Thanks for the article “Public schools and religion don’t mix” that appeared in the Aug. 1issue of The Smoky Mountain News. Mr. Marshall Frank raised some issues that we had not considered - such as honoring parents unworthy of being honored.

Two years ago, Illinois faced a Ten Commandments initiative similar to the new North Carolina legislative action. Ours was eventually defeated in the state Senate, but as career school teachers we felt we needed to be prepared. Rather than be “negative,” we developed a 26-page lesson for Riverside Brookfield High School students - and for any other teachers who might be interested.

It’s titled “The Decalogue: Bible Scholarship for use Today.” The focus is on the history of those parts of the Bible in which divergent Ten Commandments are found. One basic question we pose to students is quite similar to yours: How can a Ten Commandment display in a school be made in a non-religious manner?

We’ve distributed our unit at various history and social studies conventions, and we’ll gladly send a copy to any North Carolina teachers who may be interested. (Instructors in particular schools are expected to photocopy the material for their students.)

(Brant Abrahamson, The Teachers Press, 3731 Madison Ave., Brookefield, Ill., 60513; teacherspr@aol.com.)

 

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