By Fred Pry for AMERICAN THINKER
The term “separation of church and state” has been weaponized against Christians to silence us from sharing our faith and to sideline religious expression in the public square. That tension was on full display earlier this month, when the White House Religious Liberty Commission convened lawmakers and faith leaders alike. According to Christian author and broadcaster Eric Metaxas, “at the heart of American liberty and religious liberty, is faith in the God of the Bible.” Chairman Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pushed further, stating, “there is no such thing as ‘separation of church and state’ in the Constitution.” This debate is no longer theoretical; it is playing out in classrooms across America, where students’ freedom to live out and share their faith is increasingly under pressure.
So, what does it mean to have freedom of religion for kids in American schools? Does it mean your children are free to practice religion at home and church but not in public? Must they stay quiet about God in the classroom and online school platforms, and only talk about Him at break time? Absolutely not. If you have a child in public school, it’s important that both you and your child understand your right to freedom of religion for children to practice their faith in school.
As a constitutional right, “freedom of religion” for students also includes the “free exercise of religion.” Faith is meaningless if a person cannot live out their faith in public as they please.
What “separation of church and state” actually means is that the government may not establish a religion, force a particular religion on people, or prevent the free exercise of religion by discriminating against or suppressing expression. Thomas Jefferson used the phrase in a personal letter to reassure people that the government would not interfere in religious beliefs or practice, because prior to the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, some states endorsed particular religions. Government staying out of religion does not mean religious people must stay out of government, or that they must never bring their beliefs and practices with them into public places and events. That would be a government prohibition or prevention of religion.
