John Freshwater, a former science teacher at Mount Vernon Middle School in Ohio, was fired for keeping a Bible on his desk and espousing Christian beliefs in class when discussing topics such as evolution and homosexuality (Associated Press). Freedom of religion has become cloudy in today’s workplaces; people are being fired for simply standing up for what they believe. Christian public school teachers struggle with the question of whether there are ways to be an effective witness at school to both their students and co-workers, and, if so, how. I would argue that Christian public school teachers can and should be witnesses in their classrooms through their actions, setting a good example, and by the power of prayer; while also observing and respecting the laws regarding religion in the workplace. …show more content…
and the laws and regulations that speak specifically to religion in the workplace starting with broad laws that apply to the country as a whole and narrowing down to the specific laws regarding a public school teacher. First, we must look at the laws regarding the freedom to practice religion in the United States. Protection of freedom of religion along with freedom of expression from government intrusion is found in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by two clauses in the First Amendment: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. The first clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another, and the idea of the "separation of church and state” is enforced in this clause. The latter clause prohibits the government from interfering with a person 's practice of their religion (Legal Information Institution). The first amendment still applies to employees even when in the public workplace