{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"}],"id":40969,"title":"Trump Announces Protections for Prayer in Schools – Do You Support Prayer in Public Schools?","html_content":"\n

by Causes | 1.16.20

What’s the story?

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a series of policies designed to empower students who want to pray in their schools. The U.S. Education Department is also proposing a rule to strengthen the rights of religious student groups at public universities.

It’s a reversal of Obama-era requirements that constrained religious organizations receiving taxpayer money.
\"Our actions today will protect the constitutional rights of students, teachers, and faith-based institutions,\" Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement.

\"The Department's efforts will level the playing field between religious and non-religious organizations competing for federal grants, as well as protect First Amendment freedoms on campus and the religious liberty of faith-based institutions.\"

What are people saying?

Supporters

“President Trump is committed to making sure that people of faith, particularly children, are not subjected to illegal punishment or pressure for exercising their constitutionally protected rights,” White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council Joe Grogan said during a press call Thursday.

“The guidance will remind school districts of the rights of students, parents and teachers and will empower students and others to confidently know and exercise their rights.”

Opponents

“Once again, the Trump administration is putting the personal beliefs of taxpayer-funded service providers above the needs of vulnerable children, families and people they serve,” said Rev. Stan J. Sloan, chief executive of Family Equality.

“People in need should never have to choose between their own identity or religion and accessing services they need and have paid for with their tax dollars,” Sloan said.

What do you think?

Do you support prayer in public school? What about federal grants for religious organizations? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: @WhiteHouse)

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Since the day you were born, that’s always been on the cards. Most of us find it easier to bury our heads in the sand. Avoidance is the #1 most popular coping strategy in the world. We live in denial of the self-evident fact that we all die eventually. The Stoics believed that when we’re confronted with our own mortality, and grasp its implications, that can change our perspective on life quite dramatically. Any of us could die at any moment. Life doesn’t go on forever. If you say that you won't vote in the general election if your candidate doesn't win the nomination, you're saying to millions of people you think their suffering is an appropriate price for your righteous indignation.\nThere is NO moral justification for sitting out this election. IRL I am an environmental hydrogeologist. I specialize in municipal stormwater management and karst groundwater systems. You can deny the effects of anthropogenic forced global climate change all day, but when your water well salts up, your streets and yards flood, or your house falls in a sinkhole or gets crushed by a landslide you will be calling me for help like I am the GD Batman.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"burrkitty","issue_count":139,"is_following":null,"influence_score":15140,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":512,"following_count":40,"position_count":987,"id":"8mrvqvpm","partner_id":null},{"name":"Maryjane","vote_count":689,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/e9XKj1qm/following","followers":"/api/users/e9XKj1qm/followers"},"about_me":"","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":48,"is_following":null,"influence_score":3365,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":131,"following_count":75,"position_count":108,"id":"e9XKj1qm","partner_id":null},{"name":"jimK","vote_count":544,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/large_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/small_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/tiny_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/following","followers":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/followers"},"about_me":"Retired, Politically Independent. Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. 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A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":44850,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1529,"following_count":81,"position_count":539,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1166682,"body":"You can not support this and abide the rules of separation of church and state! Religion, any religion is to be kept separate from our public school, and government. 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