Sample Questions

15 Tactics: Sample Questions for framing the debate.

Listed below are some sample questions for a public meeting, a board of education hearing, and similar. They are questions that go to the heart of many Christian Nationalist tenets embedded in the Phoenix Declaration.

The tactics are both the topics and the manner of the questioning.

From the five points above, internalize strategies that refrain from direct confrontation in favor of easing Christian Nationalists into going on the record with their extremist beliefs and their willingness to use public education to force their beliefs on everyone.

1. “The Phoenix Declaration makes much of the word morality. What does the word morality mean to you? Where do you believe society derives its morality?”

2. “Can you give me a few examples of things you consider to be immoral? Why do you include them on your list? Do you believe other people can have different measures of morality? Why or why not?”

3. “The Phoenix Declaration makes much of how public schools have lost their way. You and I definitely agree that our public schools could be better. I mean, we’re both here on a weeknight working together to make that happen. Could you give a few examples of how public schools have lost their way? What does that phrase mean to you?”

4. “The Heritage Foundation uses the phrase the good life a lot. They adapted it to the Phoenix Declaration as the good. When thinking about how we teach our children what’s good, what does the phrase the good life mean to you? Can you explain what the Phoenix Declaration means when it talks about the good?” (Any group that chooses this line of inquiry could have someone stand up late in the meeting and explain what this phrase really means to Christian Nationalists. Don’t do it right away; let them define it however they do and return to it near the meeting’s end.)

5. “When the Phoenix Declaration uses the phrase ‘an informed and virtuous citizenry,’ what does that mean to you?”

6. “This document makes a lot of the terms moral formation and formation. What does the word formation mean to you? Thinking back to how we defined morality, how do you see public school students being formed? What kinds of books and lessons should be offered that aren’t already in our public schools?” (If anyone offers a blatant Christian Nationalist explanation, here’s a follow-up question:) “We’ve heard a lot about parental rights. The Phoenix Declaration devotes its first talking point to parental choice and responsibility. Should school officials override parental decisions about how children are formed? For example, if a parent doesn’t want their child to be exposed to specific religious doctrine, how does the Phoenix Declaration honor that parental choice? How would our school board/district/state board honor that parent’s choice?”

7. “When the Phoenix Declaration talks about parents having the right to make choices that align with their values, whose values are paramount? If the parent disagrees with their public school’s values, and that school is their only local education option, how will our public school system address this failure to provide public education that aligns with parental values?”

8. “In the Transparency and Accountability section, the Phoenix Declaration talks about misguided policies. What are some of those misguided policies? Could you provide specific examples?” (Be prepared with examples like school lunches, an after-hours Islamic club, school over the summer/varied hours, the Ten Commandments displayed in classrooms, strict enforcement of binary sex (male/female) on sports teams and in bathrooms, a coach requiring teams to pray, a teacher making fun of students who believe any faith or openly espouse any religion, etc.) “Some parents in this room believe (list Christian Nationalist misguided policies cited in answers) align with their values and want their children to respect those policies. But many other parents don’t want their children to be taught Christian Nationalist values. How do your answers ensure that our parental values will be respected?”

9. “The Truth and Goodness section states that education must be grounded in truth, and claims objective truth exists and is knowable. What is this objective truth? What does the phrase ‘knowable objective truth’ mean to you?”

10. “The Phoenix Declaration states that science courses must be grounded in reality and decries ideological fads. Can you give a few examples of ideological fads?” (A good rebuttal statement near the end would be to cite examples of how the Heritage Foundation consistently defines “radical gender ideologies,” LGBTQIA+ communities, “non-traditional families,” and even liberal feminism as ideological fads.)

11. “The Cultural Transmission section talks confidently about our nation’s culture and heritage. Can you tell us more about our nation’s culture and heritage? What does that phrase mean to you?”

12. “The Phoenix Declaration devotes an entire section to Character Formation. What kinds of tools do you expect public schools to use for the formation of a child’s character? Can you give us some specific examples of how our public schools would form character?”

13. “The Academic Excellence section again mentions fads. Are these the same fads you defined earlier? Can you be more specific about which fads and experimental teaching methods have contributed to a decline in academic excellence?”

14. “The Citizenship section lists some concepts I’m familiar with and some that are new to me. Can you explain what the term ‘ordered liberty’ means? When this document talks about justice, what does justice mean? What about the rule of law and natural rights?” (Rebuttal comments near the end must enlighten those in attendance about the deep Christian Nationalist meanings of each of these concepts, which can be found in the appendix to this guide.)

15. “The Phoenix Declaration presses for students to learn the whole truth about America - its merits and its failings. In the context of this statement, what do you consider to be some of the US’s merits and failings? Why did you include these items on your list?”