religious liberty Archives

Arkansas is now the most religiously free state in the nation, according to First Liberty Institute’s fifth annual Religious Liberty in the States Index.

The top five states with the most religious freedom in order of ranking were:

1. Arkansas

2. Tennessee

3. Florida

4. Montana

5. Illinois

This year’s five worst states for religious freedom were:

46. California

47. West Virginia

48. Michigan

49. Vermont

50. New York

The Religious Liberty in the States Index represents a comprehensive evaluation of state law and constitutional protections for religious freedom.

It considers whether states have enacted legal protections for individuals, churches, ministries, schools, healthcare professionals, faith-based organizations and people of all faiths to live freely according to their sincerely held religious beliefs.

The Index recognized Arkansas as the state with the most religious freedom in the nation, awarding it one of the first ever “Excellent” designations — the highest possible score.

At a press conference announcing Arkansas’s excellence in protecting religious freedom, President and CEO of First Liberty Kelly Shackelford explained the importance of recognizing statutory and constitutional protections for religion:

Religious liberty is best protected when leaders are willing to act before the rights of people of faith are threatened.

First Liberty considered five different areas of law, including government, healthcare, economic life, religious life and family and education.

The 2026 index analyzed 50 different legal protections, including medical conscience protections, religious freedom in education, protections for churches and religious nonprofit organizations, protections for religious speech, parental rights, accommodations for the free exercise of religion and more.

Source: First Liberty Institute

According to First Liberty, Arkansas received the highest score this year in large part due to legislation it adopted to protect “individuals and institutions from being forced to participate in wedding ceremonies to which they have religious objections.”

At the press conference, Governor Sanders stated unapologetically:

Religious liberty is America’s First Freedom. … Our rights come from God, not government, and every American should be free to live according to their faith and conscience. We’ll continue defending that freedom and ensuring the Natural State remains the best place in the country to live, work, and worship.

You can watch the entire press conference with Liberty Institute and Governor Sanders below.

To see where your state landed in the Index and why, visit the full list here.

First Liberty Institute has been defending religious freedom for nearly 30 years and is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit legal organizations dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom. First Liberty has a 90% win rate across all legal matters and a 100% success rate in the11 cases they took all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Oklahoma Department of Education Superintendent Ryan Walters announced plans to open an Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism.

The superintendent also announced the formation of a Trump Education Advisory Committee, saying Oklahoma schools would align themselves with President-elect Donald J. Trump’s education policies.

Following the November 5 election, the superintendent applauded the incoming administration’s proposal to eliminate the federal Department of Education, saying:

By eliminating the federal bureaucracy, money can be efficiently directed to local schools and allow disenfranchised parents to have more direct say over education in their states and communities.

According to a press release, the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism “will serve to promote religious liberty and patriotism in Oklahoma and protect parents, teachers, and students’ abilities to practice their religion freely in all aspects.”

The new office will support “teachers and students when their constitutional rights are threatened by well-funded, out-of-state groups.”

Embed tweet https://x.com/RyanWaltersSupt/status/1856459198705385525

Walters explained the necessity for the new Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism:

For decades our nation’s public schools have tragically been ground zero for the erosion of religious liberty across our country. The radical left never misses a chance to co-opt the teacher unions and their minions to indoctrinate our children against traditional values of faith and family, seeking to attack any display of faith or religion or patriotism.

He added:

It is no coincidence that the dismantling of faith and family values in public schools directly correlates with declining academic outcomes in our public schools. In Oklahoma, we are reversing this negative trend and, working with the incoming Trump Administration, we are going to aggressively pursue education policies that will improve academic outcomes and give our children a better future.

As an example, the superintendent pointed to a 2023 incident where Skiatook High School received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation about Bible verses posted in classrooms. FFRF wrote to Skiatook Public Schools Superintendent Missy Bush, stating:

A concerned local District community member has reported that there are multiple religious messages on display at Skiatook High School. Our complainant reports that Room 120 has a bible verse posted on the south wall of the classroom. The verse is, John 3:16, “For GOD so loved the world that he gave his only SON that whoever believes in him should not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.” …

Our complainant also reports that Room 114 has a sign that says, “He is still good,” which is likely a reference to Daniel 3:18.

Bush had the Bible verses removed from the classrooms.

When the incident occurred, Superintendent Walters stated:

The removal of Bible verses from display in Skiatook under the threat of a baseless lawsuit is unacceptable. The Constitution guarantees, and the Supreme Court has affirmed in Kennedy v. Bremerton, the right of teachers to religious freedom and expression. American citizens do not give up their right to practice their faith at the schoolhouse door or anywhere else.

He said the Education Advisory Committee would work to implement new federal polices that would allow “communities – not Washington bureaucrats – to decide what is best for their children.” The new committee will:

Champion parents’ rights.
End social indoctrination in classrooms.
Protect patriotism in school curriculums.
Stop illegal immigrations’ impact on schools.
Block foreign influence in school.

As reported in the Daily Citizen, Waters announced a plan in September to spend $3 million to place a Bible in every classroom, saying the Bible is “a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western Civilization” and “one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution and the birth of our country.”

It’s also important for students to know and understand the Bible for teaching English literature, as it’s the book most quoted, referenced and alluded to by authors throughout history, followed by Shakespeare’s plays and Greek and Roman myths and literature. The latter two are part of many English curriculums, so why not include the Bible as well?

Anti-religious liberty groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, are suing to block that program, despite the role of the Bible throughout American and Western history.

Related articles and resources:

Equipping Parents for Back-to-School

‘Equipping Parents For Back-To-School’ – Updated Resource Empowers Parents

Is it ‘Book Banning’ to Keep Sexually Explicit Books out of Schools?

Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Bill is Good for Kids, Communities, and the Nation

Oklahoma Superintendent Announces Plan to Place Bibles in Every School Classroom

Oklahoma Superintendent Directs All School Districts Teach the Bible

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