Written by Don Byrd
A coordinated push to introduce state legislative proposals related to religion in public spaces has drawn the attention of a number of religious and civil liberty organizations, including the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. In a statement released last week, the coalition explained their opposition to this “alarming effort… to harness the power of the government to impose the faith of some onto everyone else, including our public school students.”
Here is an excerpt from the coalition’s statement.
Project Blitz promotes a three-tiered framework of state bills meant to incrementally redefine religious freedom and tear down the separation of church and state, with each tier laying the groundwork for the next. This framework starts by pushing what its authors believe will be less controversial measures, such as requiring “In God We Trust” to be posted in public schools. Using those bills as a foothold, it then seeks to pass more dangerous legislation, like bills that allow taxpayer-funded agencies to turn away couples seeking to foster or adopt children in need of stable and loving homes because they are same-sex or the “wrong” religion.
At first glance, many of these bills may seem harmless to legislators, or even supportive of religious freedom. But these efforts do religion no favors. What is most troubling is the intention behind this campaign: to promote a Christian perspective using the institutions of government as the vehicle.
Read the whole statement, and view the list of organizations signing on, here.
For more on this issue and related topics see some recent blog posts:
1/30/2019: “Academic Study of the Bible…is Already Allowed“
1/28/2019: “While President Trump Cheers Bible Classes, BJC’s Tyler Urges Caution“
1/25/2019: “Is the ‘In God We Trust’ Push Good for Religion?“
1/14/2019: “Indiana Bill Would Allow ‘Creation Science’ in Classrooms“
