In a statement opposing Project Blitz and similar legislative proposals, a coalition including the BJC decried recent efforts to use government institutions to promote a Christian perspective.
In a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the Bladensburg Cross case, the BJC counters powerfully the claim that the cross is merely a generic, secular memorializing symbol.
There is no constitutional requirement that a legislature open with prayer. But if they must, honoring today’s legislators, let alone today’s citizens, calls for an inclusive approach.
Religious Studies Professor Mark Chancey explains that the Supreme Court did not in fact banish the Bible from public schools as many claim. But, he argues, a broader study of religious literacy is what is needed.
Proposals to introduce public school courses about the cultural and historical significance of the Bible should be approached with care. What agenda is being promoted? Is it educational? Or religious?
“In God We Trust” legislation aims to be a harmless way to reference the importance of religion in society. But Bill Leonard warns: people of faith should not mistake the motto for an act of faith.