A news article caught my attention this past week:

Parents Complain of ‘Religious Indoctrination’ After Video Shows Students Reciting Bible Verse

That got my attention, but not for the reason you might think.

First, no sensible person can really argue with the sentiments recited aloud by small children in a Texas public school: “Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.”

You could find sentiments like this in almost any self-help book or even on a greeting card.

Many took exception to the fact(s) that:

• These words were taken from or inspired by the Bible
• It was small children who were being “forced” to memorize them
• It was in a public school
• Parental consent was not sought
• A boastful video of the group recitation was posted online
• All of the Above!

There is in fact plenty to pick apart and take issue with in terms of how this was handled and reported.

Reciting v. Reading

But what caught my attention was the word “reciting.”  I was taken aback by the idea of reciting passages from the Bible.

Another educator had recently spoken to me about reciting: his students memorize written [literary] passages to be formally recited before a listening audience, as preparation and training for public speaking. I understand the value of this.

I myself was required to memorize Longfellow’s Paul Revere’s Ride in the 5^th grade. We were all required to memorize and “recite” the poem in front of the class.  I can still remember the opening stanzas, “Listen, my children, and you shall hear…” A strong imprint was left.

But the memory is more of rhyming and rhythm and feats of memorization rather than an appreciation for the poetry of Longfellow, or an experience of the English language, or greater understanding of the War of Independence, or a rush of patriotism, or any deeper meaning at all. It was more like completing the requisite number of pull-ups in gym class. In fact, the greatest satisfaction came from learning long afterward that a girl I liked from afar in the class had been impressed that I was the first to volunteer to recite the poem, that and subsequently reciting the poem in a Donald Duck voice for the amusement of friends.

The recent article made me realize that many lay readers take this recitative approach to reading scripture aloud in church (“…the old North Church as a signal light…”) They view it as a kind of recitation where accuracy and avoidance of any hesitation or stumbling are the primary goals and measures of success. The reading becomes automatic. The text is left to speak for itself and the act of reading is dispatched as a duty and a dry one at that. One verse follows another like the opening and reading aloud of one fortune cookie after another.

Reading aloud in public schools

We should aspire to more when reading scripture aloud in public, whether in church or in school. We should encourage the young to read aloud, not simply to perform rote memorization. Reading aloud allows us to discover new words, worlds and experiences through the narratives  and binds us to those experiences and practices. The idea of memorizing and reciting verses or passages risks reducing that experience to mental gymnastics and a collection of aphorisms.  What we should encourage is the act of reading aloud.

NBCnews.com published a painful-to-read opinion piece last February: Schools should teach religion. What they shouldn’t teach is faith.  Agreed: teach religion in public schools, not faith. Making an acceptance of the articles of faith a pretext and prerequisite for reading, let alone studying, religious text denies all students an opportunity to experience and gain an understanding of a world of heritages: heritages that belong to all of us.

Separate church and state without separating the state entirely from the study of religion. You don’t need to be a Christian to teach or appreciate Leonardo DaVinci’s The Last Super or Handel’s Messiah and neither should you have to be. I think Jesus would be the first to sit with a non-believer and require nothing in return. Let’s share the Gospel with all and expect nothing in return.

Trust our sacred texts. If our religion is good and the minds are inquiring, students of all ages – who read aloud, or gaze upon a painted masterpiece, or listen to sacred music on a pipe organ — will want to learn and know more without being forced. We will learn to talk together about it.

No reciting required.