Why Are ‘Secular, Woke, Atheistic’ Agendas Allowed in Schools, but Not Christianity?

With a new school year around the corner, some parents are re-evaluating the institutions they’re sending their children to. And under this administration's radical policies, experts say, that's no surprise.

Just last month, California enacted AB 1955, a bill that keeps “parents in the dark when their children change their sexual orientation or gender identity at school.” A report published last week found that teachers are wrestling with “an exponential rise in verbal harassment, classroom disruptions, and physical aggression” concerning their students. On top of all this are the states tirelessly fighting against President Joe Biden’s Title IX rewrite, which allows biological men into private girls’ spaces, demands schools use preferred pronouns, and more.

Now, the latest controversy over education policy, as The Washington Stand reported, is the Biden-Harris administration’s promotion of “controversial meditation, yoga, and ‘mindfulness’ techniques derived from Buddhism and Hinduism in public schools.” Allegedly, their goal is to use these techniques to advance “equity.” However, as some have pointed out, there seems to be an increasing imbalance of which worldviews are allowed in schools and which are not.

For instance, when Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) signed HB 71, requiring all public schools to post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms, cries for the separation of church and state came booming from the Left and mainstream media. The same is true of Oklahoma after the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced that all public schools must teach the Bible and the Ten Commandments.

In light of this, guest host and former Congressman Jody Hice asked on Wednesday’s “Washington Watch,” why is it that a “secular, woke, atheistic agenda [is] forced upon students and parents, while the other is not welcome at all?” Additionally, “How much of this is maybe indicative of the type of school year we’re going to have in some of the battles that we’re facing across the country?” To help answer some of these questions, Founder and President of Wallbuilders David Barton joined the discussion.

“Well,” he said, “this is indicative of the same worldview battles we’ve had for a long time.” Barton explained how through “40 years of these kind of worldview battles … much of this is engendered by the courts.” For example, he said, the courts decided religious acts were acceptable, so long as they weren’t related to the “traditional religious stuff.” And going even further back to the late 1960s, “in the midst of the Vietnam War, the courts pointed out” that any beliefs held “so fervently that it affects your behavior” can be considered religion.

Because of this, “a number of religions that didn’t even have a belief in God” were identified. But ultimately, Barton added, it seems “they have successfully re-compartmentalized faith in America to only mean Judeo Christian faith, religious faith, [such as] Jews, Christians, evangelicals, etc.” as what cannot be “forced” upon anyone. Then, at the same time, Barton highlighted, we can see how even progressives now have “their religion they fervently believe in,” and “we never hear separation of church and state with them.”

Barton did say “there’s a lot of good stuff happening” concerning religious liberty for the Christian faith in schools, including the fact that there are “1,200 school districts with 200,000 kids that are taking the Bible as a credit course in public schools, and the Bible is the only textbook in the course.” However, “We just don’t hear that” because “we get pushed back in the corners.” But according to Barton, “We have to push back.”

Hice agreed, stating it’s “one of the reasons” we need to keep talking about these issues. He also pointed out how for years, Barton has asked why there is “a call for separation of Christian values, but not a call for separation of secular woke atheistic values.” And yet, “It’s always the personal preference of the people involved.”

He elaborated, “[W]hat you find is the more secular you are, the less biblical you are,” which then leads to “the more intolerant you are.” The people in charge of pushing Christianity out of the public square “absolutely don’t want any discussion.” And consequently, “because of their version of separation of church and state, we don’t even know our own history anymore,” since so much of it is “highly Judeo-Christian.”

“We’re at a point,” Barton continued, “… where most people don’t even know the history of their own country.” It just goes to show that “people will advance their worldview” no matter what. And “if it’s anti-Christian or non-Christian, they’re going to promote it.” Hice asked what next steps look like to ensure biblical faith continues to hold its rightful place in the classroom.

“It’s a new world,” Barton responded. He referred to Proverbs 21:22, which states, “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.” As far as he’s concerned, parents who want their faith represented in education “have to be offensive-minded and not let [the Left] push us into a corner.” By taking advantage of the religious liberties currently in place, Hice insisted that part of how we can seek change is if we “show up at the school board meetings [and] be engaged in what’s happening in the school.”

Ultimately, Barton emphasized, “It’s not about removing all other religions from schools. Not at all.” However, “if you’re going to have any other religion, make sure you also have Christianity as a competitor in there. Make sure you have that biblical faith.” He concluded, “’I’m not scared of losing that battle at all. … If [they’re] going to have … eastern meditation, [let us] have prayer meetings, reading the Bible, and praying to Jesus.”