Should God Be Mentioned At A Public High School Graduation?
Somewhere in a Utah school graduation, God was mentioned. I can’t honestly say I’m shocked. I can’t even say that I’m offended, but Susan at Seagull Fountain mentioned me by name, so I feel like I must comment. Here is her description of the event:
His was pretty standard stuff: remember the lessons of the past, set high end-goals for the future, strive to be happy, and then he quoted from . . . no, not the Book of Mormon, or even the Bible, but from Benjamin Franklin (he also quoted the Scout Oath and Muppet Treasure Island):
I believe in one God, creator of the universe, that he governs by his divine province, that he ought to be worshiped, that the greatest service we can render to him is in doing good to his other children.
and later
That God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?…Our Lives are comparable with the Empire Benjamin Franklin references. He continues, without his concurring Aid, we shall succeed in this political Building no better than the Builders of Babel.
My thoughts?
My first instinct was to think that his civics and history teachers didn’t do a very good job about mentioning the separation of church and state, but he wasn’t quoting scripture. He quoted Benjamin Franklin, founding father of our country. You can’t get more “state” than that.
God has been so interwoven into the binding of our country that excising him completely smacks of revisionist history.
As a young man embarking on the world, however, there was so much BETTER advice from Benjamin Franklin that he could have quoted. Even the, “In the dark, all cats are grey,” advice was more practical help for a young man than the quotation he chose. When you’re trying to inspire people, the God-card is a strong card to play, but only for those who believe in God. You end up ostracizing the rest. It is better to avoid that route and choose a subject of inspiration that is inclusive rather than exclusive.
Of course, he’s only 18 years old. If he spends any time outside of Utah that isn’t on a mission, he’ll learn soon enough that bearing his testimony in secular places isn’t a very smart move. Playing the God-card too often not only breeds resentment, but cheapens the sanctity of it.
Holy things are meant to be HOLY. Dragging them out into the secular world doesn’t make the secular holy. It makes the holy profane. That’s why the LDS church has private ceremonies in the temple away from prying eyes. Bearing testimony should be a sacred act in a church or maybe a religious camp-out. Bringing it into a public school commencement speech actually devalues it.
Should God be mentioned at a public high school graduation? I say, “No,” for entirely religious reasons.
It brings the sacred into a profane place, sullying the sacred in the process. There are so many inspirational quotations that one could draw upon that bring across the same idea without marking a delineation between believers and heathens. Isn’t it better to be inclusive rather than exclusive?
“Of course, he’s only 18 years old. If he spends any time outside of Utah that isn’t on a mission, he’ll learn soon enough that bearing his testimony in secular places isn’t a very smart move.”
I have to disagree with you there. While I think that we need to be open-minded of other people’s thoughts and feelings and beliefs, I can tell you that growing up outside of Utah-my bearing of my testimony whenever I was put into a situation where I had to defend my decision not to do X, was always received with compliments, or at the very least respect.
From 4th grade till graduation, whenever the history of Mormons was taught in history class, I was the one giving the lesson-I asked the teacher every year if I could do it because it was my religion and I wanted to make sure that my fellow students knew that they could ask questions and receive answers from a peer-and my fellow classmates often remarked how they were glad I was up there. I did this in my elementary school in Virginia, my middle school in Maryland, Junior high and Highschool in North Carolina-so I feel like I do have experience in this area.
I think that the WAY it is brought up or delivered has a HUGE impact on how it is perceived. If it is forced or pushed, then obviously it is not going to be well received.
I find it funny how people get offended with God being a part of school and the argument of church and state, yet they don’t remember, like you said, how the founding fathers relied on heavenly inspiration through the progress of developing this country.
It also seems odd that people can get angry, annoyed and offended when my religious beliefs and ideas are brought up, but, expect me to accept their beliefs and ideas happily with not a word. There has got to be a happy medium-and I think that is love for all-no one should have to apologize for their beliefs-and that goes for ALL sides of the argument :0)
Comment by Lorri Randle — 6/1/2009 @ 10:47 am
Interesting contrast you draw — “Holy things are meant to be HOLY. Dragging them out into the secular world doesn’t make the secular holy. It makes the holy profane.”
I was proud of my brother (even though it wasn’t the same speech I would give) because he shared a message that was important to him. God is mentioned in graduations all over the country (esp in the South, I should say, but also in Harlem and The Bronx), Allah is mentioned in commencements in Cairo.
Separation of church and state means that the state does not support a religon, not that we restrict the 1st amendment rights of public speakers.
As for the better quotes of Franklin, I’m sure there are, but these two quotes actually seem quite apropos to me for a graduating class facing life decisions including choosing a career in the midst of recession.
The first quote says that there is something (call it a “divine being” like Franklin, or “humanity” if you prefer) greater than ourselves, and that we can best serve something greater than ourselves by serving others. By not putting our own greed first.
The second quote reaffirms that we need the help of something greater than ourselves in order to succeed. It encourages humility.
Frankly, desire to serve others (in Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity, New Orleans rebuilding, etc) and humility (rather than corporate greed and malfeasance like we see in the finance sector, etc) are two things I wish every graduate would embrace.
Finally, you’re absolutely right that my brother is sheltered and naive, and that he will hopefully learn a lot as he travels outside of Utah. One thing he will learn (that I learned in Japan, NYC, Cairo, Europe, and Florida) is that many people are able to discuss matters of religion and state, and God and Christianity/Islam/Judaism/Atheism/Agnosticism/etc/etc without an immediate polarization of us versus them.
Mormon – Non-Mormon relations in Utah are sometimes so acrimonious, they remind me of race relations in the South. I hope someday (we) Mormons can be more Christ-like and that non-believers (or however I should categorize the “others”) can forgive us for our frequent insider-group shortsightedness.
Comment by Jane of SF — 6/1/2009 @ 3:32 pm
Free speech is the North Star we want to steer toward. Personally, my only issue with the religious content in the speech isn’t the content at all. It is the suspicion that on the flip side, if a graduate student stated he was a gay atheist and quoted Darwin, the world would be turned over.
Comment by Katie — 6/1/2009 @ 6:29 pm
I found this blog article very interesting. It isn’t every day that I read about a person mentioning God in his graduation speech. Even more rare when it is me that it is describing…
I’m Ryan Hyatt, the speaker so described.
I wish to apologize for any offensive or discriminatory feelings that may have been a result of my remarks. I recognize that my words weren’t conventional, especially in a setting of a public high school’s graduation exercises. The last thing I wanted to convey was a feeling of animosity, exclusivity, or pride…
Like you, Laura, I feel that as my name has been mentioned, It would be a good idea to perhaps respond and explain of why I decided to speak on, in part, God (My rendition of reliance on a supreme being was only my final paragraph). While drafting my speech and trying to decide a topic and to what depth I would pursue, I decided to speak lastly on this country’s reliance on God. I believe, with everything I have been taught and the experiences in my life (notably sheltered) that God is central to our existence. All of us vary in our beliefs, but I believe we can attest to the hand of God in this country’s founding, or at least to the founding fathers testament of such. “In God we trust.”
I know that this may have not been the best time to say the things I said. However, I felt (and still feel) that it is my reliance on God that has led me through my 18 years of life. I also believe, with everything I possess, that our greatest successes will be realized if we live our lives knowing that there is a supreme being who “ought to be worshiped, that the greatest service we can render to him is in doing good to his other children.” Is it not at least a national (if not international) belief that we should serve others? This is the ultimate reason I desired to use the quotes I did. I feel very strongly about this.
A word about separation of church and state and playing the “God-Card.” I believe that my civic and historical education is as complete as one should expect at my age (of course I would hold this view, I’m biased…). As I recall, that phrase was first coined in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists who were exercising political control in their church services. This was similar to the way the Catholic church often ruled in secular settings… I don’t believe this applies to my speech. My work was my own. I did not represent the State nor the school board, nor the administration of the school I graduated. I represented me. These were my words, my recommendations for future success. Furthermore, I believe that it is safe (safe, as in legal, right, and to be continued) to mention God in public settings. Do we not Pledge our allegiance under God? Do we not bare the title, in God we trust on our currency?
This country was founded on these principles. Until recently (perhaps within 30 years) the age old practice of beginning sessions of congress with prayer has stopped. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t believing that there is no God, a belief – even a religion? Why should that belief and practice be pushed on us when the country was founded with these beliefs and traditions. If nothing else, shouldn’t tradition continue with prayer and engraved currency to tie us to our founding fathers?
In conclusion, I’m surprised that time has been taken to write about my speech. It was over five months ago, I myself have forgotten many of the particulars. I meant to offend none, and again wish to express that. I believe that as a bottom line, we should be kind and considerate, for if we are anything else, we have undermined any values we once claimed to be defending. If I have indeed insulted or offended anyone, I wish that you will forgive me.
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Comment by Ryan Hyatt — 10/20/2009 @ 4:19 pm