 Religious Freedom Day January 16th, 2021 is Religious Freedom Day and each president annually calls on people to: "observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools and places of worship” Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day, 2020 January 15, 2020 White House From its opening pages, the story of America has been rooted in the truth that all men and women are endowed with the right to follow their conscience, worship freely, and live in accordance with their convictions. On Religious Freedom Day, we honor the foundational link between freedom and faith in our country and reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding the religious liberty of all Americans. Religious freedom in America, often referred to as our “first freedom,” was a driving force behind some of the earliest defining moments of our American identity. The desire for religious freedom impelled the Pilgrims to leave their homes in Europe and journey to a distant land, and it is the reason so many others seeking to live out their faith or change their faith have made America their home. More than 230 years ago, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which was authored and championed by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson famously expounded that “all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities.” This statute served as the catalyst for the First Amendment, which enshrined in law our conviction to prevent government interference in religion. More than 200 years later, thanks to the power of that Amendment, America is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world. On this Religious Freedom Day, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting the precious and fundamental right of religious freedom, both at home and abroad. Our Founders entrusted the American people with a responsibility to protect religious liberty so that our Nation may stand as a bright beacon for the rest of the world. Today, we remain committed to that sacred endeavor and strive to support those around the world who still struggle under oppressive regimes that impose restrictions on freedom of religion. How to Commemorate Religious Freedom Day This day calls for teachers to inform students of their religious freedom in the classroom and school. Acknowledging Religious Freedom Day does not mean that the school is endorsing or promoting religion. It’s a mere reminder of Students’ Free Speech Rights and encourages students of all faiths, or no faith, to freely express their beliefs. Here are ideas you can use to recognize Religious Freedom Day: as outlined by Gateways to Better Education 1. Read the Presidential Proclamation. The proclamation is on the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov . At the homepage, look for a search icon on the top right corner and enter "Religious Freedom Day." If this year's proclamation is not posted in time for you to use it in class, consider using previous year's proclamations found on our homepage: www.religiousfreedomday.com. 2. Have students discuss or write a paper on "What religious freedom means to me” or “Why religious freedom is important to a healthy society.” 3. Distribute to students copies of the U.S. Department of Education's guidelines on students' religious liberties and discuss in class. If teachers do nothing else to commemorate Religious Freedom Day, this alone will do more to promote real freedom at your school. The teacher can also write a letter to parents and staple it to the guidelines. The letter can introduce Religious Freedom Day and convey, "Our school is a safe place for your child to express your family's religious belief." (Click here to print a copy of the U.S. Department of Education's guidelines on students' religious liberties.) 4. Talk about countries where freedom of religion is not allowed. For research on this, click on the link below: 5. Distribute and discuss the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom drafted by Thomas Jefferson. Since the writing style of the statute is difficult to read, discuss each sentence with the students and have the class write a paraphrased version of the statute. Click here for the statute. (Click here for a sample paraphrase of this document.) 6. Be sure to spread the word about Religious Freedom Day to your colleagues.
The Department of Education has issued a statement in January 2020 that schools must report any complaints against them whenever the religious freedom rights of any student, teacher or parent was violated. Each state has to notify the Department of Education of any complaint against the schools even if the state deems the allegations to be without merit. Related Links ReligiousFreedomDay.com Religious Freedom Day Guidebook The National Free to Speak Campaign Free to Speak pamphlets Presidential Proclamations (ReligiousFreedomDay.com - scroll down on main page) Student Rights You can express your belief in your class work and homework. “Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious perspective of their submissions. Such home and classroom work should be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school. Thus, if a teacher’s assignment involves writing a poem, the work of a student who submits a poem in the form of a prayer (for example, a psalm) should be judged on the basis of academic standards (such as literary quality) and neither penalized nor rewarded on account of its religious perspective.” You can pray, read your Bible or other religious texts, and talk about your faith. “Students may pray when not engaged in school activities or instruction, subject to the same rules designed to prevent material disruption of the educational program that are applied to other privately initiated expressive activities. Among other things, students may read their Bibles, Torahs, Korans, or other scriptures; say grace before meals; and pray or study religious materials with fellow students during recess, the lunch hour, or other non-instructional time to the same extent that they may engage in nonreligious activities. Students may pray with fellow students during the school day on the same terms and conditions that they may engage in other conversation or speech. Students may also speak to, and attempt to persuade, their peers about religious topics just as they do with regard to political topics.” You can pass out religious literature. “Students have a right to distribute religious literature to their schoolmates on the same terms as they are permitted to distribute other literature that is unrelated to school curriculum or activities. Schools may impose the same reasonable time, place, and manner or other constitutional restrictions on distribution of religious literature as they do on non-school literature generally, but they may not single out religious literature for special regulation.” You can wear clothing with religious messages “Schools enjoy substantial discretion in adopting policies relating to student dress and school uniforms. Schools, however, may not single out religious attire in general, or attire of a particular religion, for prohibition or regulation. If a school makes exceptions to the dress code for nonreligious reasons, it must also make exceptions for religious reasons, absent a compelling interest. Students may display religious messages on items of clothing to the same extent that they are permitted to display other comparable messages. Religious messages may not be singled out for suppression, but rather are subject to the same rules as generally apply to comparable messages.” You can organize prayer groups and religious clubs, and announce your meetings “Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, and ‘see you at the pole’ gatherings before school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other noncurricular student activities groups. Such groups must be given the same access to school facilities for assembling as is given to other noncurricular groups, without discrimination because of the religious perspective of their expression. School authorities possess substantial discretion concerning whether to permit the use of school media for student advertising or announcements regarding noncurricular activities. However, where student groups that meet for nonreligious activities are permitted to advertise or announce their meetings—for example, by advertising in a student newspaper, making announcements on a student activities bulletin board or public address system, or handing out leaflets—school authorities may not discriminate against groups who meet to engage in religious expression such as prayer.” Your religious club can require student leaders to adhere to its religious teachings “Similar to other student groups such as political student groups, the Equal Access Act permits religious student groups to allow only members of their religion to serve in leadership position if these leadership positions are positions that affect the religious content of the speech at the group’s meetings. For example, a religious student group may require leaders such as the group’s president, vice-president, and music coordinator to be a dedicated member of a particular religion if the leaders’ duties consist of leading prayers, devotions, and safeguarding the spiritual content of the meetings.” You can be excused from school for religious reasons “Where school officials have a practice of excusing students from class on the basis of parents’ requests for accommodation of nonreligious needs, religiously motivated requests for excusal may not be accorded less favorable treatment. In addition, in some circumstances, based on Federal or State constitutional law or pursuant to State statutes, schools may be required to make accommodations that relieve substantial burdens on students’ religious exercise.You may be able to attend off-site religious instruction and have your religious exercise accommodated during the school day. “Schools have the discretion to dismiss students to off- premises religious instruction, provided that schools do not encourage or discourage participation in such instruction or penalize students for attending or not attending. Similarly, schools may excuse students from class to remove a significant burden on their religious exercise, including prayer, where doing so would not impose material burdens on other students. For example, it would be lawful for schools to excuse Muslim students from class to enable them to fulfill their religious obligations to pray during Ramadan.” You can express your faith at school events and graduations “Where student speakers [at student assemblies and noncurricular activities such as sporting events] are selected on the basis of genuinely content-neutral, evenhanded criteria and retain primary control over the content of their expression, that expression is not attributable to the school and therefore may not be restricted because of its religious (or anti-religious) content, and may include prayer. Where students or other private graduation speakers are selected on the basis of genuinely content-neutral, evenhanded criteria and retain primary control over the content of their expression, however, that expression is not attributable to the school and therefore may not be restricted because of its religious (or anti-religious) content and may include prayer. “To avoid any mistaken perception that a school endorses student speech or other private speech that is not in fact attributable to the school, school officials may make appropriate, neutral disclaimers to clarify that such speech (whether religious or nonreligious) is the speaker’s and not the school’s speech.” Teacher Rights You can pray at school “When acting in their official capacities as representatives of the State, teachers, school administrators, and other school employees are prohibited by the First Amendment from encouraging or discouraging prayer, and from actively participating in such activity with students. Teachers, however, may take part in religious activities where the overall context makes clear that they are not participating in their official capacities. Teachers also may take part in religious activities such as prayer even during their workday at a time when it is permissible to engage in other private conduct such as making a personal telephone call. Before school or during lunch, for example, teachers may meet with other teachers for prayer or Bible study to the same extent that they may engage in other conversation or nonreligious activities. Similarly, teachers may participate in their personal capacities in privately sponsored baccalaureate ceremonies or similar events.” You can teach about religion “Public schools may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about religion. For example, philosophical questions concerning religion, the history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible (or other religious teachings) as literature, and the role of religion in the history of the United States and other countries all are permissible public school subjects. Similarly, it is permissible to consider religious influences on philosophy, art, music, literature, and social studies. Although public schools may teach about religious holidays, including their religious aspects, and may celebrate the secular aspects of holidays, schools may not observe holidays as religious events or promote such observance by students.” Quotes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools (January 2020). To read the entire document, visit Ed.gov. Presidential Proclamations for Religious Freedom Day 1994 Proclamation, President Clinton “Religious freedom helps to give America’s people a character independent of their government, fostering the formation of individual codes of ethics, without which a democracy cannot survive.” 2005 Proclamation, President Bush Our Founding Fathers knew the importance of freedom of religion to a stable and lasting Union. 2013 Proclamation, President Obama “As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution.” 2020 Proclamation President Trump “From its opening pages, the story of America has been rooted in the truth that all men and women are endowed with the right to follow their conscience, worship freely, and live in accordance with their convictions.” Comments are closed.
|
|