Profanity in School

July 29, 1989

Editor
Englewood Independent
107 W. National Rd.
Englewood, OH 45322

Dear Editor

I noticed, with involved interest, the article on the front page of the July 12 Englewood Independent. The article was about the use of profanity at Northmont schools. I attended that meeting. The Superintendent was quoted as saying they have a code against profanity at Northmont. Therefore the School Board did not need to add a prohibition against profanity. That is very misleading. In order to check this out, I went to the administrative offices and received much kind and considerate cooperation. They gave me a copy of the Northmont City School District's Rules of Student Conduct 1988-89. They explained to me that profanity was covered under DISRESPECT in CATEGORY "H". There is no section in the Rules of Student Conduct against profanity. The DISRESPECT clause is against showing disrespect to fellow creatures, not for disrespect to the creator. However, interpreting that as against profanity is consistent with education's religious humanism, which deifies man and humanizes deity. That is an insidious form of humanism. You can only use profanity in relation to that which is sacred in contrast to that which is secular. Parents this is an example of modern education trying to deify man and take the consciousness of God out of the mind of children. However, we must let them know that many of us do not get our theology from Shirley McClain movies. The First Amendment is clear government schools should not try to destroy religious beliefs in children. At the aforementioned meeting, one of the School Board members even tried to excuse the Superintendent's defense of profanity in the school. The School board member claimed that even some theologians did not consider it profane to use God's name or the name of His Son in an irreverent or disrespectful manner. I would have liked to have heard what theologians he was speaking of. I suppose he meant Iranian theologians or maybe apostate theologians; it is certain that no orthodox christian theologian would agree with him. He further indicated that since we live in a pluralistic society that we could not really define profanity. Isn't that strange seeing the dictionary has no problem defining profanity? Maybe someone should buy the School Board and the School system a dictionary. My New World Dictionary defines "profaning: 1. to treat (sacred things) with irreverence or contempt. 2. to put to a base or improper use." That seems straightforward. If school administrators cannot understand something that simple, we can understand why our children are having trouble in school. It certainly is the parents responsibility to teach their children to respect other people's view and not show contempt or disrespect for other people's religious beliefs. That is common courtesy. But the state school system should not teach, by their support of profanity, that it is Ok to show disrespect for the religious beliefs of others. Neither should they interpret profanity in such a way to teach "man is god and there is no other God." God says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." Exodus 20:7. One can only guess who is the more guilty, a youth who profanes the name of God or the adult who condones and excuses it. Parents need to insist that the School Board does include a section in the Code of Conduct against profanity. You can do that by attending the School Board meetings and letting your voice be heard. You can also let your voice be heard by voting for school board members who believe that we should not condone the disrespect for anyone's personal concept of deity.

By His Grace and For His Glory

Pastor Charles J. Arnett Union Baptist Church
528 N. Main St. Englewood OH 45322