Florida’s consistent push for religion — namely, Christianity — in public school classrooms has many Floridians increasingly worried.
While supporters of these movements explain that the state is only doing this because of “religious freedom”, critics point to the fact that there should be a separation of the church and state within the country.
Pushing Religion Into Public Schools
Around the United States, more and more Republican-led states have begun to push adding parts of religion into publicly funded schools. While some states have been unsuccessful, others have met with varying degrees of success.
Most notably, Louisiana became the first state in the country to require a poster display of the Ten Commandments in every single public school classroom within the state.
Teaching From the Bible in Class
After Louisiana’s success at passing this new law, Oklahoma’s school districts decided to mandate that Bible lessons should be taught in all public schools.
Oklahoma’s move comes after the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied the state the chance to create a publicly funded Catholic charter school — which would have been the first publicly funded religious charter school within the country.
Florida’s Latest Religious Moves
Louisiana and Oklahoma aren’t the only states pushing for more religion within the classroom. Florida is, too.
Most recently, Florida successfully passed a law that allows chaplains in classrooms, similar to a law that was passed in Texas.
Religious Favoritism?
However, Florida has made their religious push in the classroom quite exclusive. They’re seemingly only favoring laws or mandates that favor Christianity.
For example, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently said he wouldn’t allow The Satanic Church to also send their own chaplains into public schools. Another Florida lawmaker also worked to stop a private Islamic school from receiving vouchers.
Some Floridians Are Worried
Some locals in the state have become increasingly worried that the state government is showing religious favoritism, as a result of all of these recent moves.
Even more so, critics have denounced the state for pushing for religion in public schools, as they believe there should be a separation of church and state. Many religious believers and leaders have also stated this.
The State Board of Education’s Judeo-Christian Push
The State Board of Education has recently ignited more of these worries in a release of its new standards.
According to the Board, these standards explain how “Judeo-Christian ethical ideas of justice, individual worth, personal responsibility and the rule of law influenced America’s constitutional republic.”
Organizations Fight Back
Already, many organizations are working to fight back against what they see as religious favoritism, as well as a lack of religious freedom.
Rachel Laser, the CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said, “You can’t have religious freedoms for me but not for thee. That’s un-American and also unconstitutional.”
Teachers Sound Alarm
Many Florida teachers have also tried to fight against this religious push by the state — especially as many of these mandates may conflict with their own beliefs.
One teacher in Broward County has already written to various state officials, objecting to the Education Board’s push to present lessons connecting Bible verses to the U.S. government. According to this teacher, to teach these lessons would go against his own religious beliefs.
The Government Approving Only Some Religious Groups
Adam Laats, a Binghamton University education historian, has recently explained that Florida has put itself in a position where it seems to be approving only some religious groups.
“It puts everybody in this impossible position of government approving some religious groups and not others,” he said. “That’s the exact thing the Founding Fathers were trying to avoid when they came up with the language in the First Amendment.”
The Satanic Church’s Fight
All of this may be brought to a head by The Satanic Church. After Florida passed its law to allow chaplains into public schools, many critics denounced this move.
Meanwhile, The Satanic Church revealed they would then allow their own chaplains into schools, through this newly approved law. DeSantis has rejected this idea — which has prompted the Church to say it will sue if it is not approved.
An Unwinnable Situation?
Laats has explained that DeSantis, in rejecting The Satanic Church, has put himself in an unwinnable situation, as history and case law show.
“It’s impossible to say, ‘Let some religions in but not the bad religions,’” he said. “By cracking the door open again, they unintentionally have put that back at the center of the table.”
