State-organized school prayer undermines religious freedom by taking the responsibility for religious instruction from congregations and families and giving it to government instead, more than 160 faith leaders said in an open letter to all Texas school board members.
The letter was organized by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Christians Against Christian Nationalism, Texas Impact and other advocacy groups opposed to Senate Bill 11, a 2025 state law requiring school districts to vote on whether to provide Bible reading and prayer periods to students and staff.
“By requiring school boards to vote on a state-designated time for prayer and religious text study, Texas’ state-organized prayer in school law, SB-11, threatens to drive a wedge into public school communities and create unnecessary administrative burdens,” according to the Jan. 8 letter signed by Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim clergy.
“If SB-11’s prayer policy is approved, schools will be required to track consent forms, designate non-instructional time for prayer, identify private prayer spaces and ensure non-participating students are not coerced to pray,” the letter says. “Requiring families to opt into a system that already protects their children’s religious rights at school distracts from a school’s mission of educating children.”
“Students may feel pressure to opt in to gain favor and time with teachers or coaches.”
A further threat will be to youth and children who prefer not to have the state direct their religious education and activities, the letter adds. “Students who do not opt in might be bullied and ostracized, and students may feel pressure to opt in to gain favor and time with teachers or coaches. State-sponsored prayer time will also cause division among students based on their religious beliefs.”
The letter includes a draft resolution school boards could pass affirming religious freedom in public schools and in fostering and protecting educational environments respectful of teachers and students of any or no faith. Districts have until March 1 to vote for or against implementing the law for their schools.
This resolution “affirms students’ right to prayer and religious study under existing law and respects the religious diversity within public schools,” the faith leaders said. “We ask you to support religious freedom in our schools and reject SB-11’s state-organized prayer policy.”
Among the signers are more than 30 Baptists, including Griff Martin, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Austin; George Mason, senior pastor emeritus at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas; Stephen Reeves, executive director of FaithWorks; and Mara Richards Bim, justice and advocacy fellow at Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas and a Clemons Fellow with BNG.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick claimed the law will protect religious liberty by codifying the right to pray and read Scripture in public schools: “Religious freedom is a bedrock principle upon which America was founded, recognizing our rights come directly from God, not the government. I prioritized SB-11 to make sure religious freedom is not infringed upon in Texas, ensuring our students and educators have the right to pray on school grounds.”
In their letter, however, opponents of the law pointed out the U.S. Constitution already protects that right by ensuring public schools are safe spaces for people of all faiths or none to come together for learning.
“We believe in the value of religious instruction. We also understand that the responsibility for religious instruction lies with students, their families and their local faith communities — not with public schools and not organized or directed by the state,” the letter says.
Rabbi David Segal, policy counsel at BJC, said SB-11 attempts to address a problem that doesn’t exist.
“Students already have the right to pray. This law creates a bureaucratic circus for overstretched teachers and administrators, forcing them to track waivers and referee religious disputes instead of focusing on education. Religious freedom must be voluntary and personal — never organized or coerced by the government.”
Related articles:
Texas senator fails history test while passing school prayer bill | Opinion by Warren Throckmorton
Panelists offer three takes on state of religious liberty today