Texas Senate approves bills requiring 10 Commandments in K-12 classrooms, Bible time in school

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The Texas Senate approved a bill Thursday that would require public schools in the state to prominently display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, starting next school year, The Texas Tribune reports. The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Phil King (R), argued earlier this month that the Ten Commandments are part of American heritage, and his legislation "will remind students all across Texas of the importance of the fundamental foundation of America."

The state Senate also gave final passage to legislation that would allow public and charter schools to require that time be set aside for students and employees to party and read the Bible or other religions texts. The bills are "the latest attempt from Texas Republicans to inject religion into public schools," the Tribune reports. In 2021, the state Legislature passed a law require schools to display "In God We Trust" signs donated by community members.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick backs both bills, calling them wins for religion freedom. "Bringing the Ten Commandments and prayer back to our public schools will enable our students to become better Texans.," he said in a statement. Proponents of the bills argue they will withstand challenges on constitutional grounds after the Supreme Court ruled last year that a Washington State high school football coach could pray at football games.

John Litzler, general counsel for the Texas Baptists Christian Life Commission, told the Senate his organization opposed taxpayer money being used on religious texts and religious education. "I should have the right to introduce my daughter to the concepts of adultery and coveting one's spouse," Litzler said in a committee hearing. "It shouldn't be one of the first things she learns to read in her kindergarten classroom."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-senate-approves-bills-requiring-053832316.html

The Texas Taliban

[Ocelot II]

1. Will Hindu and Buddhist kids get to see symbols of their religions, too?

I didn't think so.

[Takket]

6. I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count

[GoodRaisin]

15. For those kids it's religious persecution.

Being forced to take part in religious beliefs not part of their religious beliefs. Horrible, unconstitutional law. Un-American.

[Trueblue1968]

33. UN CONSTITUTIONAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wingus Dingus]

2. LOL, what a garbage state.

[jimfields33]

13. Michigan giving religious holidays off and now this.

The country is mad!

[Igel]

17. I had students off today for Eid.

They must be allowed to make up the work, with no penalty for not being present.

That's required from above the district.

I live in Texas.

[Javaman]

14. it really is. I'm hoping to leave it within the next 2 years.

florida thinks they know fascism, but in texas, it's deeply engrained.

you get rid of desatan and his crew, fascism is gone.

you get rid of abbot and his crew, fascism is still here.

they have gerrymandered the state to within an inch of it's life. and are now taking over cities school programs.

the latest is that asshole abbott wants to do away with Austin's ability to govern the city of Austin. using the very flimsy argument that it's the seat of the state capital and the local authority should control what happens in the city.

and I bet you he gets away with it.

asshole abbott hates living in a blue city.

[Wingus Dingus]

16. I'm considering Florida a garbage state as well--can't imagine why

they support a governor who's doing everything possible to cripple their golden goose (Disney, of course) and is willfully damaging public education and universities. I'm not sure that their sudden love of fascism is temporary.

[Carlitos Brigante]

19. I think FL has been heading down that path since the late 90s. It

doesn't help that the Democratic party there is in shambles. For fuck's sake, they elected a Medicare fraudster and part time mutant from "The Hills Have Eyes", with the charisma of a serial killer as Governor. Before we even got to this current, short boy syndrome freak.

[ecstatic]

29. Lol @ short boy syndrome freak!

Pleaseeee get rid of tiny d. He is going to lose Florida a lot of money. Florida is about to become one of my 'do not visit' states, alongside Texas and some other states that I've never considered visiting regardless (Idaho, SD, etc).

[Oneironaut]

3. If Republicans win in 2024 and have a majority, we are going to be a fascist theocracy.

Texas and Florida are canaries in the coal mine of what Republicans will do all over the country.

[TheRealNorth]

8. +1

They want to shove their perverted, misogynistic, and hateful version of Christianity down our throats.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

20. How is that different from the other version of the religion?

Do I really need to point out to you all of the misogyny and hate in the second part of the book they follow? Or how the deity of that part of the book said that he had no intention of changing all of the old book's sexist and hateful "laws?"

And do explain how it isn't hateful for a religion to have at its core the belief that people who disagree with the religion deserve to be beaten and burned and abused, for all time after their death, with no mercy and no relief?

I can't wait to hear how that's a "loving" thing to do, to anyone.

[LakeArenal]

4. Can my kid pray to the West?

[cilla4progress]

5. But

Im an animist.

Equal time?

What will the non-xtian kids do?

White christian supremacy = biggest national threat

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

21. Demand equal time

Because they'll get it when they sue for it.

[kysrsoze]

7. Yeah, there will be an injunction within a day or two. Just stupid.

[Farmer-Rick]

9. Yeah, because we all know Christians never do anything wrong.

Except for the constant pedophilia, general child abuse and sexual misconduct in their churches. Every Christian I know has done as much, or more, immoral, unethical and toxic behavior as any atheist I know.

But why does the Christian religion require partying in schools?

From the post: "require that time be set aside for students and employees to party and read the Bible."????

Party, party, party.

[Lovie777]

10. Lawsuits galore.............

I know RWers want to ignore US history of truth...............

Many came here from Europe because of "freedom of choice re: religion.

[OilemFirchen]

11. Why just ten?

Post the 613 Mitzvot, you farking heathens.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. We didn't even have that in Utah. The public school

Building was separate from the church school building.

[lindysalsagal]

18. Religious Imposition. Religion is the problem. It has to be OK to say this out loud

because this was the GQP strategy all along. There is no longer any line between religion and politics when it comes to the GQP.

TOTALLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!!!!

[sarcasmo]

22. 3.32 billion in Federal funding for Texas schools.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

23. Want To Have Some Fun With A Talibangelical?

Here are a couple of questions to ask them.

1. Which version of the Ten Commandments should be posted? The Jewish, Catholic, or Protestant version? Better yet, post all 3 and then set aside classroom time so the teacher can explain why they're different.

2. Should we then post a blank piece of paper right next to them so students can then list all the Commandments their hero #OneTermDonnie HASN'T broken?

3. If abortion and homosexuality are the biggest sins there are (along with drag shows, apparently), where are they on the Top 10 list?

4. This one is the most fun. If we are to believe that some dude named Jesus came along and overruled all the Mosaic Laws (which the Ten Commandments are), why are we posting obsolete laws in the schools? Watch all the blank stares of Talibangelicals who have no idea what you're talking about here.

[Retrograde]

26. Yes! As a former Catholic

I have no problems with graven images. But I do tend to take the lord's name in vain a lot.

IIRC, Jesus actually said that there were only two commandments: honor the Lord thy God, and Love they neighbor as yourself. But if we're going full Leviticus, there are a lot more commandments than the Big Ten - shouldn't all of those be posted as well? And in what languages?

[Captain Stern]

28. I have an issue with this post.

You clearly stated that you had "a couple of questions to ask them"......then you proceeded to list four questions. No reasonable person would argue that that wasn't deceptive.

Kidding aside, ask them how many of the ten commandments are now law? (They'll probably say not enough).

But the truth is, breaking most of the ten commandments isn't illegal.

I'm going to give them the 'not stealing', 'not murdering/killing' and 'bearing false witness (perjury?)..but other than that, the rest of the commandments are pretty much treated like suggestions.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me": Totally legal to have other gods.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image": yup..legal also to have graven images.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery": yes, legal to commit adultery

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy": nobody cares.

"Thou shalt not covet they neighbor's (fill in the blank).: That's basically just a thought crime. Not illegal.

"Honor thy Mother and Father": again not illegal to not honor/obey them. And the bible even gives an 'out' on that. It says you don't have to honor or obey them if they are telling you to break one of the other commandments, which kind of makes this commandment useless.

[DemocraticPatriot]

24. And then Texas children will realize that Republicans are guilty of violating

a healthy number of those commandments,
especially the one that says

"Thou Shalt Not Lie"....

[jmowreader]

25. I like John Litzler

[Captain Stern]

27. Best part of the article..

The state Senate also gave final passage to legislation that would allow public and charter schools to require that time be set aside for students and employees to party and read the Bible or other religions texts.

There might be a silver lining here.

My idea of partying doesn't include reading the Bible or other religious texts.....but to each his own, right?

[NowsTheTime]

30. Total crap, but I would go for the Golden Rule....that seems to be completely forgotten by MAGAS

[Goodheart]

31. Nothing more foundational in American law, right, than the Second Commandment

"I Yahweh, thy God, am a jealous god, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation…"

In American law we always (and should) punish the children, grandchildren, their children and their grandchildren for a man's crimes. Amiright?

[JCMach1]

32. Roll out the lawsuit... My son is in Texas. I would be glad to join

You can't just ignore the establishment clause!

[Bettie]

34. So, they are forcing kids to pray and

read the holy book of one specific religion? Texas now has an established compulsory religion in the state?

You'd think that would be against the Constitution, but, with the current SCOTUS, it's probably coming to a bunch of other states sooner than later.