“Supreme Court to hear case of praying ex-football coach” [Jan. 14, Local News] reminded me of how I felt when I was watching a state legislative meeting in Olympia. The meeting began with a prayer from a Christian minister. I was raised Christian but no longer consider myself one or affiliated with any religion, and in that moment, I felt alienated and not represented. I wrote my state senator about it, without reply.
The separation of church and state, which includes public schools, must be protected. There are those who portend that Christians are somehow under attack or there is a war being waged against them, but this could not be further from the truth. It is, in fact, the Christians who oppress and insist that Christianity be the observed religion and God of this country.
I do not deny anyone’s right to practice their religion, but there are times and spaces for this, and government space, public schools and playing fields are not those spaces. It is a form of oppression to exclude, so let’s not. Protect this separation and continue to allow everyone to practice religion in their own spaces and on their own time.
Carrie Campbell, Shoreline