A report by a coalition of public interest groups found that 87% of Oklahomans believe religious freedom means politicians have no right to dictate what their children believe in. That’s a key finding in the new report titled, "Public Schools, Personal Faith" issued by the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and several other public interest nonprofits.
Appleseed’s spokesperson Erika Wright said they want Oklahomans to know that their neighbors don’t support policies that force a state-required religion in their schools.
“And in particular, we want Oklahoma's elected officials to understand that their constituents do not support policies like this for multiple reasons,” Erika Wright said.
The report points out two bills introduced by public officials - one required schools to include a period for prayer and scripture reading, and the other would have allowed teachers to refuse specific instruction based on religious beliefs or use the Bible in their teachings. Both bills did not pass but can be revisited.
The poll of 13-hundred self-identified registered voters in Oklahoma was conducted last summer using online sampling and text messaging. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9%.
The groups that put together this report are part of a movement to support Oklahoma public schools and church-state separation.
A webinar detailing their findings is scheduled for August 15.
