HB 2467 - THE REPUBLICANS' ATTEMPT AT FORCING EVERYONE TO PROFESS A BELIEF IN GOD OR FOREGO THE ABILITY TO GRADUATE FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL.

HB 2467 -  THE REPUBLICANS' ATTEMPT AT FORCING EVERYONE TO PROFESS A BELIEF IN GOD OR FOREGO THE ABILITY TO GRADUATE FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL.

It seems that every day new laws are proposed to try and favor one party or another, without necessarily any regard for how the law may benefit or not the interested citizen.

Partisanship however rears its ugly head again with a new proposal from the state of Arizona called HB 2467, which would mandate, if approved, that each student enrolled in a public school recite and pledge to a principal of the school they attend the text of the oath prescribed in HB 2467 or forfeit their graduation. The oath's text follows below.

 "I, _________, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION; AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THESE DUTIES; SO HELP ME GOD. "

This poses a very significant ethical question.  There are professions where a pledge is required, i.e., being a lawyer or a president.  But this is done to underscore the commitment of the person in such professions to behave in a moral manner.

Public school pupils however do not have a duty to commit to anything and should not, in order to be able to take advantage of the public school system.

What the Republican party is doing, in effect, is to find a way to de-fund education.  Even if this seems to be a circuitous approach, in the end, if the law is rejected, the party could point out that public schools are in a sense an 'atheist loving enterprise' and call for a restriction in funding.

The Republicans have been trying in the past decades to find a way to steer federal and local money to school that are either christian or private, and they seem to have not let go of the fight.

The most important point however, is that the Republicans would be, by passing this legislation, in fact be infringing on the right of the student to obtain a public education, something that is, to date, a compulsory right.

The law, if passed, would also be infringing in that 'sacred' right enshrined in the constitution, to a freedom of religion and religious expression, since the lack of belief in God is in itself a belief.

One of the legislation's co-writer, Representative T.J.Thorpe (R - Arizona), has promised to 're-write' the wording of the oath if it is not passed, so that it would garner a better chance at a vote in the next round.  However, such changes, if made, would not strike the 'requirement' portion of the oath, without the pronouncement of which the student would still be unable to graduate.

Adapted freely from the article of 1.31.13 in Patheos.com forum

BPH News Staff