Support mixed for Taber mom against Lord's Prayer in school
'I believe it's up to the parents to teach our children spirituality,' says Melanie Bell
A Taber mom who is concerned about the recitation of the Lord's Prayer in her child's southern Alberta school says she has received mixed feedback.
Dr. Hamman School temporarily cancelled the daily practice recently following a complaint from Melanie Bell.
She spoke with the Calgary Eyeopener about the situation this morning.
- Listen to the full interview:
While she is getting support, Bell said the debate has heated up to the point where she is getting hate mail and feels unsafe leaving her home.
"Taber is a very religious town," she said.
She said her son came home crying after he was disciplined for not participating in the prayer.
She said the children were expected to stand as the prayer was read over the PA system, and when her son didn't stand his teacher "humiliated" him by putting him on the spot in front of his peers.
Bell said if she wanted that then she would have enrolled her children in a Christian or Catholic school.
"I believe it's up to the parents to teach our children spiritually, it shouldn't be left up to the public schools," she said.
Bell said a school board meeting planned for Nov. 26 is expected to address the issue and she is open to compromises.
"We need to find a happy medium."