Texas School Bible course passes constitutional muster in principle
Posted on July 13, 2008
We read:
“A proposed Bible course for public schools would not violate the First Amendment, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Wednesday, although he would not approve any specific curriculum.
In the letter, Abbott’s deputy attorney general Andrew Weber said, “We believe that a court would find the proposed (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) facially constitutional. “Because we have not reviewed curricula and courses proposed pursuant to the TEKS and section (of the law), we cannot conclude whether courses offered under that section will be constitutional,” Weber wrote….
Board members are not likely to approve more specific standards for the Bible course because the attorney general’s letter “just reinforces that the framework is acceptable,” said Bradley. The course, which would be voluntary for high school students, is scheduled to take effect in the 2009-10 school year.
No doubt the ACLU will get into the act soon.
Posted by John Ray. For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS Also, don’t forget your roundup of Obama news and commentary at OBAMA WATCH
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Church And State, Education, News
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2 Responses to “Texas School Bible course passes constitutional muster in principle”
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“No doubt the ACLU will get into the act soon.”
As they should. The Bible has no place in public schools, unless it is also being presented along with the Torah, Talmud, Quran and other religious frippery.
Why do Xtians need the government to back their religion so badly? Is your faith so shallow your government must visibly support your beliefs?
As a Texan, I have no issue with an ISD providing for a Bible elective – once that is purely historical and literary. But, I tend to wonder what other sorts of priorities this ISD has… how much funding goes towards Football and cheerleading over music, debate, and Academic Decathlon? Texas has some of the best public school districts in the nation — I’m a beneficiary of some of them. And some of the worst. I don’t see the best ones implementing a Bible-only elective… they’d most likely offer History and Literature of Religion.