Rev. Clark Frailey is the chair of Pastors for Oklahoma Kids and a strong supporter of public schools, open to all children. He wrote in the Oklahoman against the decision by a state board to authorize a religious charter school. The original title of this article is: “Pastor: We’ve heard much about ‘indoctrination.’ What do you call Catholic charter school?”
Before the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, I recently testified that authorizing a religious private school as a public charter school would be an egregious violation of our state constitution, the First Amendment, and religious liberty.
Plainly stated: Church and state should be separate.
While I believe the virtual charter board has the right intentions at heart ― to expand educational choices to Oklahoma students ― the consequences of their recent decision will be far-reaching and harmful.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This means that the government cannot endorse or promote any particular religion, nor can it interfere with the free exercise of religion.The Oklahoma Constitution further states, “Provisions shall be made for the establishment and maintenance of a system of public schools, which shall be open to all the children of the state and free from sectarian control.”
The state is endorsing a particular religion by funding a sectarian public charter school with taxpayer dollars. Title 70 (§70-3-136) of Oklahoma’s Charter School Act could not be more precise in stating this is not allowed: “A charter school shall be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations. A sponsor may not authorize a charter school or program that is affiliated with a nonpublic sectarian school or religious institution.”
Why board members Brian Bobek, Nellie Sanders and Scott Strawn chose to violate historic precedent and plainly written laws is not clear. What is clear is that these board members voted to break charter school law as activists radically opposed to our current understanding of public education, which welcomes all students, regardless of religious preference.
We have heard much about the supposed “indoctrination” in public schools, which makes it incredibly ironic that an organization that makes its indoctrination aims clear is being authorized by a state agency with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s and state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ blessing.The separation of church and state is one of the most essential principles of our nation. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. Separation protects religious liberty and ensures that the government cannot interfere with our religious beliefs.We must protect the separation of church and state by opposing any attempt to use public funds to support religious schools.
The Rev. Clark Frailey is pastor of Coffee Creek Church, Edmond, and the executive director of Pastors for Oklahoma Kids, a nondenominational coalition of pastors from across Oklahoma that advocates for excellent public schools for all kids
This is already happening in FL. ESAs (vouchers) are not restricted by income level or use. Religious schools are already raising tuition to take advantage of this, and they are admitting that they are doing it. And why not? It is a funding boon to struggling private schools and extra income for for-profit charters.
We’ve heard much about
indoctrination, the process
of teaching a person or group
to accept a set of beliefs.
The process of inculcating a
person with ideas, attitudes,
cognitive strategies or
professional methodologies.
Religious schools indoctrinate.
Public schools educate, they
do not teach a group to accept
a set of beliefs, for beliefs
are something one accepts as
true or real. Beliefs are firmly
held opinions or convictions.
Public schools educate.
Important distinction! Public schools teach secular information and how to think, not what to believe. Indoctrination is the domain of religious schools.
Thank you. You are correct.
The purpose of religious schools is indoctrination into the faith.
The purpose of public schools is to prepare you for life in a democratic society, with the skills and knowledge you need.
Deflection and distraction is just a cover for the real problem of religious indoctrination: they literally still can’t seem to keep their hands off of our kids. Nothing to see here, move along… But, but, but, those men in dresses! The Catholic church needs to have a serious reckoning for how much long-term damage they’ve done and the countless lives they’ve ruined, and they still have the nerve to ask for my money to fund more of this “freedom”. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/us/illinois-catholic-church-sex-abuse.html
Now the Roman Catholic Church wants to collect public dollars to help pay for the misdeeds of their priests.
AMEN, retired teacher.
I was actually told NOT TO WEAR PATENT LEATHER shoes to school, because the boys could look up my skirt and get excited. Hahaha…what a riot. In the meanwhile…the misdeeds to their priests continued.
Thank you Oakland mom and retired teacher for not being cowered by tribalists who make false claims that it is ant-Catholic to call out the right wing politicking of the Church’s almost 50 state Catholic Conferences. Thank you for speaking out for democracy and in support of those too vulnerable to protect themselves.
Given the Church’s exploitation of the young and the cover-up, it is utterly despicable, patriarchal arrogance that moves the Church writ large to manipulate the legal system to get tax dollars for so many of its affiliated operations.
Jefferson and other founding fathers would be appalled if they knew the nation’s 3rd largest employer is Catholic organizations and that it was achieved through government funding.
Freedom from religion
Right in the very First Amendment of our Constitution, our Founding Fathers outlawed religion in American government at any level. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, primary author of our Declaration of Independence, explained that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment was written to create “a wall of separation” between our government and any religion. The U.S. Supreme Court holds that the Establishment Clause means that “Neither a state nor the federal government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion or all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force…a person to go to or to remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion.”
Our Founding Fathers also wrote in Article VI of our Constitution that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
In short, our Constitution was written to remove all religion from our government at any level, while also allowing citizens to practice any religion they want. ANY religion.
Our Founding Fathers refused to even include any mention of God in our Constitution.
Why did our Founding Fathers do this?
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers and colonists everywhere hated the fact that they had been forced to join the official Christian religion of the British government, the Anglican Church. The penalty for not joining was that the church-controlled British colonial governments would tax their property to the point that would bankrupt them. Our Founding Fathers knew first-hand that a religion-based government led to persecution of anyone who did not share the beliefs of the official government religion. So, they constitutionally banned religion of any kind from every corner of our federal and state governments.
America’s key Founding Fathers — such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin — were NOT CHRISTIANS. They were DEISTS who had been forced to become members of a Christian church. They almost never even used the word “God” but instead used words like “Creator” or “Providence” to refer to what Deists consider to be the Supreme Being.
Thomas Jefferson, whom we honor as the author of our Declaration of Independence, was so greatly angered by the Christian claim that Jesus was God that Benjamin Franklin had to reel him in from publishing a scathing attack on Christianity. So, instead, Jefferson — who admired the social teachings of Jesus — sat down with a New Testament and cut out all references in it to Jesus being God. Then, he published the result as his Bible and it became popular throughout America. The Jefferson non-Christian social Bible also became the official Bible of Congress and for decades was given to each newly-elected member of Congress.
Thank you! Excellent!