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Academic Integrity Public schools must give our children the best possible education, without preferring one religious tradition over others. Nearly 90 percent of our nation’s students receive their K-12 education in public schools funded with our tax dollars. Safeguarding separation of church and state and protecting religious liberty ensures that public tax dollars will not be invested in teaching religion as science or funding private religious education. Some advocacy groups want to change the science curriculum to reflect their religious beliefs. However, mainstream scientists flatly reject “intelligent design” and other forms of “creationism” as a thinly veiled attempt to bring religion into public schools.
The battle here is political, not scientific. Other advocacy groups seek to divert public funds to private religious schools through vouchers and other means. Americans must be free to contribute to the religious groups of their choosing. We should never be taxed to support religion. Vouchers and other similar programs violate this freedom by forcing us to support religious education. These programs also damage our children’s education by diverting critically needed money away from public schools. Safeguarding the separation of church and state and protecting religious liberty ensures that none of us are coerced into funding religious education through our taxes, just as it guarantees people freedom to privately fund religious education if they wish.
In The News: "When Night Falls at School, Should Darwin Go Home? " The New York Times - November 25, 2007 "The evolution of creationism" Salon.com - November 13, 2007 "Church Challenges New York Law Banning Religious Charter School Operators" Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy - October 30, 2007 "Alabama Becomes First State to Adopt a Textbook for Academic Study of the Bible" Standard Newswire - October 15, 2007 "In evangelical politics, a generation gap" Dallas Morning News - October 15, 2007 "Devaluing Prayer, and Freedom" Washington Post - October 14, 2007 "Why no noise over school silence bill?" Chicago Tribune - October 11, 2007 "Court weighs coach's role in team-led prayer" USA Today - October 5, 2007 "Clinton Says She Would Shield Science From Politics" New York Times - October 5, 2007 "Interfaith Alliance Weighs in on School Prayer Case" InterfaithAlliance.Org - October 3, 2007 "Scientists Feel Miscast in Film on Life’s Origin" New York Times - September 27, 2007 "Teacher: I was fired, said Bible isn't literal" Des Moines Register - September 27, 2007 "Peanut Butter Creationists" The Antlantic - September 27, 2007 "Welcome or Not, Orthodoxy Is Back in Russia’s Public Schools" New York Times - September 23, 2007 "Faith in secular government" The Roanoke Times - September 19, 2007 "Putting God in the curriculum" Freep.com (Detroit Free Press) - September 18, 2007 "The Right Is Wrong About Sex Education " Philadelphia Jewish Voice - September 7, 2007 "A captive audience" Houston Chronicle - August 27, 2007 "Majority on education board oppose intelligent design" Houston Chronicle - August 24, 2007 "Round Rock district is sued over student prayer" Austin-American Statesman - August 23, 2007 "Universal Faith" New York Times - August 23, 2007 "Court Upholds Ban on Bible Distribution to Fifth-Graders" ABC News - August 23, 2007 "Groups Take Fight Against Lessons to Court" The Washington Post - August 3, 2007 "No-sex lesson rules in Florida " St. Petersburg Times - August 1, 2007 "Norma Gabler, Leader of Crusade on Textbooks, Dies at 84" The New York Times - August 1, 2007 "Creation story - and thin crust" Tulsa World - July 28, 2007 "Bible Course in School Debate Continues " Craig Daily Press - July 28, 2007 "Teen Sex Rates Stop Falling, Data Show" The Washington Post - July 22, 2007 "Creationism and the Dumbing Down of Texas" Houston Press - July 19, 2007 "Dems Attack Bush on Women's Health Issues" The New York Times - July 18, 2007 "Islamic Creationist and a Book Sent Round the World " The New York Times - July 17, 2007 "U.S. Surgeon General sees 4-year term as compromised" International Herald Tribune - July 11, 2007 "Adam and T-Rex? When a ‘museum’ is not really a museum" Tulsa World - July 9, 2007 "School district says nothing wrong with Bible classes " The Associated Press - July 2, 2007 "Polish Americans Join Fight to Allow Nativity Scenes in NY" Canada Free Press - June 23, 2007 "North Dakota Is Sued in Church-State Case" The New York Times - June 21, 2007 "Evolution issue separates candidates" USA Today - June 11, 2007 "Religious students' rights clarified in bill" Statesman.com - June 6, 2007 "Senate OKs bill for school Bible classes" WorldWide Religious News - May 24, 2007 "Educators Criticize Creation Museum" The Christian Post - May 20, 2007 "Advocacy groups sue to halt Bible classes in Texas schools" CNN.com - May 16, 2007 "Kansas Board of Ed. repeals conservative sex ed policies" CNN.com - May 9, 2007 "Texas Panel Rejects Required Bible Class" Associated Press - April 23, 2007 "Pope Says Evolution Can't Be Proven" The Associated Press - April 12, 2007 "Columbus, Ga. school board considering Bible classes" The Associated Press - April 9, 2007 "Scandal puts spotlight on Christian law school" The Boston Globe - April 9, 2007 "Jinkins: Have faith in America's secular common ground" Austin American-Statesman - April 6, 2007 "Clash Over Prayer in School Triggers Suspensions" Beliefnet - March 13, 2007 "Kansas repeals science guidelines questioning evolution" CNN.com - February 14, 2007 "Chisum Launches Attack On Evolution" Texas Freedom Network - February 14, 2007 "God, Darwin clash again in Kansas " Reuters - February 14, 2007 "Maryland School District Drops Plan For Graduation At Church" Americans United for Separation of Church and State - January 31, 2007 "Religious ‘bill of rights’ for schools proposed" The Gazette, Colorado Springs - January 29, 2007 "KEARNY HIGH JEERS, CHEERS - Preaching teacher defended one who complained taunted" The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, NJ) - November 16, 2006 "An issue of fair pray - Disagreement sends coach, school to court" The Boston Globe - November 7, 2006 "Evolution Major Vanishes From Approved Federal List" The New York Times - August 24, 2006 "School Voucher Support Fails" The Indianapolis Star - August 22, 2006 "Public Educators Want to Nix Voucher System" The News-Star (Louisiana) - July 31, 2006 Partner Organizations
The organizations featured below are encouraging their members and supporters to sign the First Freedom First petition to safeguard separation of church and state and protect religious liberty. Click their logo to learn more.
Madison PartnersOrganizations working with First Freedom First on Academic Integrity
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