Alabama Senate committee approves religious instruction policy mandate
Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, laughing on April 16, 2025, in the Senate Education Policy Committee meeting in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. Shelnutt's bill that requires local school boards to adopt a policy on released time religious instruction (RTRI) passed the committee 8-1 on Wednesday. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
An Alabama Senate committee Wednesday approved a bill that would require school boards to adopt policies on whether to allow students to leave school for religious study and give them academic credit for it.
SB 278, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, mirrors HB 342, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, which was rejected by the House Education Committee on April 2. The state already has a law that allows school boards to adopt such policies, known as Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI). The bill would mandate the development of those policies.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The committee heard from critics and supporters of the legislation last week.
'The bill is designed to provide local control and flexibility, ensuring a district can implement policies that best suit their needs, while respecting the constitutional rights of students and parents,' Shelnutt said Wednesday.
The senator said the policy could forbid RTRI.
'Yes, local boards have the ability to adopt their own policies,' he said. 'If the policy they implement is super narrow because this does not work in their district in any way, then so be it.'
Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, echoed a concern raised by Dale County Superintendent Ben Baker last week that there is not enough time in the school day for students to leave campus for RTRI. He said religious instruction should happen at home.
'This is kind of boilerplate legislation, in my view. At some point we have to give parents the responsibility we say parents should have in terms of how they go about the process of sharing moral values with their kids,' Hatcher said. 'In fact, I know that it should begin at home.'
Hatcher also questioned the intent of the bill. Although the legislation says that any religious group can participate, Hatcher was concerned about what that would look like and if it would happen.
'I do know that there's a slippery slope to this kind of legislation,' he said. 'I do know that a part of the intent of legislation like this has a great deal to do with this notion of Christian nationalism.'
Sen. Roger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, raised concerns over liability. He said that students could sign up for the program, leave the school and not attend the program.
'We don't have control over them but they're still under us, but we don't have control. That's an hour that is returned outside during the hours of eight to three,' Smitherman said.
Shelnutt said the groups that host RTRI, like LifeWise Ministry, will assume all liability. According to LifeWise's sample curriculum, it teaches the Christian belief that 'God created all things good' to a list of virtues that the nonprofit describes as 'LifeWise qualities.'
At least 30 school board representatives from across the state attended Wednesday's meeting. Sally Smith, executive director of the Alabama Association of School Boards, said she is disappointed the legislation passed, but would continue to have conversations with lawmakers. Smith has consistently expressed concern and opposition to the bill.
'We think that we just have to have continued conversations with our senators due to local leaders' concerns with this bill,' Smith said in an interview. 'It is in the area of making policy that presents constitutional challenges to local boards of education. So it is not as clearly clean cut as some may think.'
The bill was approved 8-1 with Hatcher as the only member that voted against the bill. Smitherman said he only voted for it to get it out of committee, but that it still needed significant work. Shelnutt said he would work with Smitherman on his concerns.
'I'm going to vote to get the bill out of committee, but I do think that before we move that bill on the floor, that these things have got to be tightened up,' Smitherman said.
The bill moves to the full Senate.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Expel all for the misdeeds of a few? That's not the 'Oklahoma Standard'
Just a few years ago, in the fall of 2021, we began welcoming the arrival of what would amount to about 1,800 Afghan refugees into our community. They came at a time when our country was withdrawing its military forces from Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban and its brutal, hardline regime to retake control of that war-ravaged land. Some of the refugees had worked for U.S. and alliance forces and various non-governmental organizations, charities and media outlets operating in the country. They rightly feared Taliban retribution. Gov. Kevin Stitt, working with a Christian organization, Catholic Charities, welcomed the refugees to Oklahoma, as did the state's two Republican senators at the time, James Lankford and Jim Inhofe, and Republican Reps. Frank Lucas, Stephanie Bice and Tom Cole. Support for the Afghans was seen as a concrete example of the "Oklahoma Standard," forged in the aftermath of the tragic Oklahoma City bombing 30 years ago this past April. Maintaining that standard, often expressed as "people helping people," over the past three decades since the bombing has been a source of pride for Oklahomans regardless of their political affiliation, race or ethnic background. There was an earlier and more relevant example, as well, when Oklahoma welcomed thousands of refugees from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon 50 years ago. The thousands of immigrants we accepted then reshaped Oklahoma City in ways that forever changed the city for good. So, what are we to make of our attorney general, Gentner Drummond, who now is saying all Afghan refugees in this country should be expelled? In his public announcement, Drummond said he was following the lead of President Donald Trump in issuing "a proclamation effectively banning Afghan nationals from entering the United States." "I am demanding that Gov. Stitt reject the approval he gave to the Biden Administration so all Afghan refugees can be removed from Oklahoma," said Drummond, who has announced he will be a candidate for governor in 2026. Has Drummond made some sort of political calculation that Oklahoma voters will approve of throwing the Oklahoma Standard out the window and punishing all Afghans for the acts of just a few of them? Drummond is defending his call for expulsion by pointing out that an Afghan refugee shot and wounded two police officers in Virginia in April and that two others in Oklahoma allegedly plotted a mass shooting on Election Day 2024 before being arrested. The attorney general did not elaborate on the legal principle he believes justifies the expulsion of all members of a particular ethnic group — who came to this country legally — because a few members of that group broke the law. Drummond criticized Stitt and former President Joe Biden for "not properly vetting" the Afghans that were admitted, apparently under the illusion that some piece of paper would serve as a guarantee against future law-breaking. The Oklahoman rejects this reasoning. If Drummond is to be our next governor, and early polls show him to be well on that path, we urge him to accept the invitation put forth in a recent op-ed by Veronica Laizure-Henry, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Oklahoma Chapter, to meet with members of the Muslim community and our new Afghan neighbors and learn more about them before making broad, inflammatory deportation demands. We admire many of the stands Drummond has taken since being sworn in as attorney general in 2023, particularly in protecting religious freedom. But we deplore the political posturing and the lack of merit in his generic attack on a group of people who are following the law, contributing to our community, and to whom, in many cases, we owe a debt of gratitude for their actions to aid and protect our servicemembers and other Americans when we were strangers in their land. This editorial was written by William C. Wertz, and represents the position of The Oklahoman editorial board, which includes deputy opinion editor Wertz, opinion editor Clytie Bunyan and executive editor Ray Rivera. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Trump and AG Drummond are wrong on Afghan refugees | Editorial
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Miami Herald
What is a ‘supernatural church?' Five things to know about a growing Christian branch
'Miracles happen here.' That's the slogan of one megachurch in southwest Miami-Dade County at the forefront of the fast-growing Christian 'supernatural' movement. It's an Evangelical offshoot, rooted in Pentecostalism, that leans far more heavily into revelations and prophecy than mainstream Christian churches and wields out-sized powerful political influence. That was evident last week at King Jesus Ministry, a nondenominational megachurch where President Donald Trump's top spiritual advisor, pastor Paula White-Cain, has been a visitor over the years. The church hosted a three-day spiritual conference called the 'Supernatural School of the Spirit,' where White-Cain and other visiting pastors preached and instructed crowds of followers and local faith leaders on how to 'walk in the supernatural.' King Jesus is just one of the largest South Florida churches steeped in the movement. Another Miami megachurch with a prominent Haitian-American congregation, Tabernacle of Glory, has credited its large following with its emphasis on the supernatural. The nondenominational church opened its $60 million campus in northern Miami-Dade County last year. At these churches, it's not uncommon to hear pastors talking about 'dominion' theologies or 'cosmic spiritual warfare.' Sometimes, they may speak in tongues or even perform a 'deliverance' or what most people know as an exorcism, to cast out demonic forces. Religious scholars say the branch springs from a movement called 'Independent charismatic Christianity' that gained momentum in the 1960s. Its followers, estimated to be in the millions in America, hold supernatural beliefs and goals of transforming secular society. They've built increasing influence in American politics, supporting candidacies of conservative leaders like President Donald Trump. 'Independent Charismatic leaders, who 20 years ago would have been mocked by mainstream religious right leaders, are now front-line captains in the American culture wars,' writes religious scholar Matthew Taylor, in his book 'The Violent Take it By Force.' The Miami Herald spoke to Taylor to discuss some of the themes and ideologies that are found in these churches and how they intersect with American political circles. 1. What is a supernatural church? This term is popular in charismatic Christian circles and might refer to a church where supernatural experiences — some not defined by logic or reason — take place. But the charismatic Christian world also is a 'diffuse' space, where many terms are interchangeable or sometimes defined differently from church to church, said Taylor. 'Sometimes charismatics will call themselves charismatic. Sometimes they'll say they're spirit-filled ... sometimes they'll just say they're Christians. Sometimes they'll call themselves Evangelicals,' said Taylor, a senior Christian scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore who spent 30 years of his life as an Evangelical Christian. 'To be charismatic is to seek after the more supernatural dimensions of Christianity ... and this is why they're constantly emphasizing prophecy, constantly emphasizing speaking in tongues and healings and miracles,' said Taylor. The term 'supernatural' is not new, and has been circulating for decades within the charismatic Christian movement. There's an entire Christian media network, for example, led by charismatic leader Sid Roth called 'It's Supernatural! that has been around for decades, said Taylor. Believers will appear on the network to tell stories about the miracles they've witnessed. READ MORE: Haitian American megachurch, 10 years in the making, opens $60 million campus in Miami 2. What are some of the main elements of a supernatural church? One belief that unifies this Christian subculture is the idea that God speaks through prophecy. Many of the leaders in this movement — like Pastor Guillermo Maldonado of King Jesus and White-Cain — are considered by the faithful to be modern-day Apostles or Prophets who can perform 'healings' or deliver prophecies during sermons. Since the movement often operates without a formal connection to more established denominations, leaders may have varying degrees of theological education but will lean on or cite mentors in the movement. The leaders often have ten or hundreds of thousands of followers, or a background in televangelism, and their success can sometimes depend on who they know in the charismatic world — similar, Taylor writes, to how Hollywood operates. Taylor, who has interviewed many charismatic Christian leaders, describes them as 'idiosyncratic' and 'incredibly compelling' people. 'They're very socially skilled,' he said. 'They're very good at reaching and teaching and providing people with these compelling experiences.' Many apostolic leaders believe the Christian church has languished for centuries, and that God has brought them in to reinvigorate the church through Holy Spirit-backed leadership. Common themes focus on 'End-times,' or the second coming of Jesus, and a the idea of 'dominion,' or Christians needing to conquer various aspects of society. There's also an emphasis, similar to Pentecostal churches, on promoting inner healing through living a more Christian lifestyle. The promise of a better, healthier life can appeal to those who are struggling with addiction problems, health — physical or mental — problems or financial hardship. Prosperity — achieving financial wealth — also is a key theme, one that goes hand-in-hand with financial giving to the church. This idea is common in many churches that ask members to 'tithe,' but this movement stresses that more giving can mean more rewards. 3. Why is this movement growing? Many followers find a sense of empowerment, contentment and community in the movement, Taylor says. 'There have been studies even on how Pentecostal and charismatic ministries around the world have done a great deal of lifting people out of a lower-class existence economically by empowering them and telling them 'Hey, you have agency.'' At the same time, Taylor points out, those experiences are 'being utilized in this broader political project,' to get more Christians on board with conservative political agendas. Another theory of why it's so popular: In a modern, industrialized world where knowledge is at the fingertips of everyone with a Smartphone, charismatic leaders could be 're-enchanting' the world for people who want more of a sense of mystery and wonder, said Taylor, referring to the concept of 'disenchantment' made popular by philosopher, Charles Taylor. 'People want a sense of a sublime and powerful force in the universe that's guiding and moving them around,' he said. According to Taylor, independent charismatics are the fastest-growing religious demographic in the United States and around world. The followers are well into the millions, or hundreds of millions worldwide by some estimates, but the actual number is hard to measure, since the group is not tied to a formal denomination. 'For people who are searching for an anchor in the world or searching for self-confidence or searching for a sense of what their purpose is in life, ... they're scratching where people itch,' Taylor said. 4. How is this different from the Pentecostal denomination? It's similar, but without the bylaws and bureaucratic oversight that comes with a denomination, or network of churches with an established hierarchy. 'They believe that 'We need the Holy Spirit to be unrestrained. We need the fires of revival prayer,' said Taylor. 'But that same lack of restraint makes it very susceptible to political co-optation, because .. there's not a lot of oversight.' Pentecostalism, a movement within Protestant Christianity, is a denomination that can be traced back as early as 1900's and emphasizes manifestations of the Holy Spirit — such as supernatural healing and speaking in tongues. In the early years of Pentecostalism, its followers were largely poor Angelo and African Americans, according to Pew Research, and women have always had a large role. In the late-1940s, various 'healing evangelists' began traveling around the country, filling tents and auditoriums that attracted tens of thousands of people, according to Taylor's book. Some of the preachers, like Oral Roberts, were Pentecostal preachers who found their way on television to bring the movement out of tents and into the mainstream world. In the 1950s, Roberts teamed up with preacher Kenneth Hagin and began teaching about an ideology called the 'Word of Faith' doctrine, which emphasized a form of faith that rewards devout Christians with healings and blessings. The ideas found in the doctrine gave rise to what is known today as the 'prosperity gospel.' 5. Does the movement have a broader mission? Some religious scholars, many who are Christians themselves, point out that the movement is also putting spiritual influence to other uses. Leaders aim to exert more influence over everything from popular culture and education to politics. It's that latter field where the supernatural movement and other Evangelicals have arguably had the most success. Last week at King Jesus Ministry, for instance, White-Cain outlined a vision of a society transformed by Christian ideology, urging believers to play a role in making it a reality. 'You didn't come to fit in, You came to take over. You came to move in your Kingdom calling. That threatens people who don't understand the word of God because their language, their understanding is not like yours. God birthed you to rule, to have dominion,' she said. White-Cain has been one of the most influential voices in charismatic Christianity, and is someone who was able to bring its ideology into the mainstream and now, as the head of the newly established White House Faith Office, into American politics. 'Very soon our Lord and savior Jesus Christ is going to split the sky and come back,' she said during her sermon. 'This is not your home, this is your assignment. And you and I have to reap the harvest.' This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Religious leaders, refugees call for unity at ‘Peaceful Stand Together' gathering
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Religious leaders in Baton Rouge came together to speak about immigration. 'How can you say you love God if you don't love your neighbor that you see?' asked L.O.R.I. Communications Director Sharon Njie. That question hung in the air Tuesday as religious leaders and community members gathered for the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants' (LORI) 'Peaceful Stand Together' event — a day of storytelling, open dialogue, and reflection amid mounting global and national tensions over immigration. Held in Baton Rouge, the event brought together representatives from Christian, Catholic, Muslim, and other faith communities, who took part in a public panel discussion about the moral imperatives of their traditions in the face of current crises, including immigration raids and refugee displacement. 'Everyone needs to stand together and come together in unity and know that we need to live by the words of God: love thy neighbor as you will love yourself,' said L.O.R.I. Policy Associate Tia Fields, echoing the day's central theme of unity over division. The message resonated deeply with Njie, a migrant who fled political turmoil in her home country. 'I've lost families,' she said. 'If I look back home, all I see are graves. I came into this country with no family, but the families I have are the people standing next to me.' As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations continue in cities like Los Angeles, President Donald Trump has defended his administration's stance on immigration, pointing to national security and economic concerns. 'Very simply, we will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean and safe again,' Trump said earlier this week. 'It's happening very quickly.' But those at the Louisiana gathering offered a different vision — one grounded in empathy, justice, and inclusion. 'There are so many challenges that we face in this world,' said Fields. 'I think now is the time — more than ever — to open our doors, not close them.' Each faith leader emphasized a shared moral calling: to see the humanity in every person and to stand with the marginalized. The stories shared ranged from personal loss and migration to acts of community service and solidarity. 'And I still try to ensure that I give back to this community,' Njie said. 'Not just giving back in the work I do on a local level, but also on a national level.' For attendees, the gathering was more than an event — it was a call to action. A reminder that compassion, not fear, should guide public policy and personal conviction. Chris Olave back on the field healthy for the New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints feel hunger, not urgency to get back to winning ways Religious leaders, refugees call for unity at 'Peaceful Stand Together' gathering Amazon impacts Baton Rouge economy; pushes businesses to grow Attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia argue for 'due process' in new court filing Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
