Sep C&S History Lessons #17
JULY 1933
Religion in Indiana Public Schools
In July, 1933, representatives of certain Catholic school parishes
requested the "School City of Vincennes," Indiana, to assume the
"administrative and instructional obligation for the school children
of the Catholic parochial schools." On the twenty-eighth day of the
same month, the "Board of School Trustees" voted to accede to the
request. Because of some technicality in the action which was not
satisfactory, this was later rescinded, but in 1935, two other
resolutions were adopted which were used to make the accepted
parochial schools "a part of the public schools and the public-school
system of the School City of Vincennes."
However, the Catholic authorities hired the janitor, and he and the
sisters and brothers teaching in the schools retained the keys to the
buildings. The schoolrooms had pictures of Christ and the Holy Family,
and crucifixes. The teaching sisters wore robes characterizing their
particular orders, and displayed the Roman Catholic rosary and
crucifix. Holy-water fonts were provided for the children's use. No
teacher was hired except as recommended by the authorities in charge
of certain Roman Catholic normal schools. The city was not
redistricted. "The children attending these schools came from the
church parishes and not from particular school districts within the city."
An action was brought by a taxpayer to enjoin payment of the teachers
in these schools, charging that they were in fact, if not in name,
parochial schools and not public schools.
Judge Gilkison, in the Daviess Circuit Court, ruled that "under all
the facts shown . . . the schools in question are Roman Catholic
parochial schools and not Indiana common schools."
On appeal to the supreme court of the State, that tribunal held on
June 29, 1940, that there had been no violation of any provisions of
the Indiana Constitution. The following significant statements are
found in the opinion:
1. "The fact that these teachers were recommended by various Catholic
normal schools cannot be considered an important factor."
2. "The fact that these teachers . . . wore the robes of various
orders to which they belonged" does not "constitute sectarian teaching."
3. "Such pictures and furnishings [Christ, the Holy Family, holywater
fonts] do not constitute sectarian teachings in the school."
It might be fittingly asked, What could be "important" in deciding
the matter of sectarianism?
No State Money for Christian Teaching
The American principle of absolute separation of the state from
religion requires the state to carry out these provisions to the
letter. If all men are equal-which is a self-evident truth-the
Christian has no right whatever to the use of public funds or to the
services of anyone hired by public money, for the propagation of the
religion which he believes.
(SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Religion in Indiana Public Schools, July 1933.
American State Papers on Freedom in Religion. 3rd Revised Edition.
Published in 1943 for The Religious Liberty Association, Washington,
D.C. by the Review and Herald. First Edition Compiled by William
Addison Blakely, of the Chicago Bar. (1890) under the Title American
State Papers Bearing on Sunday Legislation. pp 436-437)
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You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Historical Reality SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
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.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
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USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
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THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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