Jim Lehrer News Hour Comes To Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
By Ellen Zuckerman

4/1/00 - Last week a television crew from "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer" came from Denver, Colorado to tape a segment about Jim Maechling's comparative religion classes. The crew came to observe a class discussion and to film meditation led by Buddhist Monk Rev. Kusala Bhikshu.

The show will air in the next few weeks on KCET.Mr. Maechling's classes already have been written up in the Los Angeles Times and the Christian Science Monitor.

What is so newsworthy about these classes? First of all, many people believe that religion is a private issue that should be left out of the curriculum at public schools. Others are worried that their children's faiths may be altered by biases in the text books or in a teacher's method of instruction.

Although Maechling recognizes the legitimacy of these concerns, he feels that it is necessary that all religions be taught in the classroom. Maechling makes clear that "to understand history and society today" we must understand their origins, and in many cases "[these origins] are a direct result of religion."

Many people believe Jim Maechling has helped his students open up to new ideas through "teaching not preaching."