Before his appointment as Secretary of Education in the Bush cabinet, Rod Paige was the very effective Superintendent of Schools in Houston, Texas. He is being criticized for statements concerning schools and religion. Paige is a Christian; and in an interview with the "Baptist Press," he was quoted as saying the following:
"I would prefer to have a child in a school that has a strong appreciation for the values of the Christian community, where a child is taught to have a strong faith–where a child is taught that there is a source of strength greater than themselves."
Paige’s critics maintain that he has " ... totally blurred the line between personal belief and education policy ..." They also say he talked about his own religious beliefs and inferred that they should become part of the education curriculum. The "strong faith" in his statement would indicate that he is contemplating teaching religion instead of teaching ABOUT religion. They insist he is in the "wrong job" to hold such views.
In addition, Paige (according to those finding fault) is linking values to religious faith. They say that Muslims, Hindus. Buddhists, atheists, or agnostics are not more likely to commit crimes than those with religious faith. Also, the American people " ... have faith in our public institutions, confident that they belong to all of us, no matter what our religion ..."
Paige’s defenders say that schools need to teach values " ... most of which are ‘Judeo-Christian’ in origin ... and have served us well over time ..." His Christianity is absolute. Paige believes commandments such as "Thou shalt not steal" are given by God; they are " ... unchangeable for all time ..." In contrast, " ... the ethical system of atheists and agnostics are ... subject to the ebb and flow of the situation and the times ..."
A letter submitted to the Cincinnati Enquirer editor ended with these words: "I think that most people would rather be shipwrecked on a deserted island with a devout Christian than a devout atheist."