Dispatch #6: Back to School
Schools shape the values of the next generation. As a result, they are often a battleground for people from different traditions or backgrounds. As we get settled into a new semester, we’ve been thinking a lot about different intersections of religion and education, especially in our own lives. Enjoy!
“This past week, I started a new school year at a new school; it’s my first semester of business school. As I perused the school’s list of activities and clubs, I was reminded of my hesitation to join a religious community. I saw that the Christian Fellowship was throwing a welcome picnic this past weekend and didn’t go. I saw that they have a Whatsapp group and even that seemed a bit too intimidating to join. I identify as a semi-practicing Christian who seeks community and recognizes its importance in the growth of her faith - so why do I hesitate? I co-create this newsletter about faith - and am all too aware of the irony that I won’t engage with members of my own religion.
I’ve been wrestling with this tension for my whole adult life. Internally, I am confident that my spiritual quest and desire to grow in community is earnest. Yet, I am doubtful that I can find people in established Christian communities who can meet me where I am. Last fall, I joined an introductory meeting at my previous school and felt a bout of embarrassment as I gently raised questions about how Christians respond to racial and political divides in our country and the importance of taking strong, public stances led by our faiths. I still remember the quizzical looks and silence on Zoom. I’ve never felt I could be authentically me--reconciling the personal, political, and spiritual--in these settings.
I know this feeling may be misguided and that I may be hurting my own spiritual journey as a result. But I don’t know how to overcome it. Fall is for new beginnings – if you’ve been through something similar, I’d love to hear from you.”
In the News: Religious Freedom & Public Schools
Federal appeals court sides with MDHHS, says mask mandate did not violate first amendment by Caroline Llanes
“In October, Resurrection School—a Catholic K-8 school in Lansing—claimed the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' school mask mandate violates its religious freedoms, particularly the religious belief that human beings were made in God's image. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the MDHHS, saying the now-rescinded mandate does not violate any religious or first amendment freedoms.”
“Knowing your rights is not anti-religion… Public schools educate 90% of U.S. students and they’re an important building block for a diverse, welcoming society. Religious freedom means that children of all religions and none should feel welcome in their own public school.”
“‘Board members are free to pray privately or to worship on their own time and dime,’ adds FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. ‘The school board, however, cannot lend its power and prestige to religion.’”
Religious Profile Spotlight: Representative Jahana Hayes
Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT), a fierce advocate of voting and labor rights, is the first African-American woman to represent Connecticut in Congress. Before her election in 2018, she was a public high school teacher and was named Connecticut’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. As a result of her ongoing education policy work, which she says is motivated by “kindness” and “community service,” she was reportedly on President Biden’s shortlist for Secretary of Education.
Rep. Hayes is also transparent about her faith. She is a member of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where she is a dedicated educator and a committed leader. She speaks eloquently about the strength she finds in her faith, but is also a staunch advocate for the separation of church and state. This past year she introduced HR 5626, the Eliminating the HHS Discrimination Division Act. According to her website, HR 5626 “saves taxpayer money by eliminating the [Discrimination] Division, which was created to enforce a refusal of care rule that would jeopardize access to medical services, including abortion and gender affirmation surgery among others.” Of her advocacy, she says: “I have been vocal about my personal faith journey, but nobody should be forced to live their life according to the religious values of another.”
The Eliminating the HHS Discrimination Division Act has been endorsed by a number of both religious and secular organizations, including the: National Women’s Law Center, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, National Center for Transgender Equality, Human Rights Campaign, Center for American Progress, ACLU, Americans United For Separation of Church and State, True Colors CT, AIDS CT, PFLAG, Catholics for Choice, National Council of Jewish Women, Muslims for Progressive Values, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Jewish Women International, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Keshet, and Center for Reproductive Rights.
Book Recommendation: Overcoming Religious Illiteracy
“For those invested in the intersection of religion and progressive politics, the topic of religion in public schools can be tricky. The separation of church and state theoretically prohibits public schools from favoring one religion. I believe keeping religion and government separate is an important value (and I imagine many of our readers agree, too). But should we completely eliminate religion from the curriculum? What is lost when students are not taught about religion in any capacity? How can educators teach about the influence of religion in our society without overstepping their constitutional boundaries?
Diane Moore’s Overcoming Religious Illiteracy makes the case that there is a civic responsibility to teach about religion in public schools. It also provides guidelines for educators to do so in a constitutionally-appropriate and justice-oriented way. As someone who believes religion should be discussed non-devotionally in public schools but struggles with how to implement that vision, this book is an incredible guide. Whether you are a student, educator, or simply interested in venturing into the thicket of religion and public school curriculum, Overcoming Religious Illiteracy is an excellent place to begin.”
- Hannah
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