Oregon teachers may get OK to wear religious clothing in class
Teachers are likely to win the right to wear religious clothing such as turbans, yarmulkes, crosses and headscarves in public schools when the Oregon Legislature meets in February, elected officials say.
Oregon's prohibition on allowing teachers to exercise their faith by covering their heads or wearing other religious garb dates to a shameful anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant period in state history and is overdue to be changed, House Speaker Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone, said Monday.
Hunt plans to introduce a bill to repeal the 1923 law and said he is optimistic it will pass, given the broad spectrum of Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs who support the change.
Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian and state schools Superintendent Susan Castillo sent every lawmaker a letter last week urging them to end the ban on religious dress for teachers.
The 86-year-old law has not been tested in court since the Eugene School District won a 1986 Oregon Supreme Court case that upheld its firing of a Sikh teacher for wearing a turban, or dastaar, as her faith requires.
Few Oregonians were aware the state had such a ban -- one of only three in the nation -- until the Legislature passed a law earlier this year allowing all workers except teachers to wear religious dress at work in most instances.
The 1923 law on teacher dress was passed when Kaspar K. Kubli, an open supporter of the Ku Klux Klan, presided as speaker of the Oregon House. It was included in the Alien Property Act of 1923, which prohibited Japanese Americans from owning property in Oregon, and was designed to prevent nuns and priests from wearing their habits or vestments in classrooms.
Hunt said the old law has a modern-day impact. Some Muslim and Sikh Oregonians have been told in recent years that they can't apply for teaching jobs or can teach only if they remove their head coverings, he said.
Hunt said he will push to "allow teachers to have the same religious free exercise rights as every other Oregonian."
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, which has long supported the ban on teachers' wearing of religious clothing, said the Legislature should not end it without enacting additional protections for Oregon students.
"We are urging the Legislature not to rush," said David Fidanque, executive director of the state ACLU. "Just repealing the statute could cause real problems in maintaining the religious neutrality of schools in Oregon."
The Oregon Education Association has not taken a position on the issue, communications director Becca Uherbelau said. "Generally speaking, we support the religious freedom of our members."
During an off-year special session, fewer bills are considered in the Legislature than during a regular biennial session. Even so, Hunt said it is a priority to end Oregon's ban, particularly because teachers in some school districts are allowed to wear yarmulkes or crosses, while in other areas, they are forbidden. He has found no examples of a public school teacher being permitted to wear a Sikh turban or a Muslim headscarf, he said.
"Any time you are dealing with a balance between free exercise of religion and the anti-establishment clause, the question should be, is the teacher using that clothing to proselytize children? Clearly that should never be allowed," Hunt said. "But is a teacher allowed to teach and comply with the tenets of their faith, whether that is taking holy days off as vacation days or wearing the dress that their faith requires? That should clearly be allowed in Oregon today."
Fidanque said the ACLU fields many complaints that public schools and teachers do too much to promote Christianity, particularly in rural Oregon. Families of students who belong to minority religions or are nonbelievers are afraid to speak up, he said. Lifting the ban on religious dress could lead some Christian teachers to wear Jesus T-shirts or take other steps to evangelize at school, Fidanque said.
"This is not a statute that impacts only minority religions. It affects all school employees," he said. "There are people of faith who feel as a matter of their faith that they must advance their religious views. ... We want to have a broader discussion with the Legislature about the importance of maintaining the schools as a place of religious neutrality. All students and their families should feel welcome, and that's as important, if not more important, than teachers' freedom of religious expression."
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In God WE Trust, Polytheists are Godless & Lusty people
I must correct you K.J. Singh Ji
Chasidic Jews or any other Jews do not refer to God as Yarway or Yahwah. This is the Hebrew word for Jesus not God. The Jewish people follow the old testament or Torah only. And since Jesus is not mentioned until the new testament, Judaism does not even acknowledged him. Instead, Jews refer to God as HaShem; meaning, The Name(of God) much like saying Sat Nam. Many Jews greet each other with " baruch HaShem"which mean blessed is God.
About Sri Krishna
God's personalities have many names yet he is one
The names of God usually reflect an aspect of God. The Guru has a similar pattern as God is described in the various texts. These aspects of God were usually descriptive terms before becoming a divine title of God. It is very difficult to limit the description of God. One can experience God in so many ways, the names are a way of defining the experience, as we try to associate and enjoy God with others.
Most people don't see polytheism in reality. They understand the concept of the Supreme God. They just see the demigod as helpers of God similar to the angels in the Judeo Christian Mohammedan religions. Separation from God occurs on this planet and is highlighted by many religious texts. Separation within creation, between various societies is somewhat identified however not clearly defined. We should understand that demonic personalities will try to separate society after society especially those societies that are engaged in the service Of God. Therefore labels should be discarded for factual truths. For somebody to be polytheistic they would have to deny the most high God. Many Hindus as well as others recognize the Supreme Lord and his absolute divinity and personality no matter what their walk of faith says. In reality Hinduism began as many different faiths coming under the banner of one religion. Therefore polytheism would be governed by an individual's denial of the most high God and acceptance of a variety of gods that does not include devotion to the Supreme Lord. This would require either a one on one conversation or some other form of specific firsthand knowledge of an individuals statement of faith. We need to key in on our likeness and then our differences will slip away.
As for how India might be having troubles, open the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and read away. It is an individuals lack of a relationship with the Supreme Lord not some broad label that defines any culpability there. It is like someone saying that a tough life is a sign of some sort of sin. Purity and holiness is a state of mind in transcendence with the Lord not some status of material success. Guru Gobind Singh lived what many would call a life of sorrow and hardship that I morn for, even today. However, like his wife I must move on and realize the Glory of his and his loved ones sacrifices. His purity and holiness was not reflected by the condition of his life. His purity and holiness was reflected by the condition of his saintly mind and actions.
เฉด เจธเจฟเจค เจจเจพเจฎเฉ เจเจฐเจคเจพ เจชเฉเจฐเจเฉ เจฟเจจเจฐเจญเจ เจฟเจจเจฐเจตเฉเจฐ เฉ เจ เจเจพเจฒ เจฎเฉเจฐเจฟเจค เจ เจเฉเจจเฉ เจธเฉเจญเฉฐ เจเฉเจฐ เจชเจฐเฉเจธเจพเจฟเจฆ เฅฅ
ik-oNkaar sat naam kartaa purakh nirbha-o nirvair akaal moorat ajoonee saibhaN gur
parsaad.
One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear.
No Hatred. Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace ~
เฅฅ เจเจชเฉ เฅฅ
jap.
Chant And Meditate:
เจเจฟเจฆ เจธเจ เฉ เจเฉเจเจพเจฟเจฆ เจธเจ เฉ เฅฅ
aad sach jugaad sach.
True In The Primal Beginning. True Throughout The Ages.
เจนเฉ เจญเฉ เจธเจ เฉ เจจเจพเจจเจ เจนเฉเจธเฉ เจญเฉ เจธเจ เฉ เฅฅเฉงเฅฅ
hai bhee sach naanak hosee bhee sach.
True Here And Now. O Nanak, Forever And Ever True.
เจธเฉเจเฉ เจธเฉเจฟเจ เจจ เจนเฉเจตเจ เจเฉ เจธเฉเจเฉ เจฒเจ เจตเจพเจฐ เฅฅ
sochai soch na hova-ee jay sochee lakh vaar.
By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of
thousands of times.
There is reference to Krishen Ji the Blue Cowherd Boy in SGGS Ji
So mukh jalao jit kahe THAKUR joni...
Sikhism does Not Deny Personality Sarguna is there in SGGS Ji.
Sargun Swaroop Sikh Hain Mor...
Sri Isopanishad discovers the Original Person