The Oregon House is scheduled to vote today on Bill 3686, which would repeal the ban prohibiting public school teachers from wearing religious clothing in the classroom. The Baptist Joint Committee's Brent Walker pens a guest op-ed in the Eugene Register-Guard.
Allowing teachers to wear religious clothing is vital to protecting their religious freedom, and it would not interfere with our country’s wise separation of church and state. The Baptist Joint Committee was proud to join a coalition of various faith, citizenship and legal organizations in sending a letter to Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Dave Hunt to call for the repeal of these statutes.
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Public school teachers should be allowed to wear non-obtrusive jewelry and clothing that reflects their personal faith, but they still cannot wear anything that proselytizes.There is a big difference between wearing a cross on a necklace that has personal religious meaning, and wearing a T-shirt or button with an undeniable and direct religious message to others, such as “Jesus saves.”
