriculum

[richard duncan]

Mark Rahdert writes:>
>         I find myself troubled by Rick Duncan's and Charles Haynes's
> reference to "the problem" of a secular curriculum that released time
> "doesn't fix."  It is probably accurate to say that released time doesn't
> fix "the problem" for some individuals (almost certainly including Rick),
> but it may very well suffice for others.  Whether it does or doesn't depends
> on how thoroughly at odds one's religious view of the world and the schools'
> secular view of the world are.  This seems to me to be the point of several
> of Marie Failinger's recent posts.  Among religious groups, there is a broad
> spectrum of responses to the public school curriculum, ranging from those
> who find it thoroughly congenial, to those who think it acceptable but in
> need of supplementation, to those who would mix major elements of it with
> their religious perspective, to those who would scrap virtually all of it
> and start over.  Clearly, released time does not address the needs of the
> last group.  But it might well address the needs of most people in the
> second group (secular ed. is acceptable but needs supplementation).  Query:
> does it violate establishment principles (Zorach notwithstanding) to set up
> such a program, if we know that it will benefit some religious groups but
> leave the needs of other religious groups unaddressed?
> __________________________________

I don't disagree with this at all. As I said in my last post, I
support the availability of released time for those who desire it. And
I recognize that the secular curriculum in public schools is
consistent with (and indeed may reflect) the beliefs and perspectives
of many religious groups. And I have no doubt that a released time
program can be structured in a way that is clearly acceptable under
the EC.

But to the extent that there are many thousands (or even millions) of
individuals whose religious beliefs are undermined by a pervasively
secular curriculum, my point was to show that release time does not
fix the problem of coercive inculcation for these dissenters. For
them, the coercion of selective funding amounts to intellectual
persecution. The public school curriculum is unlikely to conflict with
the religious and philosophical views of those groups that are in
control of the schools. To evaluate the fairness of selective funding
you have to view the schools through the eyes of outsider groups. (Or
at least by looking at the problem through the Rawlsian veil of
ignorance. If release time would not satisfy you if your children were
attending the Ralph Reed public school, then why should it satisfy
Ralph Reed when his children are required to attend the Bruce Ackerman
public school?)

--
                   ----------
             Rick Duncan (rduncan at unlinfo.unl.edu)

"Be of good courage,
 And He shall strengthen your heart,
 All you who hope in the Lord."
       --Psalm 31:24