2y ago

Conservative Christians want more religion in public life. Texas lawmakers are listening.

www.texastribune.org

this is from earlier this year (May), but seems to be ever-time in the current Texas Legislature.

6 comments

and a 17th-century textbook, amateur historian David Barton recently argued that Christianity has always formed the basis of American morality and thus is essential to Texas classrooms.
Christians and lying about history, name a more iconic duo
- I mean they're right that the US was founded by a bunch of religious extremists and rich fuckers who didn't want to pay taxes. For which we do in fact see the ramifications still to this day.
  But to draw the conclusion that somehow it's a good thing and we need more of it in public life is pretty twisted.
  
  Founding fathers were mostly (if not all) deists, not Christian.
  
  Oh yes, it was just that because Britain has treated its colonies so well throughout history. /S
🤖 I'm a bot that provides automatic summaries for articles: ::: spoiler Click here to see the summary Waving a copy of the Ten Commandments and a 17th-century textbook, amateur historian David Barton recently argued that Christianity has always formed the basis of American morality and thus is essential to Texas classrooms.
Those efforts have found an avid audience within the state’s massive evangelical — and mostly white — conservative voting bloc and have been routinely amplified by Texas megachurch pastors who’ve made no bones about politicking from the pulpit, even after others have said they’re running afoul of restrictions on political activity by tax-exempt nonprofits.
Abandoning those universal moral standards, he and other WallBuilders leaders claim, helps explain most of America’s ills — including the recent mass shooting at a Nashville, Tennessee, Christian school.
Barton’s broader theories have been widely ridiculed and debunked by historians and other scholars who note that he has no formal historical training and that his 2012 book, “The Jefferson Lies,” was recalled by its Christian publisher because of factual errors.
While Collis added that the Lemon test was often ignored or disputed by courts because of its vague language, he said the Kennedy ruling neutered much of it, as well as the government’s ability to limit religious expression based on claims that doing so amounts to a state-sanctioned endorsement of religion.
A potential legal challenge to the Ten Commandments or a similar bill would come amid a broader shift in how the U.S. Supreme Court and some state legislatures treat religious expression.
Saved 91% of original text. :::

6 comments