I have to comment on columnist Cal Thomas' recent visit to Willmar. He is a strong conservative and I question his comments on education and religion.
Thomas noted that the judicial and intellectual elite (whoever that is) have removed God and morals from public education. He also added that education without a biblical base is inadequate.
When I hear this, I wonder what is taught or not taught in their churches that they need the public schools to teach religion? Their churches must be lacking in religious education. Would they think it appropriate to teach math in their church?
Conservatives need stronger families. Their families must be lacking in religious and moral education if they expect public schools to take up the slack.
Why do conservatives ignore the separation of church and state? America was settled by people fleeing religious persecution. Do they want to return to those conditions? What would happen if liberal churches became so strong they prosecuted Thomas' church? Hopefully he'd migrate to China or the moon.
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Finally, Thomas is not very old. How does he know God was taught in schools years ago? I entered the public school system in 1940 at a country school. We never prayed in school (we did in church, though). We always recited the Pledge of Allegiance but there was no mention of God. Where is Thomas coming from? We may have been taught morality, though. In the eighth grade, my friend and I disobeyed our teacher and she gave us both a whipping in the woodshed after school with the girls looking in the back window.
Graden West
New London
