As I was working on this week’s main presentation, I was struck by some of the inconsistencies in the readings and also by some of the irony—like an all-loving God who was helping Joshua’s army slaughter the Amalekites. We see that sort of irony all throughout the Bible, so most people aren’t surprised by it… in their religious history book. But that sort of religious irony isn’t just relegated to history. There are plenty of ironic situations that Christians are in the middle of today!
Let’s start with a simple question: if your school chooses to take public money, should it be allowed to exclude certain families from those publicly funded seats?
That’s the heart of a case out of Colorado, where the state’s universal preschool program requires schools who accept state funding to follow basic nondiscrimination rules. Some Catholic preschools challenged that requirement, and a federal appeals court said the rule stands when it comes to those schools that accept public funding through this program.
In this episode, I’ll try to explain what that means in plain language, explore why some Christian institutions are bringing lawsuits like this, and then make the case for a principle we should all be able to live with: public funds mean public rules and equal access.
So, get settled in because it’s time for another episode of Afterthoughts!
