1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

The proposal to infuse religious references, particularly Christian biblical texts, into the K-12 public school curriculum raises concerns about maintaining the separation of church and state in education. Public schools should provide an inclusive, secular education that respects the diversity of beliefs and avoids promoting any particular religion. The incentives offered to schools for adopting this curriculum, as well as the push for displaying the Ten Commandments and using vouchers to fund religious schools, undermine the principle of church-state separation. These measures essentially make public schools a conduit for advancing specific religious beliefs, which goes against the constitutional rights of students from various faiths or no faith at all. Instead of injecting religious doctrine into academic curriculum, public education should focus on teaching critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and accurate historical accounts free from sectarian bias. Students should learn about world religions from an objective, academic perspective, not through the lens of any single faith tradition. Maintaining a secular public education system is crucial to preserving religious freedom and creating an environment where all students feel welcomed and respected, regardless of their beliefs. We urge you to safeguard the separation of church and state by rejecting measures that promote religious indoctrination in public schools.