experiencing a religious practice in school

[Prof. Steven D. Jamar, Dir. LRW Program]

Interesting problem, Tom.

Some preliminary thoughts:

1.  Students can't be forced or required to something their religion
forbids.  (Does any religion forbid fasting?)

2.  Students can't be required to do long-term practices (pray 5 times a
day to God, facing Mecca for two months);

3.  Student's can't be required to wear trappings that outsiders (not in
on the experience) would assume designates the wearer as of that
religion (yarmulka), except as a class cultural experience - dress-up
day in school, for example - trying on different hats from around the
world.

4.  Experiential learning is powerful - experiments in schools with
colored armbands and students being told one group is better than the
other.   Or one group is clearly in the majority with nothing said about
the significance of the armbands.  Or rolling the dice and having the
kids be "reincarnated" every half hour into another Hindu caste - and
having them think about politics and economics and society and whatever
from that perspective (I've done this one in church school a couple of
times - it is very interesting how quickly it becomes real - and the
choices students then make within character).  So I would not want to
overly limit experiential learning.

5.  One of the curiousities here is that I would be more inclined to
permit experiences of the minorities (in that community) to be done than
of the majority.  But this is a feeling.  I think I would probably
change my mind on longer reflection - but I just wanted to highlight the
curiousity of the inclination.  For example, why am I more uncomfortable
with a Catholic Priest or Protestant Minister coming in and talking
about their beliefs and practices and having the kids do something
typical of their religious practices than having an Islamic Sufi dancer
come in and talk about the dance as a religious meditation?  This not an
anti-Christian thing - I think  bringing in a Pentacostal to speak in
tongues would work too.  And I think having a Muslim imam in to lead
prayers five times a day would be improper too.  But I can't really
explain why this is my intuitive inclination.

interesting problem, Tom.

Cheers,
Steve
--
Steven D. Jamar
Professor of Law
Director, Legal Research & Writing Program
Howard University School of Law
2900 Van Ness Street N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20008

President, Legal Writing Institute

vox:  202-806-8017  fax:  202-806-8428
email:  sjamar at law.howard.edu