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| (courtesy of the Cranston High School West Facebook page) |
When I first learned that my high school's school prayer was being challenged in court on constitutional grounds, I was a bit bemused. We had a school prayer? I couldn't remember ever having to recite one. Then someone, either my mother (who once taught at the school) or one of my classmates, reminded me that it was posted on the wall on one side of the auditorium, facing the school creed or motto or whatever it's called on the other side. Clearly, both documents made quite an impression on me at the time. It didn't even interest me enough to follow the story.
By Linda Felaco
Then I read on ProJo.com that there was a hearing today in federal court that the judge delayed for an hour to actually travel to the school to see the prayer for himself in its natural setting. So I read it for myself, for the first time in decades if not ever. Well, I probably read it once or twice out of sheer boredom while sitting through some school assembly or other.
Today's ProJo story has a picture of the prayer, so you can read it for yourself. As prayers go, I have to say it's probably one of the more secular ones I've ever read. It focuses almost exclusively on the qualities of being a good student, with only the pro forma religious opening and closing to let you know it's intended as a prayer. I mean, if you were writing a school prayer for atheists, this would be the way to go.
Nor is the imagery on the banner overtly religious. The pair
of outspread wings represents the school mascot, the falcon. The mountain peaks
and ocean waves to me are more patriotic than religious. The lantern I
interpret as the lamp of knowledge. The only possibly religious image is the
open book, if one chooses to believe it's the bible. But one can just as easily
infer it as a dictionary or schoolbook in the context.
Then I read the story ProJo published on Tuesday about the upcoming hearing, which describes other banners displayed at the school, including one near the main entrance that explains what the school expects of its students:
A Cranston West graduate, it says, should be "an informed, involved citizen who advocates for positive changes …"Ah, so that's where I get it from. My heart swelled with pride.
With all due respect to Jessica Ahlquist, the student who brought the lawsuit, and as a fellow atheist, I think she's barking up the wrong tree. The Cranston School Committee argues that the painting of the prayer, which was a gift from the school's first graduating class in 1963, expresses the givers' intent, not government policy, and I have to agree with them. Should the school have refused the gift rather than display it? I don't think that would've been the right way to go either.
As a proud product of the Cranston public schools (long before the release of Kung Fu Panda, however), I think Jessica Ahlquist should thank her lucky stars she's able to attend school in Cranston and not one of these benighted parts of the country that are trying to use the Old Testament as a science textbook in public schools. I'll take the Cranston High School West school prayer over being taught that the universe was literally created in 6 days and that dinosaurs walked the Earth alongside humans and rode on Noah's Ark, thanks.
And honestly, as an atheist, I'm way more offended by being expected to recite the "under god" version of the Pledge of Allegiance before town council meetings. If you hear someone clearing their throat to stay on beat during that part, that's me.