Can public school teachers read the Bible?

The courts have been clear that public school teachers cannot teach religion to their students or read the Bible to the class as a way of promoting their faith.
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Can public schools study the Bible?

The U.S. Department of Education guidelines reiterate that public schools "may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about religion, including the Bible or other scripture."8 In keeping with the First Amendment's mandate of governmental neutrality toward religion, any study of religion in a public ...
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Can teachers talk about religion in public schools?

Although the Constitution forbids public school officials from directing or favoring prayer in their official capacities, students and teachers do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." The Supreme Court has made clear that "private religious speech, far from ...
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Is the Bible allowed in public school library?

Teachers' rights

Did you know you can answer student questions about your faith or personal beliefs? You can have Bibles in your classroom library. You can teach about Religion in an objective way. You can use sacred/religious music, literature, historical figures if balanced and has an academic purpose.
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Can teachers talk about God in school?

As agents of the government, teachers cannot inculcate religion at school, so they cannot lead students in prayer during class. But they also are private citizens with rights to free speech — and many interpret that to mean they can pray with students at church on Sunday, for example.
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Can I talk about Jesus in a public school?

That, in fact, it is legal to teach about religion in the public school as long as you do it in an academic matter and don't try to convert your students. And that those legal, academic conversations may open doors for God to work in students' lives in ways we never imagined.
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When did it become illegal to teach religion in public schools?

It began with the landmark 1962 ruling, Engel v.
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Are religious books allowed in school libraries?

Yes. A religious organization should be held to the same standards as any other group that is allowed to participate in a program. As with its own programming, libraries should assure that the programs are informational and do not proselytize, promote, or advance particular religious beliefs or organizations.
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When was the Bible taught in public schools?

In 1949 Bible reading was a part of routine in the public schools of at least thirty-seven states. In twelve of these states, Bible reading was legally required by state laws; 11 states passed these laws after 1913.
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Can Christians be librarians?

In their role of librarian, Christians who provide reference services, research appointments, and library instruction diligently seek to build relationships of mutual submission and respect with faculty members and students.
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Is it illegal to teach the Bible in school?

First, while it is constitutional for public schools to teach children about religion, it is unconstitutional to use public schools to advance particular religious beliefs. Among the important statements made in the guidelines are: "The school's approach to religion is academic, not devotional."
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Can Christianity be taught in public schools?

In this regard, the guidelines state: “Public schools may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about religion, including the Bible or other scripture: the history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible (or other scripture) as literature and the role of religion in the history of the United States ...
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Can you pray in public schools?

Yes. Contrary to popular myth, the Supreme Court has never outlawed “prayer in schools.” Students are free to pray alone or in groups, as long as such prayers are not disruptive and do not infringe upon the rights of others.
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Where is the Bible taught in public schools?

Currently, there are 7 states that mandate Bible courses in public schools: Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
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Should public schools begin the day with silent prayer time critique?

The answer is no. Public schools should not start the day with a silent prayer time. Silent prayer time could lead to the ostracization of the minorities; put yourself in the shoes of a child who's the odd man out. Silent prayer time is illegal; it violates the Establishment Clause and separation of church and state.
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Why should religion be taught in public schools?

If students are to function as globally competent citizens, they need to understand religion's profound impact on history, politics, society, and culture. They should know basic religious facts and principles and recognize the diversity that exists within each belief system across time and place.
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Why is there no prayer in public schools?

In the landmark case Engel v. Vitale in 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment — breaching the constitutional wall of separation between church and state.
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What year was the Ten Commandments removed from schools?

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Kentucky statute that had mandated every public school classroom have the Ten Commandments posted on its walls. The ruling came to prevent public schools from displaying the Ten Commandments year-round.
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When did U.S. ban school prayers?

The U.S. Supreme Court banned school-sponsored prayer in public schools in a 1962 decision, saying that it violated the First Amendment. But students are allowed to meet and pray on school grounds as long as they do so privately and don't try to force others to do the same.
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Are Bibles allowed in public schools in Florida?

Yes. Florida law authorizes public schools to offer a secular and objective study of the Bible and of religion.
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Is Bible banned?

In some, mostly Muslim states, censorship of the Bible exists today, such as in Saudi Arabia where the distribution of non-Muslim religious materials such as Bibles is illegal. Afghan Christians practice in secret. Bibles are not sold publicly. Importing & distributing bibles is illegal.
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Who took prayer out of school?

The often-repeated tale that O'Hair kicked prayer out of public school constitutes one of the great myths of American church-state history. In its 1962 Engel v. Vitale decision, the Supreme Court barred state-required or state-written prayer in public schools.
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What has the Supreme Court said about prayer in public schools?

Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.
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Does religion have a valid place in public schools?

Religion in Public Schools

Schools cannot endorse or advance a particular religion, but they also cannot inhibit the expression of religious belief. As a general rule, students may pray on school grounds as long as the prayer is entirely initiated and led by students and does not use school resources.
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