Citizenship education promotes civil discussion amongst community members with differing opinions

Religion is often one the most important aspects in a person’s life, and with over 4,000 different religions in the world, it can often lead to division in society.  

Dr. Anthony Simones, Missouri Bar citizenship education director, and Don Barzowski, with the bar’s advisory committee on citizenship education, recently gave a presentation on religion and the Constitution in Ironton. The goal of this presentation was to bring together individuals of differing opinions and discuss this important topic in a civil and academic manner. 

Simones discussed landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases such as Lee v. Weisman and Kennedy v. Bremerton while Barzowski lead the group in a game of “philosophical chairs” where participants discussed the intimate details of the cases and saw how one’s religious views can shape their opinion. 

“I applaud Don for his faith that something like this could be done and for his courage in testing his belief in such a public forum,” Simones said. “I applaud the citizens of this area for their willingness to engage in civil discourse, to listen to others, and to put forth their ideas with respect. I am so proud to have been a part of this extraordinary event.” 

Participants who were skeptical later expressed their gratitude for such an event and praised The Missouri Bar for hosting. 

“Tony was great! He did a great job managing the room discussing such a polarizing topic,” participant Matt Ursch said. “The one thing I’ve realized from this event is that the area is more diverse than I initially thought.” 

Are you interested in hosting an event like this in your area? You can request a speaker from The Missouri Bar here. 

The Missouri Bar is a statewide organization that is dedicated to improving the legal profession, the law, and the administration of justice for all Missourians. Created in 1944 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri, it serves all 31,000 of Missouri’s practicing lawyers. The Missouri Bar provides a wide range of services and resources to its members, as well as the media, educators, and the citizens of Missouri. To learn more about The Missouri Bar, visit MoBar.org and MissouriLawyersHelp.org.