In response to Carson v. Makin, Maine lawmakers passed legislation that limited the ability for religious schools to gain an exemption from certain nondiscrimination rules while participating in the school choice tuitioning program, prompting a lawsuit on behalf of Bangor Christian School on Tuesday.
“This is not the first time this has come up,” Thomas McKenna told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “But what is at stake here is the real persecution of our Catholic faith because confession is not a therapy session … discussion or therapy group.”
The Vermont Senate has introduced its long-promised work-around of a U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring towns with no high schools to provide tuition to approved, independent religious schools.
A bill introduced into the Vermont Senate last week would, in practice, break the sacred seal of the church confessional in cases of child abuse. According to the Catholic Education Resource Center, the seal cannot be violated for any reason. For a priest to do so is a crime against church law.
Nationally syndicated talk show host Dennis Prager will be the featured speaker at the “Restoring Our Faith” summit, to be held at the Double Tree Hotel in South Burlington on Oct. 25. The summit also will feature a dozen world-renowned faith leaders, social scientists and physicians.
Renowned national speaker, author and radio host Dennis Prager as well as social scientists, psychologists and faith leaders will debate and discuss how to restore the country’s lost faith in God, in trusted institutions and in the founding principles of the country based on Judeo-Christian principles.
Many states today are following Vermont’s lead and moving toward greater school choice for families, especially after parents have had a firsthand look at public education during the recent pandemic. Ironically, Vermont’s ruling class is considering dismantling our unique system to prevent a few tuition students from selecting religious schools.
“VISA is committed to working with the legislature to support passage of a law requiring all schools receiving public funds to comply with a nondiscrimination law,” said VISA Executive Director Mill Moore.
For Americans who have watched the weakening of the rule of law here at home, the obligation to tell, and to hear the Passover story is a useful warning. Without our Constitution, our ways, institutions and freedom itself are at risk.
A bill that puts “guardrails” around tuitioning to religious independent schools and expands dual enrollment passed the Senate after a long gestation in the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Courts have ruled recently that religious schools must be included in voucher programs that are made available to other non-public schools. This has raised concern among many educators and politicians that using taxpayer dollars may involve religious indoctrination.
The Burlington Catholic Diocese and two families with children attending Mount St. Joseph Academy in Rutland have filed a federal lawsuit against AOE Secretary French, and the Superintendent and School Directors of the Barstow School District seeking access to public tuition funds.