Why Bother?

Although still deeply involved in litigation with state and federal governmental agencies, the church-related schools of this country have made substantial gains during the past year in their endeavor to maintain independence from political direction. The Supreme Court has decided that the NLRB cannot order church-related schools to recognize teachers’ unions; Congress has prevented the IRS from forcing such schools to prove their innocence of “discrimination”; and in other ways the courts have tended to sustain the freedom of religious schools under the First Amendment and other constitutional provisions.

Yet whether many church schools take full advantage of their exemptions and privileges is open to question. Despite their rights at law, church-related schools often drift into a dull conformity with the modes of thought and instruction prevalent in the “public” schools. As Malcolm Muggeridge remarks of liberties in our age, many people do not desire to be free. “They swim into Leviathan’s mouth. He does not need to chase them.”

RK

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Russell Kirk

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Although still deeply involved in litigation with state and federal governmental agencies, the church-related schools of this country have made substantial gains during the past year in their endeavor to maintain independence from political direction. The Supreme Court has decided that the NLRB cannot order church-related schools to recognize teachers’ unions; Congress has prevented the IRS from forcing such schools to prove their innocence of “discrimination”; and in other ways the courts have tended to sustain the freedom of religious schools under the First Amendment and other constitutional provisions.

Yet whether many church schools take full advantage of their exemptions and privileges is open to question. Despite their rights at law, church-related schools often drift into a dull conformity with the modes of thought and instruction prevalent in the “public” schools. As Malcolm Muggeridge remarks of liberties in our age, many people do not desire to be free. “They swim into Leviathan’s mouth. He does not need to chase them.”