Freedom from the SJW Religion: Experts Agree the 1st Amendment Will Be Key in Stopping Critical Race Theory

According to Lindsay, critical social justice theories bear all the markings of an Augustinian religious system: Followers are taught they must atone for their sins (identity privilege), which were born out of the “Fall” (historical injustices against minority groups). Atonement for followers of CRT can come through confession (acknowledging one’s privilege) and good works (adopting social justice causes).

Additionally, while there is no “God” figure present in these philosophies, theism isn’t the only form of religion.

Citing a Cornell Law Review article by attorney Ben Clements, Lindsay explained that the framers of the Constitution seemed to define religion as something akin to “a matter of private conscience” and “willful community participation,” both of which are decisions “to be made by the individual” unhindered by the state.

“[Critical race theory] acts religiously rather obviously for one thing, and it believes in transcendent ideas like ‘systemic racism’ that can exist and persist even if there are no individuals or institutions that are racist. This is an article of faith, then,” Lindsay told The Western Journal via email.

“If you want to go deeper, it has an underlying metaphysics that believes society can be remade through continual critique (this is ultimately Hegel’s metaphysics of the dialectic) and that when this is done sufficiently, a ‘liberated’ world will emerge. That is an eschatology (religious belief about the end of the world/History).”

Speaking with The Western Journal, two prominent legal experts — Doug Seaton, president of the Upper Midwest Law Center, and Kellie Miller, director of SchoolHouse Rights — agreed with Lindsay’s assessment, explaining how government-mandated CRT trainings do, in fact, violate the First Amendment.

Miller said that, although “Establishment Clause cases typically involve challenges to state-sponsored prayer or public religious displays” CRT seminars “raise unique Establishment Clause concerns.”

“One way to violate the Establishment Clause is for the state to promote or inhibit religion. In our work, we have seen CRT curriculum presented to students not as a theory to be studied critically, but as an all-encompassing religious system that requires active participation and acceptance by students,” Miller told The Western Journal.

“Readings and lessons include encouraging students to give themselves to the movement, to unlearn old beliefs taught by family or their religion, and even to participate in extreme fasting or hunger strikes. Doubters of CRT teachings are condemned, and their doubt used as evidence of their privilege and desire to oppress others.

“CRT also unambiguously inhibits other religious beliefs by labeling Christianity as ‘oppressive’ and telling students they need to unlearn Christian beliefs. If reciting a prayer at a high school graduation is an establishment of religion, then how can we accept an educational program that trains students to unlearn their religious beliefs in favor of new ones?”

On behalf of the experts at the Upper Midwest Law Center, Seaton concurred with Miller’s assessment.

“We do believe that CRT constitutes a secular creed or religion and that efforts to impose it by requiring adherence, affirmation, confessions and the like in government controlled settings amount to establishment and compelled speech in violation of the first Amendment,” Seaton told The Western Journal.

“We also believe that these CRT activities often amount to the creation of a hostile work environment and that the same compelled speech and adverse actions against critics are violations of the civil rights laws, in both public and private settings.”

Seaton took things to a personal level, explaining how he himself became diametrically opposed to the teachings of CRT.

“Prior to my legal career, as a Ph. D. Historian, I was part of a genuine, multi-racial staff teaching a positive version of minority history and contributions to secondary teachers in the Upper Midwest. Before that, as a college student, I demonstrated against segregated housing and South African investments,” Seaton said.