Using Texas' Model, More States Mull 'Religious Viewpoints' In Schools Law

[rug]

Tennessee becomes second to enact legislation treating religious expression same as nonreligious

April 24, 2014 5:00AM ET
by Sarah Posner

Two years ago, a group of high school cheerleaders in East Texas sued their public school district after the superintendent barred them from carrying banners at football games that read, “I can do all things through CHRIST which strengthens me” and “thanks be to God, which gives victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In their lawsuit against Kountze Independent School District, which garnered national press coverage, the cheerleaders found a very high-profile supporter: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

When Abbott, who is now the Republican gubernatorial nominee, intervened on the cheerleaders’ behalf, he said he did so “to defend the cheerleaders’ right to exercise their personal religious beliefs and to defend the constitutionality of a state law that protects religious liberties for all Texans.”

Abbott was referring to a little-known Texas law enacted in 2007, the Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act (RVAA), also known as the Schoolchildren’s Religious Liberty Act. The law requires school districts to treat student religious expression equally with nonreligious expression in classroom assignments and in the organization of school clubs.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/4/24/religion-expressionschools.html

[cbayer]

1. We need a major showdown on this.

It's creeping in to school districts and needs to be stopped. There is way too much room for abuse.

[pinto]

2. This is the new tack the religious right is taking and it's unconstitutional -

They are cloaking "establishment of religion" under the guise of "freedom of speech" and "religious liberties".

U.S. Constitution
Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Religion has never been prohibited, the Constitution protects free exercise of a faith. Yet a publicly funded school promoting a particular religion constitutes "establishment of religion". That's what this incident is about, imo. And the US Constitution trumps state law.

Similarly, check out this other thread's pic. Note the woman with the red, white and blue "Liberty" banner. It's the new framework to try and push religion even further into the political realm.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1218125859