Why do far right Christian-Conservatives want to put Jesus in schools

[brewer]

Maybe Mary and Joseph should have put jesus in school back in the day. There is a good chance this whole discussion might be moot.

A mental asylum would also have been a good option.

[SteelCurtain]

Why not ask them?

I have. My mother and sister are firmly in this camp. From what I gather, it comes down to the following:

1) They have whole heartedly bought into the narrative that there is real persecution for Christians in America. To quote my mother: "I am afraid that I will not be able to practice my faith freely in this country."

2) They get their biases confirmed by every example of public school teachers/coaches getting sanctioned for baptizing kids at football practice or leading team prayers. They don't grasp the nuance that it is not the prayer that is being outlawed at the school, but rather the fact that it is a school representative leading said prayer while acting in that role that is unconstitutional.

3) They equate the Pledge of Allegiance into this argument, somehow. The fact that students cannot be required to recite the Pledge is further proof that children are being unfairly secularized.

It is specifically a case of unchallenged biases. They are convinced that the gradual drawing back of privileges that they have been granted forever is a persecution of their right to freely practice their religion. I have asked everyone who has ever told me this to explain to me how, exactly, they are being persecuted---or how their ability to practice their religion has been restricted---and none of them has been able to give me a response that fits the bill. All of them give examples where they are simply no longer being given preference.

[Jesster]

Why not ask them?

I have. My mother and sister are firmly in this camp. From what I gather, it comes down to the following:

1) They have whole heartedly bought into the narrative that there is real persecution for Christians in America. To quote my mother: "I am afraid that I will not be able to practice my faith freely in this country."

2) They get their biases confirmed by every example of public school teachers/coaches getting sanctioned for baptizing kids at football practice or leading team prayers. They don't grasp the nuance that it is not the prayer that is being outlawed at the school, but rather the fact that it is a school representative leading said prayer while acting in that role that is unconstitutional.

3) They equate the Pledge of Allegiance into this argument, somehow. The fact that students cannot be required to recite the Pledge is further proof that children are being unfairly secularized.

It is specifically a case of unchallenged biases. They are convinced that the gradual drawing back of privileges that they have been granted forever is a persecution of their right to freely practice their religion. I have asked everyone who has ever told me this to explain to me how, exactly, they are being persecuted---or how their ability to practice their religion has been restricted---and none of them has been able to give me a response that fits the bill. All of them give examples where they are simply no longer being given preference.

You hit this right on the nose. This is exactly the kind of reasoning I keep hearing from the Christians I personally know who keep displaying their ignorance about school prayer. None of them seem to understand that prayer was never banned in schools. Students can pray all they want so long as it isn't interfering with their education. School faculty just isn't allowed to show religious preference on the job. I've been able to explain this to some of them, but others still insist on acting like they are being persecuted.

[Minimalist]

To quote my mother: "I am afraid that I will not be able to practice my faith freely in this country."

And by "practice it" she means inflict it on anyone else that crosses her path, I suppose?

[SteelCurtain]

To quote my mother: "I am afraid that I will not be able to practice my faith freely in this country."

And by "practice it" she means inflict it on anyone else that crosses her path, I suppose?

It seems so. When I called her out on it, she didn't have much of a response.

[Crossless2.0]

They equate the Pledge of Allegiance into this argument, somehow. The fact that students cannot be required to recite the Pledge is further proof that children are being unfairly secularized.

Of course, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as it was originally worded would also be unacceptable because of its lack of reference to God.

Ironic, considering that so many right-leaning Christians approach their scripture as fundamentalists and the Constitution as boosters of original intent -- so long as it serves their purposes, in any case.

[Pat Mustard]

They equate the Pledge of Allegiance into this argument, somehow. The fact that students cannot be required to recite the Pledge is further proof that children are being unfairly secularized.

Of course, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as it was originally worded would also be unacceptable because of its lack of reference to God.

Ironic, considering that so many right-leaning Christians approach their scripture as fundamentalists and the Constitution as boosters of original intent -- so long as it serves their purposes, in any case.

I'm always amused at fundies spouting from tge KJV, given that their mantra is sola scriptura. It'd be like LOTR fanatics citing the Jackson films as the original source for the oeuvre.

[Minimalist]

And by "practice it" she means inflict it on anyone else that crosses her path, I suppose?

It seems so. When I called her out on it, she didn't have much of a response.

Show her this.  See if she recognizes herself.

[Doubting Thomas]

Why do they do it? To brainwash children into being perfect little Godbots, duh. They want to do the exact same thing they accuse liberals of doing, indoctrinating children.

[The Grand Nudger]

Thing that really perplexes me is that christers seem completely oblivious to the toxic effect that politicizing their faith has had...on their faith.  They've become the usual suspects fed a neverending line of political bait that has the effect of gradually transforming them into evangelists for the gospel of St. Ronnie rather than anything recognizably "christian". This can't be waived away, as many would and do, by claiming that the conservative issues which have somehow become synonymous with christian issues are a necessarry and unavoidable consequence of christian belief..because, ofc, another....admittedly smaller, demographic of christians took it in entirely the opposite direction in the same timeframe.