Posted: June 5, 2024
This is what theocracy looks like: Instead of honoring religious freedom and teaching accurate history to our children and grandchildren, the state of Florida is bribing public school teachers to indoctrinate students in the tenets of Christian nationalism.
Under Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Education is offering middle and high school teachers $3,000 "bonuses" for taking in-person and online courses that wrongly assert the Ten Commandments form the basis for U.S. law.
The presentation -- unearthed by journalist Judd Legum's Popular Information newsletter -- cites the Bible, quotes prominent Christian nationalist leaders, and even incorrectly instructs teachers that "the separation of Church and State did not mean the separation of God and government." (Thomas Jefferson would be appalled.)
In 2023 alone, 20,000 Florida teachers were enrolled in the course and another 14,000 were on the waiting list, according to the state.
As a hijacking of Jesus's name with the goal of grabbing power only for a select few, Christian nationalism is the single biggest threat to both democracy and the church today. As Christians, let's speak out together against this theocracy now, and demand that Florida schools stop pushing Christian nationalism.
Sign the petition:
Love thy neighbor.