When Religious Liberty Destroys Children’s Futures
Supreme Court ruling deprives kids of basic liberty
A little-known, almost 50-year-old Supreme Court decision involving the Amish represents a new front in the American culture wars. One courageous former Amish woman is leading the charge to overturn the decision and empower American children with self determination. Conservatives oppose her efforts, working to redefine religious liberty and expand its reach. The implications stretch far beyond the Amish, touching on what real freedom means. Women and LGBTQ people should take particular note of how this new front impacts equality. But at the heart of the matter, children’s lives and futures are at stake.
Is a child’s right to an education in the United States “nebulous?”
Should parents have the right to cite religious liberty as justification for withholding basic education from their children?
Torah Bontrager, who fled her Amish community at the age of 15 in order to attend school, argues eloquently that all children in the US deserve the right to self determination. After struggling to achieve an Ivy League education, she started the Amish Heritage Foundation with the objective of ensuring “that children and women are empowered to choose their future.”
