Ordained and lay representatives from the five major global religions — Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism — have been working together for months to set up a shared hall in the Olympic village.
The chaplains at Ivy League and other top schools say the students have learned about the concerns of other faiths, while finding ways to express their own.
This issue of A Public Witness looks at the problems with recent public school chaplaincy bills by considering what a chaplain really is and what religious freedom actually looks like.
Opponents cite several problems with the new Florida law that takes effect July 1, including there being no training requirements for these public school chaplains.
Many chaplains and interfaith organizations oppose the campaign, calling the motivation offensive and dangerous — especially without standards around proselytizing or serving students from different religious backgrounds.
Republican senators in Georgia also want to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms and allow religious chaplains to counsel teachers and students.
The only requirements for a chaplain participating in a school program would be a background check and having their name and religious affiliation listed on the school website.
Conservative Christian activists are hoping to turn Texas public schools into a ‘mission field.’
The proposal comes after Texas lawmakers approved a similar measure over the objections of civil rights groups, academics, and even some chaplains themselves.
Texas school districts have until March 1 of next year to decide whether to hire school chaplains.