Is it acceptable for an education secretary to state a personal preference for religious schooling?
Education Secretary Rod Paige gave an interview to the Baptist Press early in the year. The publication, the news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, isn’t widely read in the nation’s capital. But the story, featuring Dr. Paige’s comments on Christian schools and Christian values, drew big notice in Washington last week. And condemnation. Dr. Paige has clarified but declined to apologize for his remarks. And he has rejected demands that he resign. Did he cross a line or not? There has been some confusion over what exactly Dr. Paige, who is a Baptist, said to the Baptist Press. It quoted him as follows: “All things equal, 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.” It would seem that Dr. Paige was discussing elementary and secondary education. And that is how his critics understand him. But a transcript of the interview produced by the Education Department sh
