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ON COMMON GROUND Guide for Teachers and Students
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The Interreligious Advisory Board of the Dallas Independent School District The cosigners of “Religion: Questions and Answers" The PTA's “A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools" The Muslims on the Council on Islamic Education The Freedom Forum on its curriculum, "Living with Our Deepest Differences" The California State Board of Education on its "Moral and Civic Education, and Teaching About Religion" The Buddhist Churches of America on the question of school prayer. The Islamic Society of North America, publishers of the pamphlet "You've Got a Muslim Child in Your School" The cosigners of "Religious Holidays in the Public Schools"
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In preparing for the forum, you might interview several teachers, your school principal, or members of your local school board to get their perspectives on the problems or questions in your school system. You might also interview independent school administrators and faculty to get a sense of how these issues are treated outside the public school system.
When you have your forum, you might decide to invite your school administrators or principal or those of nearby public schools. Through the Internet, you might access the proposals to amend the Constitution to permit greater freedom of religious practice, and discuss whether or not they are needed.
9. Participation: The Key to the Public Square
Beginning with "Encounter in the Public Square" and using its documents and connections, examine some of the ways in which the public square" is benefiting from the participation of people of various religious traditions.
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What does it mean to "participate” in American public life? How do Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and others participate? What are the markers or indicators of "participation"? In what ways do interfaith or interreligious groups participate? (See The Interfaith Movement.)
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A Hindu festival procession in Queens or San Francisco, a Sikh parade, an official civic observance of a Muslim holiday--all are signs of a new configuration in the public square. Watch your local newspapers and contribute new stories and examples to the Pluralism Project web site. Explore Internet links to traditions (found in the Info sections) for news, events, and conferences.
10. E Pluribus Unum?
“Out of many, One" was the motto of the United States proposed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. It probably meant "Out of many colonies, one nation," but it has been interpreted more broadly to refer to the one people shaped by the many peoples from all over world who have come to America.
