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OPINIONS
Voice of the people
Separation of church and state open for interpretation
Prayer at a local elementary school recently was maligned as inappropriate in a quest to maintain "separation of church and state." Our forefathers were more concerned with keeping the head of the church and state separate since the kings in England and France at the time served as both, hence, the separation of church and state.
Prayer was a part of the moral compass in establishing this nation. George Washington knelt in prayer at Valley Forge, and the Founding Fathers opened the Continental Congress with prayer. Judeo-Christian values were incorporated into the Declaration of Independence with the powerful phrase that we are "endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights." George Washington placed his hand on the Bible as he took his oath of office and added, "so help me God."
The principal who used prayer to bring peace and comfort to his students, particularly, after the Newtown tragedy is exactly what many in the community there did -- they bowed their heads in prayer. Perhaps a silent prayer or a moment of silent reflection would be a good way to start the school day and acceptable to all.
No, we don't want a president, a king, or a tyrant as head of the government and the church, but the moral compass that guided our nation in its founding might help us now and help those who have lost their way return to the values that have made this nation great.
Paige Cruz
Huntington
