GENERALLY SPEAKING / From the desk of Gentner Drummond
Oklahomans are celebrating a tremendous victory for religious liberty after a recent ruling by our state Supreme Court. At issue in the case was a fundamental question: Should taxpayers be forced to fund religious teachings that violate their own deeply held beliefs?
I do not believe that to be constitutional, which is why I filed a lawsuit challenging the establishment of a religious public charter school.
As a committed Christian, the last thing I want is for my tax dollars to be used to fund the radical teachings of Sharia or the demonic worship of Satan. Thankfully, the Court agreed with my position and our religious liberty is protected — for now.
The case was not without controversy. Some politicians, including our own Governor, expressed open support for funding a Muslim school with our tax dollars. Gov. Stitt’s support of a Muslim school seemed to be based on a false impression of what “religious liberty” actually means.
Let me be clear: Religious liberty means every citizen is free to worship as he or she believes. Religious liberty does not mean that the government should fund religious indoctrination with our tax dollars.
Most Oklahomans cherish their freedom to worship, which is a right enshrined in the First Amendment. Only eight years ago, Oklahomans reaffirmed their opposition to using tax dollars for religious purposes when 57 percent of voters soundly rejected State Question 790. Protecting that right is why I asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to reject the proposed religious school that would be funded exclusively by our tax dollars.
To avoid any confusion, I am very supportive of private religious schools. I sent my own children to a private Christian school for middle and high school. I believe every family should be free to choose private religious education.
In fact, Oklahoma now has a tax credit available for families who choose this type of education. This credit belongs to all parents who wish to claim it when they choose private school education, without regard to their religious beliefs.
This is an important distinction. Parents, not the government, make the choice and decide for themselves what school is worthy of their own tax dollars. That is freedom at its purest.
Religious liberty is among the most fundamental pillars upon which our nation was founded. We may worship however we see fit – or not worship at all – unfettered by any threat of government-backed religious indoctrination.
I swore an oath to uphold the United States Constitution, and I believe our Founding Fathers knew best how to protect religious liberty: by preventing the government from funding any religion at all. I do not want Oklahoma school children indoctrinated in public schools — I want them educated.
While Oklahoma’s Supreme Court has sided with my efforts to protect religious liberty, the case is sure to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Rest assured that I will continue fighting to uphold our Constitutional rights. The protection of religious liberty depends on it … and my oath requires it.
