Palmetto State News

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has introduced a resolution to designate October 6-12, 2024, as "Religious Education Week." The initiative aims to celebrate and highlight the importance of religious education and the institutions involved in providing such instruction.

"South Carolina’s children are our greatest resource and future leaders," said Graham. "I am proud to introduce this resolution to emphasize the importance of continued religious education and the organizations who provide it."

The resolution has garnered support from several U.S. Senators, including John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Katie Boyd Britt (R-Alabama), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), James Risch (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Roger Wicker(R-Mississippi) and Todd Young(R-Indiana).

Support for the resolution also comes from various organizations, including Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty, Coalition for Jewish Values, Foundation for American Christian Education, School Time Bible Ministries, Association of Christian Schools International, Agudath Israel of America, and Catholic Education Partners Inc.

Grayson Hartgrove, Director of School Time Bible Ministries in Columbia, SC stated: "We support and applaud the US Senate effort to pass a US Senate Resolution on Religious Education Week. Parents of public-school students want the option of providing faith-based programming during the public-school day. The legal practice known as Released Time for Religious Education was started in 1914 by a school superintendent. He knew the importance of parents having options in directing the upbringing of their children. Currently over 13,000 public school students with parental permission in South Carolina leave campus every week for a faith-based class off campus at a church or non-school building. The number of students participating continues to grow as more parents learn of this option."

Rabbi Lerner, President Emeritus of the Coalition for Jewish Values remarked: "Judaism places the education of our children at the center of religious practice. We are happy to endorse this resolution which underscores the intrinsic connection between religious education and the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the Constitution and celebrates religious schooling as a method of civic and moral development."