More and more educators are seeing the importance of addressing not only the intellectual and physical needs of students but also their emotional, social, and health needs.
Eleven Religious Liberties
Here are eleven freedoms outlined in 2023 by the U.S. Department of Education. There are eight for students and three for educators.
Students
You can pray, read your Bible or other religious material, and talk about your faith at school.
You can organize prayer groups and religious clubs, and you can announce your meetings.
You can express your faith in your class work and homework.
You can wear clothing with religious messages.
You may be able to go off campus to have religious studies during school hours.
You can express your faith at a school event.
You can express your faith at your graduation ceremony.
You can pass out religious literature at school.
Educators
Educators and school employees can pray at school.
Educators can teach about religion in class.
Schools can accommodate religious instruction and prayer during school.
We have Free to Speak pamphlets using quotes directly from the U.S. Department of Education. The pamphlet clarifies for parents, students, and educators the freedoms of religious expression on a public school campus. They are designed to fit in your wallet or backpack. For more information on ordering go to our STORE.
To read what you can do to promote greater religious freedom at your schools, click here.
Every January 16th is Religious Freedom Day - Visit our Religious Freedom Day website for ways to commemorate this special day.
Click HERE for the U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools.
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The Bible in State Academic Standards
There is a common misconception that teaching about the Bible and Christianity is not allowed in public school classrooms because of concerns over the establishment of religion. As The Bible in State Academic Standards shows, quite to the contrary, state academic standards across the nation provide ample opportunity for educators to teach about the Bible, Christian beliefs, and Christians who were influential in history. For example, California sixth graders are expected to:
“Note the origins of Christianity in the Jewish Messianic prophecies, the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament, and the contribution of St. Paul the Apostle to the definition and spread of Christian beliefs (e.g., belief in the Trinity, resurrection, salvation).” (Standard 6.7.6, adopted in 1998 and reaffirmed in 2005)
We have reviewed every states academic standards. In our Summaries we include:
State academic standards related to the Bible and Christianity
The preambles to state constitutions that reference God because most states have an expectation that students will learn about their constitutions
State laws regarding freedom of religious expression
We will mail you a Summary of your State Academic Standards if you fill out the form below.
Family Devotions / Sunday School Easter Lesson Plan
Looking for a way to impact your church and your schools? We've created an Easter Devotional that can be used as a Sunday School Lesson or a Family Devotional. It also provides how you can share the story of Easter with your school!
Introduction
Read aloud: Did you know that Jesus loves it when children praise him? Today we are going to read a story in the Bible about when children were saying good things about Jesus. Some adults tried to stop them, but Jesus didn’t. In fact, Jesus said this is the kind of thing that he likes to hear.
Question: Easter is coming soon; what do we celebrate at Easter? [Solicit answers]
Read aloud: Well, let’s read the story of when Jesus was coming to Jerusalem just before he was going to die on the cross and rise from the dead.
To continue reading, Click here to download a free Family Devotions handout that will help teach your child about the death and resurrection of Jesus and how this major historical event has influenced literature, art, and music as well as social movements from the abolition of slavery to the civil rights action of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
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For articles on teaching Easter in a public school click here.
To read about our Easter Card for public school teachers click here.
To download our public school Easter Lesson click here.
Integrating Faith and the Public Schools (Without Mixing Church and State)
Photo by Ben McLeod (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
INTEGRATING FAITH AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
(without mixing church and state)
For years, a secular mindset among educators and school officials has pushed legitimate education about Christianity out of the lives of public school students. The bias against appropriately teaching about the contributions of Christianity to society comes largely from educators who either think it is not legally allowed or that, even if allowed, it is not proper or culturally sensitive to do so.
Parents, educators, school officials, and students can calm their fears about the presence of Christianity in classrooms just by remembering the acronym C.A.L.M., because teaching about religion is Culturally accurate, Academically expected, Legally supported, and Morally imperative.
Culturally Accurate
Christianity continues to have a significant influence on American society. Christianity is the religion with the largest number of adherents in America. 67 percent of Americans claim Christianity as their religious affiliation, compared to 2 percent who identify themselves as Jewish. 7 percent consider themselves atheists or agnostics and 1 percent fall into the category of other religions.1 Among those that do not identify with any religion, 36 percent still believe God exists. Bible engagement has also gone up from 15 to 19 percent, with disengagement decreasing to 45 percent in just one year.
During a typical week, 22 percent of Americans, over 70 million people, attend church.2 This is high when compared to other major Western countries. For instance, Germany’s church attendance is 12.5 percent of the population; Sweden’s is 9 percent. Even England ranks far behind the United States. Figures for weekly church attendance there range from 27 to only 8 percent.3
In light of our heritage and current demographic figures, it is little wonder that Christian holidays dominate the American calendar; that there are nearly 1,400 radio stations in America airing Christian programs or music; that our hospitals have names like St. Joseph’s and Baptist General; that our language regularly uses Biblical expressions such as “good Samaritan,” and “go the extra mile;” or that our national motto, “In God We Trust,” was adopted in 1956, not 1856.4
It is reasonable to assume that American schools should teach American students about American culture, and that includes teaching them about the significant role of Christianity, both historically and currently.
Academically Expected
A quick look at state academic standards from around the country reveals a number of ways that state officials not only encourage educators to teach about the Bible and Christian thought, they expect it. Here are a few examples: In California, sixth-grade students are to “Note origins of Christianity in the Jewish Messianic prophecies, the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament, and the contribution of St. Paul the Apostle to the definition and spread of Christian beliefs (e.g., belief in the Trinity, resurrection, salvation).”
The Colorado Department of Education states that, "Because religion plays a significant role in history and society, study about religion is essential to understanding both the nation and the world. Omission of facts about religion can give students the false impression that the religious life of humankind is insignificant or unimportant."
In Massachusetts, junior high school students are encouraged to "Describe the features of Christianity (e.g., the belief in a messiah who could redeem humans from sin, the concept of salvation, the belief in an Old and a New Testament in the Bible, the life, and teachings of Jesus.)."
Even the National Education Association agrees. The union’s 2000-2001 resolution E-7 states:
“The National Education Association believes that educational materials should accurately portray the influence of religion in our nation and throughout the world.”5
Legally Supported
In the Supreme Court case of Abington School District v. Schempp, Justice Clark, writing the majority opinion stated: “…It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.”6
It is common for public schools to forbid or discourage the singing of religious Christmas carols. However, this may come as a surprise to the Supreme Court. In the case of Lynch v. Donnelly, involving the public display of a nativity scene, the Justices commented that during Christmas, “people are taking note of the season with Christmas hymns and carols in public schools.”7
The Court assumed school children were singing religious Christmas carols!
In the Federal court case of Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, the ACLU was twice defeated in its attempt to have the school district’s policy on recognizing holidays declared unconstitutional.
Morally Imperative
Today’s young people are hurting. Many of today’s youth are emotionally, morally, and spiritually lost. Harvard University’s Samuel Huntington asserts that a new Dark Ages of barbarism is descending on the world.8 Social critic Morris Berman in his book, The Twilight of American Culture, quotes Alexis de Tocqueville, “When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”9
Former Attorney General William Barr spoke on the challenges within our schools: “Ground Zero for attacks on religion are the schools,” he said, “and, to me, this is the most serious challenge to religious liberty today.” He went on to say, “The problem is not that religion is being forced on others. The problem is that irreligion is being forced; secular values are being forced on people of faith.”
In today’s schools, we must raise a generation of young Americans who truly value religious liberty and are willing to stand up for it. We hear calls to teach the whole child, promote anti-drug messages, and promote students’ social and emotional wellbeing. But at the same time, many in our culture laugh at those who recommend a return to our moral roots. The point of education is about righteousness and refinement, not just churning out more workers for the marketplace.
There are millions of Christians within the public schools. They can confidently exercise their constitutional freedoms to affirm students’ religious expression in class and teach students the important contribution the Bible and Christianity make to the world and to their academic subjects. They simply need to know how. Gateways to Better Education is committed to helping Christian educators and school leaders in public schools. You are the gateway to better education for students.
© Eric Buehrer
The Bible & Your State’s Academic Standards-
How to Use Your State’s Academic Standards Regarding the Bible and Christianity.
At Gateway to Better Education we have reviewed every states academic standards to find where the Bible and Christianity can, and in some cases is expected to be, taught. To receive a copy of our research about your state, visit www.GoGateways.org/articles/standards.
Ideas for Teachers
1. Become thoroughly familiar with the standards for your grade and subject. Don’t assume your textbook incorporates the standards regarding the Bible and Christianity.
2. Personally invest time to study church history that you could include in lessons related to the development of Western civilization and American history.
3. Develop your confidence by reflecting on the difference between teaching about religion and the teaching of religion. You could even explain this distinction to students and parents. The California Department of Education offers this distinction: “To teach about religion is not to instruct in religion. Teaching about religion embraces the study of various religions; appreciation of the nature and variety of religious experience historically and currently; information on past and present sources, views, and behavior of religious persons or groups; and the influence of religion on cultures and civilizations. Instruction in religion, by contrast, is to seek acceptance of and commitment to a particular religion, including a non-religion, such as secularism.” 10
4. To help students understand that ideas have consequences, objectively teach the biblical principles and thinking behind the actions of historical figures who sought to implement their faith (e.g., Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., America's Founding Fathers, Dr. Livingston).
5. Develop a discussion group of like-minded colleagues to formulate lesson ideas and exchange research on how to teach various aspects of your state’s standards. If your state's standards are broad and give little guidance on specifics to teach, refer to California's handbook on its Social Studies standards for ideas. You can download a PDF of the handbook by visiting www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/index.asp .
Ideas for Parents
1. Distribute copies of the standards and this article to parents, teachers, youth workers, and pastors. It is important to help people understand what is possible (and even expected).
2. In a friendly manner, let your children’s teachers know that you are encouraged by your state’s standards concerning the Bible and Christianity, and ask them how they will be teaching to the standards in their classrooms.
3. Use the standards as a starting point for discussions with your children at home regarding church history and the Bible’s influence on the world.
© Eric Buehrer
Recommended Resources
Alvin J. Schmidt; Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization; Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan; 2001.
Warren A. Nord; Religion & American Education; Chapel Hill, NC; The University of North Carolina Press; 1995.
Samuel Huntington; The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order; New York, NY; Touchstone; 1996.
Lawrence E. Harrison & Samuel P. Huntington, Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress, New York, NY; Basic Books; 2000.
Footnotes:
George Barna, “State of the Bible 2019: Trends in Engagement,” Barna Research Online, www.barna.org, (4/18/2019).
Church attendance statistics https://www.statista.com/statistics/245491/church-attendance-of-americans/
Inside Radio’s monthly chart of Format Counts; June, 2021 (www.insideradio.com)
NEA resolution I-22 Freedom of Religion
Abington School District v. Schempp , 374 U.S. at 225 (1963).
Lynch v. Donnelly , 465 U.S. 686 (1984).
Samuel Huntington; The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order ; New York , NY ; Touchstone; 1996., p. 321.
Morris Berman, The Twilight of American Culture , (New York , NY : W.W. Norton & Co., 2000) p. 52.