A national state/church watchdog has lodged a formal complaint over “pervasive religious endorsement” by the Mt. Vernon Independent School District in Texas. The Freedom From Religion Foundation contacted the district Oct. 31 on behalf of a local complainant…. Numerous allegations of Establishment Clause violations include religious postings in several classrooms. One kindergarten teacher displays 10 Christian crosses on the wall next to her desk, several with bible verses printed on them. A high school Spanish teacher has a printed list of “Bible Verses for Teachers” on her wall that quotes such New Testament verses as Ephesians 3:16-17, “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith”…. “Public schools have a duty to ensure that ‘subsidized teachers do not inculcate religion’ or use their positions of authority to promote a particular religious viewpoint,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote Superintendent John Kaufman in the Oct. 31 letter. “When teachers place Latin crosses or bible quotes on classroom walls, they have unconstitutionally entangled the school with a religious message, specifically a Christian message.”
Variations of this story are as prevalent as they are ridiculous and tiresome. That this sort of thing happens in Texas so frequently is indicative of a mindset that places the majority religion over the rights of non-believers and those who believe differently. It also displays a shockingly willful disregard for the Constitution, in particular the separation of Church and State. It’s as ignorant and arrogant as it is anti-American and disrespectful of Americans who think and believe differently.
As too many Texas Conservatives have opined, freedom OF religion doesn’t mean freedom FROM religion. You might be able to choose your religion, but you must choose one. Evidently, religious faith is held to be compulsory…and since 80% of Americans self-identify as Christian…. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to see where this is going, right? This attitude is nothing if not a slippery slop leading to the creation of a not-so-benevolent theocracy. You already force students to say the Pledge of Allegiance; how long before you’re advocating that the Bible be used as the basis of our legal system?
The example set by the Mt. Vernon ISD is one of the most shameless, hyper-religious infringements on the rights of those who respect our Constitutions and resent having the majority religion forced upon them and their children. The district claims they’re trying to teach values is a laudable and commendable pursuit. That they’re choosing to teach those values through forced obedience to Christianity in publicly-funded schools is as arrogant as it is misguided.
The conviction that freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from religion is patently offensive. To those of us who don’t believe in the Christian flavor of God, this sort of arrogance doesn’t sit well. It speaks to a generalized disrespect and intolerance of those whose beliefs (or lack of same) don’t dovetail with the majority belief system. The majority belief is that lack of belief in God makes on “less than,” and less worthy of the rights and benefits that accrue to good, God-fearing patriots.
Public schools are funded by the tax dollars of people from all faiths and creeds. Yes, Christianity is the overwhelming fan favorite, but that majority doesn’t come with the right to force their beliefs on our children via our public schools.
IF you believe that religion absolutely belongs in our schools, you have two choices:
- Pay to send your progeny to a private religious school, or
- Home school the little urchins, where you’re free to indoctrinate them in whatever manner suits your fancy.
As for adults, if you want to find an environment where you can be surrounded by the teachings of Jesus Christ, there’s a place for you: It’s called “church.” Christianity doesn’t belong in our public schools. Period. Your religious beliefs don’t supercede the Constitution, regardless of your religiosity and conviction that this allows you to exercise dominions over nonbelievers. End of story.
