Critics of 'religious liberties' bill say it could lead to classroom discrimination

[TexasTowelie]

TALLAHASSEE — Students and teachers in Florida's public schools would more explicitly have the right to say the Lord's Prayer, pray to Allah or worship Satan under a highly polarizing measure that's being fast-tracked through the Florida Senate as the 2017 session begins this week.

Called a "religious liberties" bill, SB 436 is intended to "clarify First Amendment rights of free speech, specifically as they apply to religious expression," said Sen. Dennis Baxley, a conservative Republican from Ocala who's driving the measure in the Senate.

"I grew up in an America where you were free to express your faith, and there was no intimidation of whether you could say 'Jesus' out loud or not," Baxley said. "This is where we've come: The pendulum has swung so far that there's been a chilling effect on people of faith of just expressing and being who they are."

While comments before the Senate Education Committee on Monday heavily emphasized a need to protect Christians, Baxley's bill would shield students, teachers and school staff of all faiths from religious discrimination — protections already guaranteed through the Florida and U.S. Constitutions, as well as U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/critics-of-religious-liberties-bill-say-it-could-lead-to-classroom/2315584

[Phoenix61]

1. Figures the sponsor is from Ocala.

[Doreen]

2. I see it now, after the bell rings you do the pledge of allegiance

then you have a prayer time for each religion in the room. Now saying most classes in these times has 30-40 kids in it and say there are 5 different religions in that particular class that is going to take up most of the hour. Then there is the Muslim children who if they were doing it they way their parents do it wouldn't they have to leave class 5 times a day? For Buddhists they will need to have a room that is quiet so they can meditate. Yes, if the want to have religion in schools they have to respect ALL religions and yes, that means Satanists also...only fair. We have adults who start wars over religion, can you imagine how it would be with children? Either you have NO religion in public schools or you fully respect ALL religions.