Relationship Between Fundamentalist Religious Groups in the US and Public Educations Influence on US Culture
15 May, 2022 Sociology of Religion To what extent is the relationship between fundamentalist religious groups in the United States and public education influencing US culture? Introduction Freedom of religion and religious expression is protected in the United States (US) by the First Amendment. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This statement is meant to fundamentally separate any church from the state. Despite this “right to freedom of religion,” lobbying and media outreach by fundamentalist groups have pushed the government into a less secular state. Many government decisions, notably in the education sector, are based on Christian centric ideas. In this paper, I will examine the relationship between religious fundamentalist groups in the US and public education, and how that relationship shapes the identity of the nation. I will be focusing primarily on the Southern Baptist a
