[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 158 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 380--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 1, 2023, THROUGH 
OCTOBER 7, 2023, AS ``RELIGIOUS EDUCATION WEEK'' TO CELEBRATE RELIGIOUS 
                     EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Barrasso, Mrs. Blackburn, Mrs. Capito, 
Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Daines, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. 
Hawley, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Lankford, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Risch, Mr. 
Rubio, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. 
Tuberville, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Young) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 380

       Whereas the free exercise of religion is an inherent, 
     fundamental, and inalienable right protected by the First 
     Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
       Whereas the United States has long recognized that the free 
     exercise of religion is important to the intellectual, 
     ethical, moral, and civic development of individuals in the 
     United States, as evidenced by the Founders of the United 
     States, such as--
       (1) Benjamin Franklin, who believed religion to be 
     ``uniquely capable of educating a citizenry for democracy''; 
     and
       (2) George Washington, who said in his farewell address, 
     ``Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political 
     prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable 
     supports.'';
       Whereas religious education is useful for self-development 
     because it asks students to consider and respond to questions 
     concerning the meaning and purpose of life, engages students 
     in questions about morality and justice, and enables students 
     to identify their values;
       Whereas studies like the one published by the International 
     Journal of Mental Health Systems in 2019 have shown that 
     religious education can be ``instrumental to improving 
     adolescent mental health'' by helping children learn how to 
     make decisions based on morals, promoting less risky choices, 
     and encouraging connectedness within a community, which can 
     enhance self-esteem and well-being;
       Whereas religious education fosters respect for other 
     religious groups and individuals generally by acknowledging a 
     source for human dignity and worth;
       Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States found in 
     Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 (1925), that the 
     State does not have power ``to standardize its children by 
     forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. 
     The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who 
     nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled 
     with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for 
     additional obligations.'';
       Whereas religious instruction can come from a variety of 
     sources, including sectarian schools and released time 
     programs;
       Whereas, according to the National Center for Education 
     Statistics, in 2015, 4,350,000 children in the United States 
     attended sectarian elementary and secondary schools where 
     those children received religious education; and
       Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States held in 
     Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952), that State statutes 
     providing for the release of public school students from 
     school to attend religious classes are constitutional, and, 
     as a result, an estimated 540,000 public school students in 
     the United States take advantage of released time programs 
     each year: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) affirms the importance of religious education in the 
     civic and moral development of the people of the United 
     States;
       (2) celebrates the schools and organizations that are 
     engaged in religious instruction of the children of the 
     United States to aid those children in intellectual, ethical, 
     moral, and civic development;
       (3) calls on each of the 50 States, each territory of the 
     United States, and the District of Columbia to accommodate 
     individuals who wish to be released from public school 
     attendance to attend religious classes; and
       (4) designates the week of October 1, 2023, through October 
     7, 2023, as ``Religious Education Week''.

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