Few speeches delivered by an American leader in the modern era have addressed the cultural crisis facing this country with such clarity, vision, and moral courage as former Attorney General Bill Barr’s remarks Friday to Alliance Defending Freedom.
Accepting ADF’s Edwin Meese Award for “Originalism and Religious Liberty,” Barr argued that “the greatest threat to religious liberty in America today” is “the increasingly militant and extreme secular-progressive climate of our state-run educational system.”
He said that this indoctrination in public schools may well have reached the point of being unconstitutional, and laid out a case for a legal challenge to leftist brainwashing based on the First Amendment. The left-wing curriculum being taught in government-run schools, Barr argued, is so aggressively anti-Christian—and indeed anti-religious—that it represents a violation of the constitutional rights of Americans of faith.
Barr began his remarks with a brief history of America’s approach to public schooling, dividing it into three distinct phases. During the first phase—which encompassed most of American history up until the 1970s—the instruction students received in the public school system was “committed to Judeo-Christian values in the general sense.”
During the second phase which “came in the latter part of the 20th century,” Barr notes, the “the left embarked on a relentless campaign of secularization intent on driving every vestige of religion from the public square.” God was driven out of the curriculum based on the idea that public schools should be entirely neutral toward religion.
But now, Barr said, we are witnessing a third phase. Instead of merely purging schools of religion, “[w]e’re now seeing an affirmative indoctrination with a secular belief system and worldview that is a substitute for religion and is antithetical to the beliefs and values of traditional God-centered religion.”
He cited two examples. The first was the transgender ideology that is permeating public schools across the country. Barr referenced a coloring book distributed to schoolchildren in Iowa public schools which told them that “Everyone gets to choose if they are a girl or a boy or both or neither or someone else, and no one else gets to choose for them.” He said this was a perfect example of a curriculum that flatly contradicts religious teachings not just on sex and gender, but on issues such as the role of parents and natural law.
The former Attorney General went on to describe Critical Race Theory and to illustrate how this new fixture of the public school curriculum is fundamentally incompatible with the Christian worldview, just as traditional Marxism has been widely recognized as diametrically opposed to Christianity.
Barr explained that while teaching such anti-religious beliefs and values in public schools is clearly the basis for a legal challenge based on the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment, he believes the left is also vulnerable to an argument that they are teaching their own kind of religious doctrine—a violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on the establishment of a state religion.
“The tenets of progressive orthodoxy,” Barr argued, “have become a form of religion with all the trappings and hallmarks of a religion. It has its notion of original sin, of salvation. It has its clergy. It has its penance. It has its dogmas, its sensitivity to the whiff of any heresy, and even the burning at the stake, so far only metaphorically.”
Barr then asked the obvious question: “If secular-progressivism indeed occupies the same place as a religion – and by all appearances it does – then how is it constitutional to have state-run schools fervently devoted to teaching little else?”
Barr proceeded to argue that to protect the conscience rights of the American people, the public school system needs to be reformed on the basis of universal school choice. “Public funding of education does not require that instruction must be delivered by means of government-operated schools,” he said. “The alternative is to have public funds travel with each student, allowing the student and the parents to choose the school.”
It was President Trump who remarked last year that school choice is “the civil rights issue of our time.” Barr’s contribution to the education debate is his recognition that school choice is easily the most important religious freedom issue of the day as well. Parents who object to the new religion of the Left being preached in public schools must be given the freedom and the resources to provide for their children’s education in a different setting than what Barr called “the government’s secular-progressive madrassas.”
Barr’s remarks call to mind the famous passage from Justice Jackson’s 1943 opinion in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in matters of politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word their faith therein.” Too many public school classrooms in America today are worship centers for the woke Left to do exactly that.
Barr concluded his remarkable speech by challenging every American parent who cares about their kids and the future of this country to muster the moral courage necessary to confront the Left’s new civil religion being preached daily in the nation’s public schools. Barr argued that “confronting this issue, I think, is the most urgent task for people who are concerned about religious liberty.” “Religious liberty,” Barr said, “is not safe in the United States as long as we have the kind of public school system we have, the forced monopoly and the indoctrination of children into these radical secular progressive orthodoxies.”
Barr was on the money with his remarks. Mark Levin is too-American Marcism.
This has been taking place in our country for decades…and now they are fighting back! it infuriates me that it has come to this for our conservative leaders to finally wake up and do their jobs for the people who put them there, only for us to pray it is not too late!
Love is love
The bible is little more than a set of hideous and oppressive notions that more and more people are waking up from
All of our ideas of what constitutes gender and sexuality are cultural
Freedom lies in the ability to choose. Freedom lies in the ability to explore. It is to be without the judgement of others. Freedom is to love oneself and others without shame cast upon you by the ideas set forth in an archaic and brutal religious text
Hate is hate
But love is love
The indoctrination of our kids started about 4 decades ago and has gotten worse every year. It all started going down hill when the feds got into our schools. Barr is right when he says without religion, our country has gone to hell and I am no Bible-thumping zealot. Kids need a compass to know what is right and what is wrong and while I think parents need to pay a big role, schools need to be there to back it up. When did patriotism become a bad thing? When the Socialist got there foot into our schools. It is disgusting that they have turned so many kids into America-hating robots and taking the pledge of allegiance out of schools was a sad thing. How can we be a strong nation when half the citizens hate it? Well, we are no longer strong, Biden and his fellow DC Communsts are making sure of that. They are now working with the CCP to change the US into another Communist strong hold. It is sad and disgusting and sickening.
I agree whole heartedly. We must start to change the narrative. This country was founded under God and it’ needs to remain that way. We do not need to reinvent who God is? Plus we would do well to get the woke Teacher union in the rear view mirror! All evil! If I had children today going to school? I would HOME SCHOOL! . My regret is ,I did not know how destructive the schools were!!! SHAME ON US!! Right under our nose!
It is estimated that there are millions of paid CCP trolls on Twitter accounts. It’s fair to assume that the CCP has assigned a couple of troll battalions to post on AMAC Newsline. Judging from the disparaging remarks here about Barr & Devos it looks like we are getting our share.
Mike- Lead the way!
We can and WILL take back America.
Remember Trump’s Education Secretary, Betsy Devos? …..Few do! She resigned very early this year.
She wasted 4 years not fighting leftist and islamic indoctrination in K-12 schools and colleges receiving federal funds.
She was worthless and complicit by, OMISSION OF ACTION.
An omission is a failure to act, which generally attracts different legal consequences from positive conduct. In the criminal law, an omission will constitute an ‘actus reus’ and give rise to liability only when the law imposes a duty to act and the defendant is in breach of that duty.
I can think of no better reason for school choice. Time to end government run indoctrination centers.
Parents need to take responsibility for what is taught in our schools. If the left wants to spew this crap they need to set up their own schools. The one good thing about the virus is it brought this all to light when parents could over hear what these woke teachers are spewing. So sad – teachers use to be highly respected, but now they are the scourge on society!
Looks like do nothing Barr got another free dinner and speaking engagement. He is an example of the of the uniparty we see in DC. RINOs cause the GOP to always be on the defensive, even when they had the upper hand. The Chaneys, Busheys, Roves, and Turtle McConnell are globalists who continue to let the Dems steamroll them and worse yet, try to reason with those woke a-holes. Hey Lindsay Graham , where are the subpoenas for Hunter and the Resident’s China deals? Because the RINOs stood by and let this happen, we witnessed 2 kangaroo court impeachment’s, (Patrick Leahy as the judge in #2!!!), a fake Russian hoax, illegals storming in, statehood for DC, ending the filibuster, court parking all coming soon, and Chucky Schumer threatening the Supreme Court on the abortion issue. UNITE GOP while you still can. Fight fire with fire!! It’s 50/50 in the Senate but you’d never know that with the Turtle in control.
Mike, I know you mean “regain our morals.” We’re gaining “Morales” by the thousands every day across the southern border. 😉
God loves inbreeding! Keep it white, keep it pure. Make good white Christian babies. Inbreeding is immeasurably more holy than infusing our blood lines with satanic woke blood. God will not forgive us, keep America pure!
Excellent description of the insidious ungodly indoctrination in some of our public schools by former Attorney General Barr!
This was suspected, but we who do not have children, were stymied. Conversations with the young always seemed to meet aggressive talk and them backing off and refusing to talk or listen. Thankyou for saying this out loud. Now maybe we can fights it. I have come to the conclusion that I do not pay enough attention to just what goes on.
Excellent article and I applaud Mr. Bill Barr (former Attorney General) for his desire to see America remain a Free nation as stated in our Constitution and his insight. I’m retired but have grandchildren. Praying they are given the same wonderful freedoms I enjoyed and the right to believe and worship in the one true God. Parents “wake up” and come together against the Left’s new civil religion being preached daily in your public schools. In unity there is strength. May God be your strength.
P.S. Myself and my husband are now members of Amac. God bless you.
To further support what Barr is saying, I would suggest the purchase of a CD Named “The Agenda”. Pretty well defines a project that has been in the works for many years. We are only starting to see what the progressives have in store for us and our children. As soon as God was kicked out of the schools they were on their way to corrupt our entire society. Makes you feel good about paying ridiculous amounts of money to get your kids brainwashed. College is done so they are looking at the K-12 grades to further their progressive poison. We have to wake up and take on this corruption.
Barr’s recent comments to the ADF are appreciated, and spot on. Atheism, in its various forms, is the new State Religion being established in public schools and universities. My nephew Aaron Purdy did a good job of exposing this in his new book, State Religion.
Barr is exactly right – but who is going to fight this? I shudder to think how our children will turn out with this type of curriculum being taught. Where are the old basics of reading, writing and arithmetic? They are rewriting history and making a mockery of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and they are not even teaching anything about World War II, the greatest generation in our country.
Barr is just trying to CYA. He had the opportunity to change things but ignored them.
I no longer listen to anything Barr says. He had the chance to defend our Constitution and wussied out. I could care less what that spineless idiot has to say now.
How sweet. Now that he is safely gone, he has the “courage” to stand up to evil, to which I say BS! Why didn’t you do your DUTY to defend the Constitution when you KNEW the election was stolen from Trump? Or were you just another never Trumper who pretended to go along in order to get the country’s top lawyer boondoggle?
My thoughts are,,,too “fluid”, but they Will be solidly base in my belief and support of “REPUBLIC”!!
I have come to the conclusion that the only way our children can get a proper education is either by private schools, which most people can’t afford, charter schools which are not plentiful enough or home schooling. The Federal Government has NO right to dictate what is taught in schools and Teachers Unions are just as corrupt as any other union. University of supposedly higher learning are rift with socialist professors and receiving Federal Empire money to program future teachers a socialist agenda to teach our children. All of them should be defunded unless they remove these types of professors. What is being taught to our children is the same rhetoric that was taught to Germany under Hitler, is still being taught in Russia and China and now in the good old USA because more parents are not taking the time or making the effort to monitor what is being taught. Shame on them, and when it comes to their children’s turning them in to the government school police they should not be surprised. It is now almost impossible to discipline your child without being reported to Child Services, schools cannot and then we bemoan why there are so many children running wild unlike animals with no moral compass and will do anything they want to do.
Very well articulated by Bill Barr & yes it is the ” civil rights issue of our time ” & yes President Trump recognized this early on. Universal school choice & the funds should follow the student.
CRT & the 1619 Project have no place in our school systems.
Unfortunately Bill Barr lacked the backbone to stand by his President & he woefully became a part of the deep state problem in the end & sadly enough this how he ended his career…
Bill on the Hill… :~)
Well, everybody knows that the socialist democrats have been brainwashing children, Elementary through College for years and it’s still occurring with millions of taxpayers money.
Finally Barr decides to speak, that’s good but him having a spine to help out President Trump would have been even better.
What a bunch of anti American useless democrats that are ruining Our Country !!
2022 MUST end this, throw them ALL out!
And exactly what did this FB do while he was in office. Absolutely freaking nothing! Zilch, nada. Man was just a highly paid position holder and a big part of the deep state. BFMF global elitist!
I could not have been prouder of my daughter when she made the decision to homeschool my grandchildren. It has not been easy but she has stuck to the task for the last 3 years.
Trump fought the swamp, and the swamp won. That being the case, I think it’s a bit much to think that Barr could have beaten the swamp. Let’s give him credit for his accurate remarks about the schools being cesspools of indoctrination rather than centers of learning.
Swamp dweller talk is cheap. Walk the walk, Billy. Fool me once, shame on you: fool me twice, shame on you.
ANOTHER CUCKServative charlatan!
The biggest danger to our liberty is the Deep-State’s ability to rig elections at will. Something that NEITHER Drumpf nor Barr did anything about.
Shameful Trad-Cucks!
Spot on!! The Department of Education should ban Critical Race Theory, or it should be disbanded!
I appreciate the message Mr. Barr but I think it is a little too late for that. Or; I should say better late than never. Anyway, I am still disappointed that Mr. Barr had little interest in finding out about voter fraud. So, whatever He said now, is going to take a while to trust Him again.
What ever happened to READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC? The woke folk will destroy so much of our great country. We have a new aristocracy: tech billionaires who DON’T care and other BIG business leaders. Leading us to slaughter.
I totally agree. Thist brainwashing is sick and godless! My son will seek a private school for his child.
Private christian schools are in great peril. Community and congregational support have been gutted by the Covid lock downs. Please, send $20.00 to your favorite or neighborhood private christian school, attend the fundraisers and pray for them and for school choice. It may be the very best thing you can do for our country at this time.
A couple of semantic tools that will be useful pinning down the beast under discussion here:
Wokism
Wokist dogma
Each state should stop taking money from the federal government for education. Stop taking the money, you don’t have to follow their rules.
The Carter administration formed the department of education and the indoctrination started at high speed.
Each state should educate their children!!!
My hat (legal and otherwise) is off for BIll Barr. We need others to speak out as boldly against the attack on what should be deep-rooted values.
I do not want our children subjected to the liberal brainwashing school agenda nor one cent of my tax money to pay for this. . I would like to see the school agenda before our children are subjected to this brainwashing agenda and my money goes to support it. Where the heck is our Government Representation? Enough is enough of Governmental Hypocrites. We need to take action now! No Taxation without REAL REPRESENTATION!!!
Think back; Where is GOP due diligence?? Remember how Barr was applauded as “above reproach”?? Remember when Bob Mueller was likewise applauded at the time of his appointment? I believe Comey was, too, when DJT kept him on. Yet Dems know more about Brett Kavanaugh than he knew about himself.
What’s wrong with this picture. Also, remember the wall along the southern border would be complete if GOP hadn’t sabotaged DJT his first two years when we had both houses.
I was a science major in college. Mostly taught objectively. However, many of my liberal arts colleague were taught anything the teacher/professor wanted – no holds bar. Unfortunately too many out there.
Behold the death of a nation if we continue in the path of the Godless democrats who do nothing but admire themselves- starting with Bozo Biden, Pathetic Palosi, and Sourpuss Schumer. All are harlots to the U S Constitution,
I agree! The schools are way too liberal and brainwashing nowadays. It should be true History and true information of what’s happening today. The left needs to Stop controlling thisNation
More MONEY – more Teachers – SMALLER CLASS SIZE = HELLO THIRD WORLD.
This crap is just the next step in a series of Anti-American actions taken by “Educators”, starting back in the 1960’s. The only thing new about it is the veracity of those trying to change History, and teach our young lies…
It’s a little too late. We’ve lost at least two generations to this indoctrination stuff. I remember talking to my father about most of this in the late 1960’s.
We need to get the Federal government out of education and turn our schools back to local control. The local community. It was that way until “peanut” Carter established a cabinet level position, the Secretary of Education. Education system has been going to hell ever since.
Barr’s role here was to point out what’s been going on in public schools, right under our noses, for years. No he can’t do anything about it. Parents have to pay attention to what their kids are being taught, and if they disagree with it, have the ability and the power to take their kids (and their associated tax dollars) to the school of their choice. School choice is a must!
Ya da ya da whats barr going 2 do nothing . All talk no action. Remember he had the demonrats by the balls they we’re going 2 jail. NOTHING HAPPENED. the great barr couldn’t figure out what sex he was. U really think he will do anything 4 schools ! Another rhino that needs 2 stay home