Conservative Christian donors have helped the campaign to create a school voucher-like education savings account program in Texas for decades, but not all religious conservatives support the endeavor.
This legislative session, the Texas Senate already passed a bill to create a program that would let families use state funds to pay for private education, proposing $10,000 a year for students enrolled in private schools.
The Texas House introduced its own version in mid-February, offering voucher recipients 85% of the estimated statewide average that Texas public schools receive for each student. If the resulting legislation reaches Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, it’ll likely become law.
Religious liberty, fiscal responsibility and the rise of Christian nationalism are all concerns for the Rev. Charles Johnson, the executive director of Pastors for Texas Children. The public education advocacy organization was born out of the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
LoneStarLive.com spoke with Johnson about how education savings accounts go against his beliefs both as a Christian and a conservative Texan.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Question: Why do Pastors for Texas Children oppose vouchers?
Answer: (Religious organizations that support vouchers) want the tax dollars to promote their religion in their schools, and we think that’s wrong. We think all faith is voluntary. There is no such thing as a state-sponsored faith.
I don’t want to support a religion I don’t agree with. I want my children, my neighbor’s children, the children in my neighborhood and in my city to be educated. I believe in democracy. I don’t want those children to be indoctrinated.
I don’t want a teacher getting up and promoting Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism or Christianity. I’m not Roman Catholic. I don’t want my money teaching (their beliefs). Catholic folks aren’t Baptists. Their money should not support my religious teaching.
We’re talking about the state of Texas supporting religion and, frankly, a certain model of religion. To use that public money that should go for the good of all people, only for the good of a few people, is just wrong.
As people of faith, as believers in God, as faithful Christians, we strenuously oppose vouchers.
Q: How do school vouchers go against your conservative beliefs?
A: The money will either come from public education funds or a tax increase. We believe in local control. We believe in limited government. We’re conservatives. This program will expand government; it’s another government handout.
Why not just let the people send their kids to private schools? There’s school choice now.
Let every religious community fund their own religious education. I thought these conservatives were against indoctrination. A voucher program is indoctrination on steroids, paid for by the people of Texas. So this is really a disastrous policy.
Q: You also take issue with how Gov. Greg Abbott retaliated against Republicans who opposed vouchers last legislative session, is that correct?
A: Billionaires like Tim Dunn in Midland, Farris Wilks in Cisco and Jeff Yass in Pennsylvania gave millions to Greg Abbott to defeat these conservative Republicans, leaders of his own party. They assassinated the character of good men. They used that money and lied and misrepresented good men. We’re ministers. We think lying is wrong, and so we call him out on it.
Q: Why do you think some conservatives are supporting vouchers?
A: Because they believe in something called Christian nationalism, which is that white Christian males should run this country. We don’t believe that. We believe God uses all people. Female people, gay people, brown people, poor people. The genius of democracy is (…) we bring together all those diverse voices into a unity of national purpose and we respect all religions.
That’s the reason for a lot of the right-wing religious conservatives. What’s behind it for the rich billionaires? They want to be in charge. They want this country won by the oligarchy. If you’re a billionaire, you can buy a legislature, and that’s what they’re doing.
This isn’t bad just for rural communities. This is bad for all communities. It’s fiscally bad, it’s spiritually bad, it’s nationally bad. It’s just bad in every way.
