They Can't Have It Both Ways! A Double Standard on Religion in Schools
Public Schools Can't Prohibit Prayer And Promote Witchcraft
Public Schools Can’t Prohibit Prayer And Promote Witchcraft
When a public high school in Orange County, Florida, aired a weekly “Witchy Wednesday” religious video series on the schoolwide TV system, led by students and featuring detailed instructions on casting spells and performing rituals, including soul cleansing and moon worship, many parents were stunned.
The school canceled the series after public outcry and intervention from Liberty Counsel, in which the legal group asked for equal time for Christian instruction. But the larger question remains: Why would a public school introduce spiritual practices rooted in witchcraft to impressionable young students, and what does this reveal about the direction of public education?
A Double Standard on Religion
The U.S. Constitution forbids government-established religion through the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Yet the same public schools that prohibit students from praying before class or mentioning Jesus in a valedictorian speech are now permitting, and in some cases promoting, pagan spirituality under the guise of “student expression” or “cultural inclusion.”
Witchy Wednesday is where the court case Mahmoud v. Taylor becomes…