Texas lawmakers continue to push religion into schools as proposals to display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms mandatorily. They will also require educational establishments to grant time for prayer and Bible reading to gain more support.
Two Republicans introduced the two bills in the GOP-dominated Texas Senate. The first bill, introduced by state senator Phil King, would make it mandatory for schools to put the Ten Commandments on display. This proposal aligns with earlier legislation requiring educational institutions to place donated “In God We Trust” posters within their premises.
The second proposal, filed by Mayes Middleton, another Republican Texas state senator, would make way for prayer time across schools and other learning establishments. But under the bill, any policy set by the school district should make participation in these events voluntary and with consent from parents. Students could also read the Bible or other religious texts under this new proposal.
These bills, criticized for attempting to erode the separation of church and state, coincide with a ruling from the US Supreme Court last summer when Joseph Kennedy, a former public high school football coach in Washington, was fired for praying with players after a game.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the coach, stating that the school district violated Kennedy’s constitutional rights. The district eventually settled with the coach for almost 2 million US dollars.
Phil King cited this case in a committee hearing in the Texas Senate earlier this month after introducing his Ten Commandments bill to the upper house.
“[It] will remind students all across Texas of the importance of the fundamental foundation of America,” King said.
The two bills would be sent to the Texas House of Representatives for consideration. Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick expressed his support for these proposals, saying that these bills are “one step we can take to make sure that all Texans have the right to freely express their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
“I believe that you cannot change the culture of the country until you change the culture of mankind. Bringing the Ten Commandments and prayer back to our public schools will enable our students to become better Texans,” said Patrick, who described himself on his personal website as “a Christian first, conservative second, and Republican third.”
Many activists called out the two proposals, claiming they constitute a basic violation of separation of church and state. They are also concerned over the bills’ effect on non-Christian children in public schools.
“It’s telling a kid, ‘My version of what my religion looks like is better than yours. It’s endorsed by schools, which makes yours inferior,’” Cantor Sheri Allen of the Makom Shelanu Congregation in Fort Worth said regarding the proposals. “It shifts this balance of respect and equality and equity, making one religion dominant over others. It’s not supposed to be the way this country works.”
Sophie Ellman-Golan of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice even described the proposals as part of a “larger Christian nationalist project” when taken into a broader context.
