Together, our country celebrates May 2 as the National Day of Prayer, a time when many folks across faiths come together to pray. However, it’s also a vital reminder that true religious freedom means the freedom of conscience to choose one’s own beliefs—or no religious beliefs at all.
For too long in Texas, religious liberty has been under attack by state officials who continually push their personal beliefs into our public schools. From promoting official school prayers and religious rituals to endorsing specific religious teachings over others, this blurs the constitutional line separating church and state.
For almost 30 years, TFN has served as a watchdog of the religious right to call out acts of politicians weaponizing religion against Texans. We also saw the need for a space for progressive faith leaders and people of faith to organize, so we created our Just Texas project to raise up those voices that the far-right wants to drown out.
Our Just Texas community believes public schools should be welcoming, inclusive environments for all students, regardless of their religious or nonreligious backgrounds. No child should be made to feel like an outsider because they and their families don’t share the same faith as those in power.
That’s why on this National Day of Prayer, we renew our call for Texas leaders to stop undermining true religious freedom. Our public school system must respect the diversity of faiths and beliefs held by Texas families, not serve as a vehicle for government-sponsored religion.
We’re committed to ensuring our neighborhood schools focus on giving every child an outstanding education where they feel welcomed, respected, and represented – not forced to learn according to the religious right’s belief system.
As a network of community activists, faith leaders, and progressive Texans, we know we need to put action behind our words. That’s why we pledge to engage in our public school board meetings, write to our legislators, and vote with the mindset that religious freedom means keeping our public schools free from forced religion. You can also join the movement to build a just Texas for all of us by signing up to receive emails from our Just Texas team.
With your partnership, we can create public schools that embrace all students equally.
