Sen. Darline Graham Leads Efforts To Pass Resolution To Celebrate Religious Education Week

This week, United States Senator Darline Graham (R- South Carolina) introduced a resolution to designate the week of September 37th through October 3rd, as “Religious Education Week” to highlight the vital work of religious education in the United States.  

“I am proud to introduce this resolution celebrating the schools, churches, and organizations that help shape our children’s character. Faith-based schools and those that allow time for off-campus religious instruction are a testament to the right of parents to choose an education that reflects their family’s faith and values,” said Senator Darline Graham. “Religious education plays an instrumental role in providing spiritual growth, moral development, and academic excellence to the next generation of South Carolinians. I’m grateful to lead more than a quarter of the U.S. Senate in support of religious education in our country.” 

Senator Darline Graham is joined by U.S. Senators Jim Banks (R-Indiana), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), 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), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), James Risch (R-Idaho), 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). 

The resolution is supported by School Time Bible Ministries, the Foundation for American Christian Education, Agudath Israel of America, the Association of Christian Schools International, the Coalition of Jewish Values, and Catholic Education Partners. 

The full text of the resolution can be found HERE. 

Support for Senator Darline Graham’s Religious Education Week resolution: 

Grayson Hartgrove, Director of School Time Bible Ministries in Columbia, SC: 

“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: 

“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.”