Open Discussions

Students have the right to engage in religious discussion during the school day in the same way as they do to engage in other comparable activities. In fact, in informal settings, students have the right to speak with other students in an attempt to persuade them about religious topics (evangelism.) In other words, where students are allowed to use persuasive speech for a secular purpose, students are also allowed to use persuasive speech for religious purposes.

If a teacher asks the class whether or not it’s appropriate to kill and unarmed human being, students have the right to explain their answer using religious viewpoints like, “Thou shall not kill,” or, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Similarly, during an open debate, students are allowed to express religious viewpoints as a way to state their case.

Similarly, students could also choose to state their religious opinions on hotly contested issues such as abortion, evolution and the death penalty during times where student feedback or opinion is allowed.

However, it would be inappropriate for a student to express his or her religious viewpoint in the classroom when it does not fit the scope of the assignment. For instance, a student does not have the right to discuss a religious viewpoint in the middle class during of silent reading. In other words, a student should not try to discuss a religious viewpoint with another student during a time in class when speaking about personal viewpoints is not permitted (i.e. during work on another project, during in-class reading, or during a test.)

There are many instances during a school day where students are able to express their religious viewpoints. However, the Constitution does not allow a student to harass one another using a religious viewpoint… or any viewpoint for that matter. Harassment comes in the form of relentless speech toward an individual who desires not to hear it and has made it clear that he or she would rather not be approached with the subject. A student should try his best to share his religious viewpoint in a manner that suits both the speaker and the listener.

The content on this page has been reviewed by The Rutherford Institute.