George H. Williams, professor of Church History, charged many of today's public schools with a "subtle violation of the separation of church and state," in a discussion with a Jewish rabbi and a Roman Catholic priest yesterday.

Williams spoke at a discussion of the problem of religious instruction in public schools at a forum sponsored by the Jewish Community Council. Msgr. Francis J. Lally and Rabbi Zev K. Nelson were the other speakers.

The violation of constitutional principles by schools occurs in the observance of religious holidays, the choice of prayers, hymns, and bible readings, as well as direct religious indoctrination by the teachers, Williams claimed.

"We who are religiously motivated," Williams continued, "should not subject those children to religious instruction whose families cannot believe in God."

Williams objected to the practice in certain schools to occupy some students with spelling exercises during the others' religious instruction periods.

"Objective" training in matters of religion is possible, according to Williams, only if the status of teachers is changed. Williams advocated higher salaries for public school teachers and permission to teach "independent of political pressures."

Democracy Different

Democracy differs from Communism, Williams said, in that it does not claim to be supreme in people's lives. "Let us not continue the trend toward a democratic theism," he stated.

Nelson argued for an even stricter interpretation of the doctrine of separation. Even history, he maintained, cannot usually be taught objectively. "The Crusades, for instance, mean glory to the Christians and destruction to the Jews," he said.

Lally, editor of the Catholic periodical, the "Pilot," emphasized the need to replace "moral and spiritual values" in a public school education. He said children are now taught to consider religion as the "frosting on the cake."