Earlier this week, I talked about how important it is for young people today to know their rights – especially when it comes to religious freedom.
There are many misconceptions out there about what the First Amendment says. As adults, we often forget that these fallacies can affect kids from an early age.
Over the weekend, Nickelodeon’s Nick News explored this topic in a 20-minute documentary entitled “Freedom to Believe… or Not.” Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn was interviewed for the program, which is aimed at a middle-school audience. He explained that the Constitution forbids the government to interfere with our choice on whether we want to follow a faith or not.
Video courtesy of Nick News
The show was eye-opening because it points out that youngsters are all over the place when it comes to their understanding of the Constitution. Some truly do believe – inaccurately – that this is a “Christian nation” and that “the majority rules.” Others explain that this country welcomes people of all backgrounds, and some of them say they have felt persecuted for their differing beliefs.
Nick News Host Linda Ellerbee rightly concludes, “It’s really very simple. It’s not about what you believe, it’s about the right of other people to believe what they believe.”
Check out the show (above), and if you have children, make sure to share it with them. It’s never too early to start talking to your kids about our country’s longstanding tradition of church-state separation.