Religious bigotry in Boston

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: a religious liberty fight in Massachusetts.

A large church outside Boston wants to open a new school, but it is facing off with a local government committee it says is hostile to its religious beliefs. The Vida Real church in Somerville, Massachusetts, says the committee is prepared to reject its proposal for a Christian school because of its views on creationism, among other things.

Joining us now to fill us in on this case is Steve West. He’s an attorney and writes about religious liberty issues for WORLD Digital.

BROWN: Good morning to you, Steve!

STEVE WEST, REPORTER: Good morning, Myrna!

BROWN: First of all, why is this government committee involved in approving the formation of a private school?

WEST: School committee, at least in Massachusetts, is what is called the school board in many other states. These are elected officials, not employed educators, that oversee the schools in the district. And as in many states, they have a role in ensuring that certain basic subjects are taught in all schools and that certain standards are met. So, much as states may have to approve home schools, they do so with private schools, but their role is limited. In Massachusetts, a state law that provides for this review also says that in considering an application, the state may not consider the school’s religious views.

BROWN: Alright, now at a meeting on Monday evening, the school committee did not take a vote on the matter, but it requested additional material from Vida Real. What’s going on here?

WEST: This process started back in September when the church indicated it wanted to apply for a new school and made an application. This a large church, with a multi-site campus and largely Hispanic congregation. Many parents had expressed interest in having a school, and the church already had a facility to accommodate it. They planned on using the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum used by many Christian schools and homeschools. That's when they ran into a problem.

BROWN: Now, a lawyer says the council has shown evidence of anti-religious bias. Why does he say that?

WEST: Because of what the church encountered when their application was referred to a programs subcommittee. That subcommittee presented the church with a battery of 35 questions to be answered at a February 2022 meeting. That’s where the church said several members expressed hostility to its religious beliefs.

BROWN: And what are the issues, exactly, on which the schools subcommittee disagreed with the church or with Christian teachings more broadly?

WEST: Here’s a sample from the report issued by the subcommittee. They said, “The school’s position on homosexuality and creationism make it difficult to see how a thorough science and health curriculum is possible.” They also faulted the school over its counseling of students, saying its approach “devalues evidence-based psychology, and its emphasis on approaches rooted in the belief that mental illness is caused by sin and demons is unscientific and harmful”--in other words, Biblical counseling is inadequate.

BROWN: Where do you see this case heading from here?

WEST: The full schools committee met Monday evening. They discussed the application for a full 90 minutes. A couple of members expressed similar concerns. Yet the school district’s attorney cautioned them against considering the way in which the school taught subjects or in considering religious views. The assistant superintendent of the district, who at one time was tasked with approving applications for homeschools, indicated that were it his decision, he would approve the school. I suspect that when a vote is taken on April 25th, this application will be approved, over some dissent.

BROWN: As you are watching this process unfold, any takeaways?

WEST: Yes. In many disputes like this, there can be open hostility to religion and religious people, but more often, in an increasingly secular society, people are just uniformed. They may not know any religious people well. Their opinions are shaped by the media which often portrays religious people as backwards or worse, as bigots. It’s a good reminder to Christians to know our neighbors and let ourselves be known–as Christians. We may be the only Christian they know.

BROWN: Steve West writes about religious liberties for WORLD Digital. You can read his work at WNG.org. You can also subscribe to his free weekly newsletter on First Amendment issues, called Liberties. Steve, always good to have you on. Thank you!

WEST: Always a pleasure to be with you, Myrna.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.