Written by Don Byrd
So many religion-themed bills are being proposed and advanced in state legislatures these days, it’s hard to keep up.
In Texas, a resolution was introduced Monday (pdf) that says the legislature “support(s) prayers, including the use of the word ‘God,’ at public gatherings as well as displays of the Ten Commandments in public educational institutions and other government buildings.”
In North Carolina, meanwhile, a bill would add a Bible study elective to the public school curriculum.
“This is an elective,” said [State Sen. Stan] Bingham (R-Davidson). “I don’t think it’s out of order for a student to ask a school system to take an elective in the Bible. It also would be out of order for the same student to say I want to take a course and study the Quran, or the Jewish religion, or whatever religion you wish to pick.”
Bingham’s bill, as written, only names the Bible as an option. A dozen lawmakers in the GOP-controlled Senate have signed on as co-sponsors, including three Democrats.
Sarah Preston, policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union-North Carolina, said it is notoriously difficult to teach the Bible inside a public school in a manner consistent with the First Amendment, which can put educators in a thorny situation.
Earlier in the week, I posted about Kentucky’s bill that would raise the standard of scrutiny for any state burden on religions (not even just the substantial burdens). In addition, Tennessee is considering legislation that would allow student religious organizations to discriminate in membership. So is Virginia, where a constitutional amendment about religion in schools is also making its way through the legislative process. Oklahoma is pondering a student academic freedom bill that is all about religion but dares not mention the name. The one in Missouri is more direct about its interest in creationism (and probably has worse propects for passage as a result).
Am I missing any?
