wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Anonymous November 12, 2007 - 12:08PM

  Prayer has no place in public schools. Period.

  
  
• [2] patricia compton from Westchester, NY November 12, 2007 - 12:16PM

  I'd like to know how much the guests Unitarian upbringing affected his decision to protest. Unitarian Universalisn is the only religion that encourages poeple to think for themselves. Other religions encourage following authority and this has contributed to creating a population that that is reluctant to question and even protest against political authority when it has gone astray.

  
  
• [3] ab November 12, 2007 - 12:21PM

  I agree with the earlier post, prayer has no place in public schools...end of story.

  Ellery is right, this country was NOT founded as a Christian nation, it was founded as a constitutional nation and any cursory glance at the writings of the founding father's writings reveal that plain and obvious fact

  
  
• [4] Norm Fid from Freeport NY November 12, 2007 - 12:21PM

  How do your guests feel about a prayer room for muslims in a public NYC school or a school devoted to Muslim culture as part of the NYC system?

  
  
• [5] eCAHNomics November 12, 2007 - 12:26PM

  From the U.S. Treay of Tripoli (1796), the U.S. has declared it's NOT a Christian nation:

  Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

  
  
• [6] Michael Shurgan from Mahwah, NJ November 12, 2007 - 12:28PM

  Prayer does not belong in school. In the early 60s my public school attempted to have me expelled for refusing to repeat the Lord's prayer, although my family prcticed no religion at the time and supported me in my refusal.

  I had occassions on which the teacher actually threw a Bible at my head for refusing to pray and some of my classmates were forbidden by the parents to associate with me. I even received a few death threats from fellow first graders.

  I think prayer is a personal matter and those of us who want to pray should do it at home and in places of worship, not ion school.

  Not only is it the wrong place, but it siscriminates against other religions (especially polytheists) and atheists. Schools should not teach discrimination by showing one religion as normative.

  
  
• [7] stephen sellinger from Rockland County November 12, 2007 - 12:29PM

  The web-site below clearly demonstrates the decidedly non-Christian genesis of our nation.

  http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html

  Our Diest founding fathers were informed by the philosophers of the enlightenment.

  I pray (although that is not the right term) but follow no formal religion.

  Stephen

  
  
• [8] TM from Brooklyn November 12, 2007 - 12:30PM

  JFK had an excellent response- Nobody is prevented from praying anywhere, at any time. Pray quietly, in your own mind.

  
  
• [9] Andrea from Scarsdale, NY November 12, 2007 - 12:54PM

  I was invited into my daughter's 2nd grade public school classroom to talk about Christmas. I was prohibited, however, from saying that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. I could talk about baking cookies and decorating the tree, but I was prohibited from mentioning the religious significance of Christmas.

  How these rulings are being implemented is a problem.

  
  
• [10] Bernard Shurgan from Oceanside ny March 17, 2008 - 02:14PM

  I found the name of a nephew of mine(Micheal Shurgan) in your letters of nov.12th 2007.

  it WAS IN REPLY TO A QUESTION OF THE lEONARD Lopate show. Is there some way I can contact that person through you.?

  Thanks

  Bernard Shurgan