Imagine a Protestant Christian parent removes their child from a school lesson covering the religious foundations of the transatlantic slave trade, claiming the content does not accurately portray their faith. My mind races, wondering what crucial, formative pieces of history that child could miss. How religious institutions participated in slavery? How slaveowners often cited the Bible to justify their actions? Or conversely, how theology helped shape resistance movements like abolition and Black liberation? Without this knowledge, students could not fully understand the complex intersections of faith, race, and power that continue to shape our world today. Related SCOTUS lets religious parents opt their kids out of LGBTQ+ books but they cant opt out of society America is supposed to be a melting pot, not a buffet. This is the dangerous reality to which the Mahmoud v. Taylor decision brings us closer, a reality that allows religious exemptions to undermine learning about critical subjects that create engaged and informed citizens. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court sided with a group of religious parents who claimed their First Amendment rights were violated when schools did not permit them to opt their children out of lessons featuring books with LGBTQ+ characters. The Court granted a preliminary injunction, allowing parents in Montgomery County to remove their children from lessons involving LGBTQ+ storybooks.This case isnt just about the nine books in question. Its about whether public schools will remain places where all children learn to respectfully engage with difference.As an interfaith and interspiritual minister, I know firsthand the deep value that religion can bring to peoples lives. As a Black, gay, former teacher, I also know the harm it can cause when its misused to exclude others. As the CEO of Tanenbaum, a secular nonprofit that works to build respect for religious difference in spaces including schools, my personal and professional values compel me to sound the alarm on Supreme Court cases like this one cases that ultimately hurt, not help, religious diversity and freedom.So, whats so dangerous about the Mahmoud v. Taylor outcome? First, it sets a precedent that allows parents to opt their children out of lessons they object to on religious grounds. This opens the door to opting out of subjects like Earth Day, critical thinking, and anti-drug use.This could also significantly harm teaching about religious diversity. In their argument, one of the petitioning parents claimed that the curriculum undermined their religious teachings at home. Now, imagine a public school teacher introduces a world religions unit in a social studies class. A parent objects, arguing that their child shouldnt have to learn about faiths that conflict with their own. Under this precedent, the school could grant an exemption that allows this student to skip the entire unit, limiting their exposure to diverse beliefs and practices.Interestingly, a 2011 study in Modesto, California, found that teaching world religions in public schools not only increased students tolerance to different religions but strengthened their own religious identity. Weve seen this in our own work, too. One student who engaged with Tanenbaum curricula shared, When learning about other religions, Ive noticed significant changes as my classmates feel pride in their beliefs. [Ive] become more understanding with people who [have] different beliefs than me we can openly discuss them without any disrespect.The need to protect access to foundational knowledge and values in public education is critical. In Justice Sotomayors dissent, she wrote, [The] decision guts our free exercise precedent and strikes at the core premise of public schools: that children may come together to learn not the teachings of a particular faith, but a range of concepts and views that reflect our entire society. Exposure to new ideas has always been a vital part of that project, until now.Another troubling outcome of this ruling is the increased stigmatization of the LGBTQ+ community. Permitting opt-outs sends a message to young students that learning about people who identify as LGBTQ+ is abnormal, impermissible, and unimportant. Yet over 2.5 million LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. are parenting children under the age of 18. In addition to the potential consequences, the case raises several questions.Dissenting justices in Mahmoud v. Taylor highlighted an essential distinction between exposure and coercion. Justice Sotomayor wrote, Simply being exposed to beliefs contrary to your own does not amount to prohibiting the free exercise of religion. This begs the question: Are the books instructional, or do they simply share true and real identities that exist around us?Discomfort with LGBTQ+ topics is not the same as a violation of religious freedom. If we adopted the Courts understanding of exposure here into daily life, how would we ever encounter communities of different beliefs and backgrounds? Creating informed, empathetic, and active citizens starts in our classrooms, which is why public education must remain a space for all students to learn about themselves, their peers, and the diversity that makes up our world. It is up to each of us to behave in ways that protect religious freedom and create spaces to respectfully explore identity. Our choices can bring us closer to the pluralistic society we should all work towards, one that transcends mere tolerance to fully welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds. Its not just a legal obligation; its a moral one.Rev. Mark E. Fowler is the CEO of Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, a secular and nonsectarian nonprofit that works to transform individuals and institutions to confront hate and build respect for religious difference. Rev. Fowler is also an ordained minister and graduate of One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in NYC.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.