History, Church and State

To the Editor:

Cindy Rodibaugh’s recent letter attempts to cloak religious endorsement in the guise of historical inquiry, but unsurprisingly, her arguments fail both the test of fiscal logic and constitutional integrity.

Let’s begin with the comments regarding the Texas Lottery. Ms. Rodibaugh applauds the abolition of the Commission as a victory for accountability while simultaneously asking how it serves education. The answer is: it doesn’t. Legislative analysts have projected that the restructuring and courier bans in SB 3070 could result in a loss of over $50 million in state revenue. One cannot claim to support education funding while cheering for the dismantling of the very mechanisms that help provide it.

Next, Ms. Rodibaugh uses a Genetic Fallacy to argue that because colonial colleges were founded to train clergy, modern public schools should mirror that religious focus. This ignores nearly 250 years of legal evolution. The purpose of the public school system is to produce informed citizens for a pluralistic democracy, not to replicate the parochial goals of 17th-century Puritans.

Then she conflates teaching about religion with displaying religious doctrine. While she correctly notes that students should learn how religion (not just Christianity) shaped history, she uses this point to justify reintroducing the Ten Commandments. A profound legal and ethical gulf exists between studying religion in the context of historical artifacts versus posting a sectarian mandate on a classroom wall. Let’s understand the difference.

Finally, Ms. Rodibaugh defines history as an investigation into the truth. A history contains both truths and mistruths as it is typically written by the “victors.” Because of this, we must account for historical bias. As an example of historical bias, let’s take a quick peek at our own history. The rebelling colonies of the 1770s are seen as patriots by colonists (and by Americans today); however, the British viewed these same people as traitors. The truth lay somewhere in between.

Similarly, a true investigation into history would acknowledge that the foundations she cites (specifically the colonial South) lagged in literacy not just due to a lack of religious fervor, but because of a deliberate, systemic denial of education to large portions of the population. Keeping them ignorant keeps them obedient. This is why we must adjust for historical bias.

If we are to “Teach the Truth,” we must teach the whole truth: that our Constitution was designed to protect the state from religious overreach just as much as it protects the church from state overreach.