Judge rules in favor of Kountze cheerleaders displaying Bible verses

[alp227]

A judge ruled Wednesday that cheerleaders at a Southeast Texas high school can display banners emblazoned with Bible verses at football games.

State District Judge Steve Thomas determined the Kountze High School cheerleaders' banners are constitutionally permissible. Thomas determined that no law "prohibits cheerleaders from using religious-themed banners at school sporting events."

The ruling ends the case in Thomas' court. The lawsuit had been scheduled for trial June 24.

In October, Thomas granted an injunction requested by the cheerleaders allowing them to continue displaying religious-themed banners pending the lawsuit's outcome. Thomas at the time said the district's ban on the practice appeared to violate free speech rights.

School district officials had barred the cheerleaders from displaying banners with religious messages such as, "If God is for us, who can be against us," after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained. The advocacy group said the messages violated the First Amendment's so-called Establishment Clause, which bars the government -- or a publicly funded school district, in this case -- from establishing or endorsing a religion.

full: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/state&id=9094448

[Fumesucker]

1. Two four six eight time to transubstantiate

One three five nine turn this water into wine.

[arely staircase]

7. these are not catholics, trust me...i am about 30 miles from kountz

and it is hard core protestant fundie central.

[Wait Wut]

2. Fine.

It worked so well for Tebow. Showboating your Christianism is sickening and tells me you have no clue what being a Christian is all about.

Full disclosure: I'm not one, but I'm married to one, used to be one, and I have a brazillion friends that are one. Not one of them has ever used God to win a football game.

[arely staircase]

10. This

nt

[tanyev]

3. So...they've won every game when they display these magic banners?

[Gravitycollapse]

4. This judge should be recalled for being an incompetent jackass.

Free speech laws do not apply universally when the speech is state sponsored. A cheer team at a public school is a state sponsored organization. It therefore must comply with church/state separation.

The cheerleaders can talk about the bible all they want in their private time. But when they are cheering for the school, they are acting on behalf of the state. In that capacity, they can take those bible verses and shove it up their asses.

[Downwinder]

5. With one winning season out of the last nine,

they have to cover all their options.

[mysuzuki2]

6. Their god is so busy worrying about the outcome

of sporting events that he has no time to help starving and abused children homelessness or disaster victims . They have created a God in their own image.

[arely staircase]

8. as long as no taxpayer money is used for them i don't see how it would be unconstitutional

tacky, yes

[burnodo]

9. "God will grant my side a win!"

The other side are godless heathens! Rah! Rah!

[Loup Garou]

12. I've got one for them...