What were those Puritans thinking?
SOME SCHOOLCHILDREN in Maryland may need to hear this story:
In Massachusetts in 1623, our Pilgrim forbears were struggling. A terrible drought, some six weeks in length, was withering the crops, without which they would not survive the winter. What was worse, a ship bearing more colonists and additional supplies was long overdue, possibly lost. In their distress, the Pilgrims turned to God. They determined to "more solemnly to humble ourselves together before the Lord by fasting and prayer." The morning following their "period of humiliation" a soft shower began to fall--a perfect, 14-day rain--and, says colonist Edward Winslow, "it was hard to say whether our withered corn or drooping affections were most quickened or revived." Then came blessing upon blessing: They received news that the ship they had been awaiting was not lost, but only delayed.
Their prayers answered, the Pilgrims thought "it would be great ingratitude, if secretly we should smother up the same, or content ourselves with private thanksgiving for that, which by private prayer could not be obtained. And therefore another solemn day was set apart and appointed for that end; wherein we returned glory, honor, and praise, with all thankfulness, to our good God, which dealt so graciously with us." Thus, the first (New England) Thanksgiving.
Why tell this familiar tale to residents of the Free State? Because in some Maryland public schools, students are taught all about Thanksgiving--the Pilgrims, the Indians, the dress, the menu-- except for one little detail: that thanks was given to God. "We teach about Thanksgiving from a purely historical perspective, not from a religious perspective," says Charles Ridgell, St. Mary's County Public Schools curriculum and instruction director. In fact, several school administrators in Maryland told the Capital News Service, "religion never coincides with how [they] teach Thanksgiving."
Pish-posh. That's revisionist teaching, thank you. Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich agrees, apparently, and denies that taking God out of the curriculum is state policy.
In truth, trying to tell the story of the Pilgrims without God is like taking the Saint out of St. Mary's County. Perhaps Mr. Ridgell et al. should take a trip to nearby St. Clement's Island, the birthplace of Maryland. There, where the first Maryland settlers made landfall, Father Andrew White celebrated the first Catholic Mass in America, grateful for the protection of God on their difficult journey. "We erected a trophy to Christ the Savior," he says in his journal, "humbly reciting on our bended knees, the litanies of the Sacred Cross with great emotions." Teach that, Free-staters!
What educators like Mr. Ridgell fail to realize is that describing a person's motivation is not prescribing a student's religion, but failing to teach accurate history is, in fact, proscribing truth.
In place of turkey, such educators should eat crow.
PostscriptMaryland may not be the capital of PC-Land. According to WorldNetDaily, the Alliance Defense Fund has filed a suit against the Cupertino County, Calif., school district for prohibiting a teacher from handing out to students historical documents which refer to God and religion.
Censored? Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, the diaries of George Washington and John Adams, the writings of William Penn, and some state constitutions.
Exactly how do you rewrite, "all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights." And why would you want to?