It was 8th grade, Social Studies class at Linden Elementary School, Miss Jameison’s class and we were studying the history of government in the US. Miss Jameison was explaining how government works and how we all should respect the jobs that the people we elect actually perform. And then, I remember this so clearly, she turned to the class and said, “...there is a division between the rules of religion and the rules of government in America but even as you respect the politicians elected to office you all should respect the work that God does.” “...class,” she continued, “as I remind you to respect those we elect to office you must also respect God...you must never ever use His name in vein nor should you ever use harsh words to describe the job our elected officials perform.” It was 1963 and each day at Linden School we began reciting the Lord’s Prayer, Pledged Allegiance to the flag, and in certain homerooms the teacher chose a selection from the Old and or New Testament, and read it aloud. In 1963 at Linden Elementary School we knew that not only was Miss Paterson our Principal, but that somewhere lurking unseen, but seeing all, God was also present. The interesting thing was, just whose God; was it the God of the predominately non Jewish teaching staff or the God of the predominately Jewish student body? There are many memories I carry with me from my K through 8th grade years at Linden School. Much of my personality, persuasions, pomp and circumstance originate from the formative years at Linden. Miss Jameison’s brief discussion regarding respect for God resonates high and I often refer to her comments when I contemplate the difference between freedom of religion and freedom from religion. I grew up in an era when the division between the expectations of religion and the demands of the governments were very blurred. I grew up when things were literally and figuratively black and white. Men were men, needed to be husbands and fathers, women cleaned the house dressed up with jewelry, they stayed at home and were the primary figure head to raise the 2.5 kids. Blacks did not necessarily do too many things whites did and if they did they were considered uppity, a bad thing; and although the United States was governed by Judeo/Christian morals and values, it was the Christians who had final say. In your home, on the street in your businesses God was a major player. You might choose the God you prefer, but in the US of A it went unsaid that the Christian God was the go to man. It is 2013 far from my years at Linden School and even in the decades since the speech Miss Jameison gave to my class, it seems the issue of the importance of God, (not just any God but a Christian God, and not just a Christian God but an Evangelical tyrannical, orthodox, do it my way of else God) has resurrected itself from a point of discussion to the point of irritant, irrational and irreverence. It seems there are too many loud voices speaking with great hypocrisy, speaking as if they were actual Disciples of God or God himself demanding that all Americans forego the divide of church and state and embrace the teachings of the Lord as if he was one of the signers of the US Constitution. There are voices who want to dictate how we live, love, learn. There are voices who insist God is good but insist he will punish you if they consider you bad.There are voices who confuse the message of religion with the punishment of theocracy.There are voices who feel free to use God’s name in vein but will be damned if anyone but they can do the same. I sometimes picture Miss Jamison at the the chalkboard, during this current time of religious jihad and wonder what she might tell her class about the respect for both God the politicians who like play God?
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 17:50:08 +0000
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