Parental Rights and the Threat of Critical Theory Indoctrination – Part 1
by Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism:
Conflicts over parental rights and authority happen when a regime believes it has correct doctrine. People who disagree with that doctrine are then in danger of losing their children. America has historically eschewed state doctrine, with a procedural republic outlined in the Constitution, culturally supported by a variety of Christian traditions with strong doctrines and a morality that was essentially the same. The Culture War attacks those doctrines and that morality with a new doctrine of self-determination, and consequently, parental rights are in danger.
Emily Kao, Senior Counsel & Vice President of Advocacy Strategy for the Alliance Defending Freedom discussed the attack on parental rights, and how it should be understood and addressed with several panelists at the Heritage Foundation on July 27. She highlighted “the Promise to America’s Parents.” This “is a movement of public policy organizations, parents, and we hope lawmakers, to protect parental rights.” She said that while “parents love and know their children the best,” the “administrative state” is expanding to threaten parental authority in directing the education of children. Identity politics in injecting itself into education through the power of the administrative state.
Recognition of Parental Rights as Constitutional Rights
Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel and State Government Relations National Director at ADF said that parental rights need to be firmly recognized as a fundamental freedom. Historically, the Supreme Court has given parental rights strong support. Pierce vs. Society of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (1925), recognizing the right to religiously based education, is surely the most important of these decisions.
Sharp, however, referred to a situation in Wisconsin where a school district had instructed its staff to hide the “gender transitioning” of children from parents. He said that parental rights should include the right to direct the education of children. Parents should also be the ones to decide “what’s best for their child’s mental, physical, emotional health.” Parents should also be the ones to determine their child’s “religious and moral training.” Controversial topics today, such as “Critical Race Theory,” or “Critical Gender Theory,” should be addressed as parents believe is proper. He said that “accountability” in the area of parental rights is” a clear standard of what those parental rights are, describing what they are, and then giving parents a legal remedy, giving them a true ability to hold the government accountable when those rights are violated.”
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