Ironically, a few short days after our first class, there was an article in the Chesterfield Observer discussing Separation of Church and State. The article was a response to a local high school which allowed a Christian based club to paint a mural in the lobby of the school which depicted a Christian theme. The school was coming under fire because in the opinion of the writer it crossed a line by promoting one religion over the other. At first glance, I thought, “What is the big deal?” But taking a step back, I could see the point of the view of the writer. Because I am a Christian I am sort of desensitized by this. My religion is the majority, so of course I am not offended. However, I believe that the school should be cautious of this type of freedom of expression. If you allow one group to create a mural, then I feel it is important for others to have equal representation. As a school leader, I would be very reluctant to open my school as a forum to religious expression. I would be curious to sit down with the school leader and understand the thinking behind allowing the club to proceed with this venture. Was the entire story printed? Are there more murals coming so that a diverse school population will be represented? Those are the questions that need to be answered. I hope there was a lot of thought behind the decision, if not this is the sort of controversy that can divide a community and cost a leader the trust of his/her constituents.
