They teach math and science and reading
But listen closely, because the ridiculous argument that public schools teach kids to be atheists is well on its way to the Supreme Court, with the objective being to tear down the firewall between church and state, or more specifically between Christianity and state.
First of all, that firewall is in the Constitution, First Amendment:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”
But the First Amendment also states no prohibitions are allowed on the free exercise of religion.
(For the record, the First Amendment does not mention what religion, though modern-day religious zealots have a “legal” answer to that too: since the Founding Fathers were all pretty much Christian, they had to be meaning Christianity. (Which may very well become the national religion of the United States before Trump is through. Probably a little sonetime after he signs a national abortion ban into law.)
And so some Christian nationalists, including those on the Supreme Court, have been running with that second bit, which never before was all that confusing, but now is. In little ways, little judgments, like allowing a church school to get public money to build a playground. Nonetheless, all those judgments seem to have been building to something bigger. Now we know what that is.
Now, religious zealots in the state of Oklahoma are suing to allow a fully government-funded public school that’s explicitly a Catholic school, with curriculum designed to teach Catholic doctrine.
“Advocates” range from saying it’s innocuous: it’ll just give parents “more choice”, to the would-be school’s lawyers. They say not allowing such a school to be established actually punishes free exercise of religion by “disqualifying [religious people] from government aid.”
And the Oklahoma state schools superintendent said the school must be allowed to go forward to: “end state-sponsored atheism.”
(He’s the same guy who bought Trump bibles for all his classrooms)
Which is about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Though with everything turned on its head right now, I’m sure we’re going to hear more of it.
Now, Oklahoma’s Supreme Court, which isn’t the most liberal of supreme courts, blocked it. On the simple, logical reason that the school violates “state law, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the U.S. Constitution”.
Because of that, now it’s headed to DC, where we already know without knowing it’s already got 2 maybe 3 votes on the Supreme Court in favor of establishing the school with public money. Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not weigh in on the Supreme Court’s decision to consider the case, and may recuse herself, probably because she previously advised the Catholic group trying to open the school on legal matters.
Trump wanting to get rid of the Department of Education also greases the wheels of this type of activity, by not having an overarching federal entity keeping an eye on things; making sure public school students are not being taught to be Atheists, nor Christians.
Never mind also that voters in Oklahoma voted “no” to such schools when it was a ballot question a few years ago.
The main thing though, is the absurdity of the whole argument. I went to public school. I believe in God. A generation later, my nephew is going to public school, I believe he believes in God too. And at no time do I remember any lesson at all about being an atheist. In fact, I’m 99.5% sure atheism was never brought up. Ever.
So this is yet another thing the people bringing these lawsuits have got to know is BS. But they use it to whip people into a lather so they (including judges) slide through doors in the Constitution that simply aren’t there.