A new drive to uphold the right to pray and express religious beliefs in public settings has been launched in the United States.

First Liberty Institute Texas announced the "Restoring Faith in America" campaign on Monday and seeks to defend the right to display the ten commandments, nativity scenes and other faith affirmations, as well as to protect the right to pray openly.

In 2015, Christian football coach Joe Kennedy was sacked from Bremerton High School in Washington for praying on the field after games.

A lawsuit was later filed against the school district.

In 2022, the US Supreme Court backed Kennedy, ruling that the Washington State public school district had violated his rights by suspending him for refusing to stop leading post-game prayers with players.

Kennedy was later reinstated to his previous position as assistant coach.

Kennedy's attorney for the case, Paul Clement, is encouraging Americans to "take a knee" with Coach Kennedy on 1st September to support public affirmations of faith. The First Freedom Challenge calls on people to commit to joining a national night of prayer with the coach as he returns to the field next month.

Speaking for First Liberty Institute on YouTube, he said: "This is a great opportunity to take a knee with the coach and show everybody that we are restoring faith in America, and people can see that the right that the Supreme Court has recognised is real because people are exercising that right with the coach."

The Restoring Faith in America campaign describes the challenge as the "first simple yet powerful step" to restore faith in US schools.

"God has opened an incredible door for all Americans to express their faith and bring faith back to our communities," it adds.

District-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State argue such campaigns promote "religious majoritarianism," not religious freedom.

CEO Rachel Laser told The Washington Times this form of liberty is "not an America that works for us or an America that most people want".