Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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1. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

2. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

3. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

4. 

   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

5. 

   Yes, if I’ve got anything remotely like a phobia, as an ex-fundy, its bibles, churches, tracts etc. I like to…

RECENTLY branded as a “Christian nationalist” by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, Ryan Walters, above, was reacting to a lawsuit launched by the FFRF, ACLU and others who are dead set against Oklahoma’s sponsorship and funding of a Catholic school.

The 38-year-old State Superintendent of Public Instruction—an increasingly controversial figure in Oklahoma politics with his culture-war platform, skepticism toward federal education funding and support for private-school vouchers.—said the lawsuit “amounted to persecution of Catholics.”

The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 in early June to approve St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the first religious and first Catholic charter school in Oklahoma and in the nation.

The Catholic News Agency quotes Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF as saying:

It’s unconscionable for the state of Oklahoma to be funding such an obviously sectarian religious school. This cannot be allowed to go unchallenged in our secular governmental system.

In announcing the lawsuit, ACLU said:

The plaintiffs are faith leaders, public school parents, and public education advocates who object to their tax dollars funding a public charter school that will discriminate against students and families based on their religion and LGBTQ+ status, fail to adequately serve students with disabilities, and indoctrinate students into one religion—all in violation of Oklahoma law and our country’s promises of the separation of church and state and public schools that are open to all.

St. Isidore’s application stated it would hire those who are:

Committed to living and teaching Christ’s truth as understood by the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church through actions and words.

The application adds it would:

Operate a school in harmony with faith and morals, including sexual morality, as taught and understood by the magisterium of the Catholic Church based upon holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Image via YouTube

Both Governor Kevin Stitt, above, and Walters are reportedly “standing firm” in their support for the school.

Said Stitt

If the Catholics want to set up a charter school specifically in McAlester, Oklahoma, to educate their community and parents choose to go there, that’s a great thing.

And if the Jewish community wants to set up a Jewish charter school, that’s an awesome thing.

If the Muslims want to set up a charter school and their parents want [their children] to go there, that’s an awesome thing. Parents want to influence and they want to be involved in their kids’ lives. We need more [parental] involvement.

Walters chimed, in saying:

It is time to end atheism as the state-sponsored religion. Suing and targeting the Catholic Virtual Charter School is religious persecution … A warped perversion of history has created a modern-day concept that all religious freedom is driven from the classrooms. I will always side for an individual’s right to choose religious freedom in education.

A violation of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act

The lawsuit claims that the school’s stated mission violates the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act, which requires charter schools to be “nonsectarian in [their] programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations.”

It further alleges that it violates the state constitution, which states public schools shall be “free from sectarian control” and that public money cannot be used in “support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion.”

In addition to those complaints, the lawsuit also alleges that its policies will violate the state constitution’s prohibition on sex discrimination, which the groups interpret as including any discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity.

The lawsuit cited Catholic teachings on homosexuality and transgenderism to justify this claim.

CNA points out that not all state leaders have been supportive of the funding. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has stated that he believes the funding of a religious charter school violates state law.

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