1. United States
2. Ala.
3. Letter

I am writing to you as a concerned constituent and as a father of two young boys for whom I deeply desire a future of freedom as they grow in their faith. I implore you to oppose HB231. As a follower of Christ myself, I try each day to live out Kingdom values in my own life. After first loving God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, Jesus has required of me to love my neighbors as myself. My actual neighbors happen to be Muslim immigrants to our great country and state. Like me, my neighbors have two young children, and they will be educated in the same schools as my children. As I am to love my neighbors and their children as I love myself and my own children, I believe it is a matter of highest priority that my neighbors’ children have the same freedom to pray or not to pray as they see fit in our schools, without some other religious view or practice forced upon them. I do not desire that my neighbors’ children be taught in school to take part in a Judeo-Christian prayer, just as I do not wish for my children to be taught in school to pray toward Mecca. Religious freedom is a cornerstone of this country. It is not the place of the state to require prayer or any other religious practice of any of its citizens regardless of age. Protect religious freedom in Alabama for all of our children and reject this atrocious bill.