Experiencing Religion

[Doug Laycock]

        I appreciate the support.  I am pretty sure that Charles meant that
"religious ceremonies are sacred [not scared] to those who practice them."

At 09:26 AM 2/17/98 -0600, you wrote:
>I agree with Doug Laycock -- and would add the following from an educator's
perspective:
>
>Recreating religoius practices or ceremonies through role-playing
activities should not take place in a public school classroom for a number
of reasons. Such activities, no matter how carefully planned or
well-intentioned, risk undermining the integrity of the faith involved.
Religious ceremonies are scared to those who practice them. Re-creations may
unwittingly mock or, at the very least, oversimplify the religious meaning
or intent of the ritual. Role-palying religious practices may also violate
the conscience of students who are asked to participate. Teachers should use
audio-visual resources, guest speakers (who know their role in a public
school classroom), and primary-source documents to introduce students to the
ceremonies and rituals of the world's religions.
>
>Charles Haynes, First Amendment Center
>
>----------
>From:   Doug Laycock[SMTP:dlaycock at MAIL.LAW.UTEXAS.EDU]
>Sent:   Friday, February 13, 1998 3:35 PM
>To:     RELIGIONLAW at LISTSERV.UCLA.EDU
>Subject:        Experiencing Religion
>
>        Government cannot require any citizen to perform a religious
>exercise.  Period.  No exceptions.  At the very least the compelling
>interest test must apply, and experiential learning doesn't cut it.  But I
>think this is the place for an absolute rule.
>
>        Anything else leads to all the hairsplitting psychoanalysis in
>Scalia's dissent in Lee v. Weisman.  The Weismans were coerced to attend a
>prayer service, and that's all the Court should have said.  What she thought
>about it and whether she was perceived as praying or "participating" or just
>sitting through it should not have been relevant to the decision.  Assigning
>a student to observe Ramadan is no different.
>
>        I am not much more comfortable with government asking or encouraging
>citizens to perform a religious exercise.  There are other ways to teach
>comparative religion.
>
>        It is irrelevant that experiential learning students are asked only
>to go through the motions and not to believe in what they are doing.  Part
>of the social memory of religious conflict in the West, well known to the
>Founders, is the martyr tradition.   Lots of those folks could have just
>gone through the motions; they didn't have to believe it.
>
>
>
>
>Douglas Laycock
>University of Texas Law School
>727 E. Dean Keeton St.
>Austin, TX  78705
>        512-471-3275 (voice)
>        512-471-6988 (fax)
>        dlaycock at mail.law.utexas.edu
>


Douglas Laycock
University of Texas Law School
727 E. Dean Keeton St.
Austin, TX  78705
        512-471-3275 (voice)
        512-471-6988 (fax)
        dlaycock at mail.law.utexas.edu