AIRED: December 14, 2020
SPECIAL GUESTS: Eric Buehrer
Each year, the President declares January 16th to be “Religious Freedom Day,” and calls upon Americans to “observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship.” It is the anniversary of the passage, in 1786, of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom. Thomas Jefferson drafted the legislation and considered it one of his greatest achievements. It stopped the practice of taxing people to pay for the support of the local clergy, and it protected the civil rights of people to express their religious beliefs without suffering discrimination.
The men who drafted the U.S. Constitution leaned heavily on Jefferson’s statute in establishing the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom. Today, that protection is as important as ever. In too many instances, public school teachers tell students they cannot include their faith in their homework assignments or classroom discussions.
The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidelines explaining students’ religious liberties. Talking about religious liberties (especially explaining students’ liberties to parents) will make an administrator’s job easier because it will clarify that schools need not be “religion free zones.” It is often the case that parents who complain to school officials about what they think are violations of the separation of church and state do not understand the appropriate and lawful place religious expression can have at school.
The main message students need to hear is that they shouldn’t feel like they have to be “undercover” about their religion – that somehow, they have to keep quiet about their family’s beliefs. School officials might be hesitant to acknowledge Religious Freedom Day thinking they will need to have a school assembly giving a platform to various religious speakers. This is not necessary. Religious Freedom Day is an opportunity for a civics lesson regarding Americans’ freedom to express and live out their faith.
ABOUT ERIC BUEHRER
Eric Buehrer was a public school teacher before founding Gateways to Better Education. He is a published author and nationally-recognized authority on the subject of religion and public education. His approach is unique as it emphasizes camaraderie, not conflict; and reason, not rage.
Gateways to Better Education is a nonprofit organization founded in 1991 to help public school educators, parents and school leaders teach about the important contribution the Bible and Christianity make to the world. Gateways shows them how to do this legally and appropriately within existing constitutional boundaries, current laws, and state academic standards.
Gateways empowers parents with tools to navigate the public schools so their children graduate with their faith and values stronger. Gateways guides school leaders in establishing policies and practices that protect academic and religious freedom.
