The United States Supreme Court is currently considering whether to permit the establishment of a virtual charter school run by the Catholic Church. How the Court will rule remains to be seen. But whoever wins may get much more than was bargained for.
“Be careful what you wish for—you may get it.” It’s one of my favorite sayings. It reminds us that whenever we get what we want, we may have to cope with unforeseeable—or at least unforeseen–difficulties as well. This can be especially true for those who want more–or less–government involvement in religion, or religion involved with government. This point may well be made by the outcome of a church-state issue currently before the Supreme Court.
At issue is whether the state of Oklahoma can finance the St. Isidore of Seville virtual (online) charter school established by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Supporters of public funding for St. Isidore argue that for the state to withhold funding discriminates against religion. Opponents argue that to fund St. Isidore would violate the First Amendment prohibition against the establishment of religion. The Supreme Court is expected to rule later this summer. No matter how it rules, whoever wins may face dire consequences.
A ruling favoring public funding for St. Isidore may lead to:
- A decline in faith: Typically, in political systems with an official state church or with a particular denomination associated with the governmental “establishment,” adherence to church doctrine and teachings will decline. Those who don’t like the government and oppose its policies will be less likely to support the doctrines of any official or semi-official churches affiliated with the government. In countries which have–had until very recently–official state churches, regular attendance and belief in official church doctrines is typically weak.
- An increase in dependency on government: The greater the degree to which a particular religious institution relies on government funding, the greater the potential–power of the government to influence the institution. Would churches and denominations really want to be more in thrall to any government? Less reliance on government means more freedom of religion.
- More demands from other denominations for government support for their schools: The financing by the state government of a Catholic school may inspire other denominations to demand government financing as well. Fairness and neutrality may require the financing of schools affiliated with mainstream and conservative Protestant sects, as well as schools affiliated with Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or other religions. But what about supporting schools established by neo-pagans, or practitioners of witchcraft or Satanism/ Where should the line be drawn—if it can be drawn at all?
But should opponents of government funding of St. Isidore prevail, they may also encounter difficulties as well. The Pew Research Center reports that about two-thirds of all Americans consider themselves Christians. This is down from 90% in 1990. But Americans still remain more religious than the peoples of any other Western industrialized democracy.
And religious Americans vote, especially if they feel aggrieved by the political establishment. This helps explain Donald Trump’s electoral successes. Although he has skillfully expanded his political appeal to win more Black and Latino male support, his base remains white conservative Christians—who’ve twice elected him to the White House. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that Trump has triumphed in large part because he’s been able to exploit the fears and resentments of his supporters—Christian and otherwise—who believe they’re being left behind in an evolving economy and are looked down on by liberal elites. After all, Hillary Clinton called Trump’s supporters “deplorables” and Joe Biden referred to them as “garbage.” In fairness to both Hillary and Joe, it should be admitted that Hillary actually meant to say that only half of Trump’s supporters were deplorable, and Joe has claimed he was referring only to a comedian who spoke at a Trump rally. Nonetheless, Trump used their gaffes brilliantly.
By the same token, a Supreme Court ruling that state-supported religious charter schools are unconstitutional could add to the resentments of the more deeply religious Americans who support Trump, and thereby lead to the strengthening of the MAGA movement and the political fortunes of Trump and whomever succeeds him as the movement’s leader. Whether that’s good or bad is a matter of opinion, but no doubt politics will become more wild, if possible, as a result.
So both supporters and opponents of St. Isidore and its quest for state support should be careful. Either side may win, and whoever wins will reap both the benefits and pitfalls of victory. And those pitfalls may be much deeper than what the winner anticipated, or can handle.
Malcolm L. Cross has lived in Stephenville since 1987 and taught politics and government at Tarleton for 36 years, retiring in 2023. His political and civic activities include service on the Stephenville City Council (2000-2014) and on the Erath County Republican Executive Committee (1990-2024). He was Mayor pro-tem of Stephenville from 2008 to 2014. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Stephenville
Economic Development Authority since 2018 and as chair of the Erath County Appraisal District’s Appraisal Review Board since 2015. He is also a member of the Stephenville Rotary Club, the Board of Vestry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and the Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts’ Pecan Valley District. Views expressed in this column are his and do not reflect those of The Flash as a whole.
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