Looking Behind The Mirror

Steve Benen points me to a very heartening story. Gary Christenot, writing for the far-right WorldNetDaily spent some time in an area of Hawaii dominated by the Shinto and Buddhist faiths. Thus, all the prayers at school games and what not stemmed from those traditions. Experiencing life as a minority for the first time, he realized the severe discomfort even being forced to stand and observe another faith's prayer service can cause in a public environment. It's quite powerful stuff, and demonstrates quite powerfully the dilemma Justice Kennedy so ably noted in Lee v. Weisman: students who attend official ceremonies that include prayers from a background they are not a part of are forced to "participate or protest." As Christenot writes:

We often advocate the practice of Judeo-Christian rituals in America's public schools by hiding behind the excuse that they are voluntary and any student who doesn't wish to participate can simply remained seated and silent. Oh that this were true. But if I, as a mature adult, would be so confounded and uncomfortable when faced with the decision of observing and standing on my own religious principals or run the risk of offending the majority crowd, I can only imagine what thoughts and confusion must run through the head of the typical child or teenager, for whom peer acceptance is one of the highest ideals.

Well said.

This is a classic demonstration of why diversity is important and why it is crucial to listen to the voices and claims of minority groups. It took an actual lived experience for Mr. Christenot to realize the damage school prayer can cause to those of minority faiths. Presumably, though, prior to this trip he was at least aware that many members of minority faiths found school prayer to be objectionable on precisely the grounds he identified, and chose to disregard their claims. Most Christians will not get the chance to live in rural Hawaii and duplicate Mr. Christenot's experience. So the best we can hope for is to try and enhance the diversity of voices and stories that religious Christians hear, so that they can imagine our experiences, even if they never actually get the opportunity to step in our shoes.

See also: The Wall of Separation