Religious Freedom Campaign
| The ACLU Freedom Files |
The Religious Freedom Campaign Introduction |
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Our Mission
The ACLU of Texas Religious Freedom Campaign seeks to defend the rights of all Texans to practice their faiths freely and to protect against government intrusion into matters of faith.
What We’re Going To Do
- Ensure K-12 Public School Curriculum and Textbooks Are Free From Government-Sponsored Religion
The separation of church and state is a cornerstone of our democracy, but that has not stopped a majority on the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) from injecting their personal religious beliefs into K-12 curriculum and textbooks. From attempts to insert creationism into biology classes to resolutions that single out specific religions for disparagement, the SBOE has shown that it cannot place the best interests of Texas children above individual members’ personal religious beliefs. We’ll promote policies that will ensure experts and scholars, not politicians, determine the content of K-12 curriculum and textbooks in Texas.
- Promote the Separation of Church and State on Public School Campuses
Teachers, administrators, and other officials throughout the state have injected their personal religious beliefs into public schools, usurping the rights of parents and communities of faith to determine the religious instruction of children. From a Bible curriculum statute that is misinterpreted to allow teaching of sectarian religious beliefs as fact, to government-sponsored sectarian prayers at school events, too many Texas schools have become places for teachers and principals, who are government employees, to impose their specific religious beliefs on impressionable school children. We’ll promote policies that leave religious instruction to parents and faith leaders.
- Ensure Texans Are Able to Practice Their Faiths, or No Faith at All, Without Government Interference
The right to practice one’s faith, or no faith at all, is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution. Unfortunately, from a teacher ordered to submit fingerprints in contravention of her religious faith, to a kindergartener suspended for choosing to respect his faith over a school dress code, countless Texans have been denied this fundamental right. We’ll promote policies that keep the government out of your personal faith decisions and practices.
Click to read the campaign summary (PDF) »
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