Kentucky -- From a total of 34 respondents, 31 voted to pass the bill to allow religion in schools in Kentucky. This bill was passed in the Senate with minimal opposition because only three Senators opposed the motion. The bill stated the guidelines to be set for all public schools within Kentucky and would allow all students of public schools to express personal religious beliefs. This means that, even when they are on public school property, students would be allowed to express their personal religious beliefs.
The Constitution already permits much private religious activity in and about the public schools. The "Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law" reads - Some say that the Supreme Court has declared the public schools "religion-free zones" or that the law is so murky that school officials cannot know what is legally permissible. The former claim is simply wrong. For example, students may be taught about religion, but public schools may not teach religion. As the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly said, "it might well be said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion, or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization." It would be difficult to teach art, music, literature and most social studies without considering religious influences.
This bill would not affect only children. It also allows teachers to use the Bible to teach religious history. The schools, at their discretion, could also permit allowing school play performances which promote a tangible religious or cultural heritage. The new bill would threaten the fundamentals of the secular state which is reflected in the separation of church and state. The separation of church and state is a concept defining the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state.
The bill to allow religion in schools in Kentucky was met with the approval of many parents. Tammy Collins, a resident of Lexington, has expressed support for this bill with these words: “I believe that’s a good thing because everyone needs to learn about religion and God.” The bill itself comes after a school in Eastern Kentucky cut a number of religious passages from the school’s performance of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” last year.
On the other hand, there are also some critics of the bill. A large number of people, including American Civil Liberties Union representatives of Kentucky say this bill could create problems. “This bill could stray from people, from instructors teaching to actually preaching which could really be problematic for students who are maybe of a minority faith,” said a representative from Kentucky’s ACLU.
The bill will now move to the House for approval and if passed, it will be signed by the governor, thus becoming law.
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