About this episode
National School Chaplain Association has published a new article titled Opposition in Oklahoma Stirs Constitutional Debate Surrounding School Chaplains.
This hot topic sheds light on the need to continually protect the religious freedoms upon which America was birthed.
The heat turned up in Oklahoma, capturing public attention, after two new releases presented school chaplains as a debatable topic. The National School Chaplain Association welcomes this opportunity to provide clarification and spark conversations!
The NSCA further adds that it does not need to dispute the “separation clause” because George Washington established chaplaincy before the U.S. Constitution was written. Chaplaincy is an essential bulwark of religious liberty in public institutions, and is a well-established precedent.
This will be of interest to religious liberty defenders, senators, state legislators, congress, lawyers, school district superintendents, parents, teachers, school boards, churches, mental health providers, marketplace corporations, charitable foundations and the general public.
This is important because squabbles can be swapped for bottom line solutions for all involved. Being willing to see what has been missing, is how innovation and breakthrough come to light. Division and striving has robbed everyone of finding joy for living. Society needs a vision for renewal and innovation. This will happen when collaboration is birthed
One of the most important pieces of information from the article is that the school experience can be stressful. This is evidenced by increasing violence, depression and escalating suicide rates among young students. Teacher burnout leads to forty to fifty percent of teachers resigning within the first two years.
NSCA asserts that the schools deserve the same holistic chaplain care that is already provided in other governmental and public sectors.
Engaging with a school chaplain is a choice. The availability of chaplains to public school students is not an “establishment” of religion. Therefore, in the absence of coercion, there is no Establishment Clause violation. The Free Establishment Clause protects the right to express ones faith voluntarily.
'Separation of Church and State’ is not in the Constitution or Bill of Rights. The wall of separation was in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association in regard to keeping the government from mandating a state church. '
In discussing the article's creation, Dorothy Kozar, Editorial Contributor, Speaker and author of this article said;
""Since the implementation of school chaplains began, the students, faculty and community have only experienced a positive impact for wellbeing.
For example, Texas district superintendents have written letters of recommendation based on their schools’ positive measurable outcomes after employing school chaplains."."
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