Education Not Indoctrination
We are ringing the alarm about encroaching Christian nationalism in our public schools, and the threat of growing censorship and book bans.
We believe in public education
We have a collective responsibility to make our public schools the best they can be. Schools are entrusted with the development and well being of children from diverse backgrounds and experiences. No child should feel unsafe or unwelcome at school because of who they are, what they believe, or how they learn. Interfaith Alliance works to strengthen public schools and create safe spaces for students of all backgrounds and abilities to thrive.
Yet we are witnessing a range of attacks on public education that seek to inject more religious coercion into our public schools, while diverting taxpayer money to religious schools. Far-right activists are attempting to censor educational materials that don’t align with their narrow religious understandings. The threats to the freedom to learn and read are growing at the federal, state and local levels. We recommit ourselves to celebrating our diversity, not shying away from telling stories that include LGBTQ families, telling the truth about slavery, and demanding an end to book banks. Our diverse religious traditions lead us to value a public education system where no one religious view is imposed on everyone.
Our vision for education
Attacks on the freedom to learn are often rooted in religion.
Anti-Censorship
A coordinated national censorship campaign – with deep ties to the Christian nationalist movement – is banning books and attacking the foundations of our democracy, targeting books about minority faiths and ethnicities, LGBTQ+ identity, racism, and even the history of our country. We celebrate and demand the freedom to read and are working with the American Library Association and PEN America to defend this right.
Public schools
Our public schools should be places where every student feels welcome regardless of their religious or nonreligious beliefs. New laws aimed at replacing school counselors with unlicensed religious chaplains, forcing public schools to post the 10 commandments, placing the Bible as part of standard learning requirements are all part of a Christian nationalist assault on our schools.
As people of diverse faith traditions, we can stand up to religious extremism
Together, we can make a significant impact in this pivotal moment in our nation's history.