The Texas House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a bill to require the Bible's Ten Commandments to appear in all classrooms.
The measure, which dilutes the constitutional separation of church and state, builds on a Supreme Court ruling last year in favor of a football coach who was fired for praying with his high school team.
The Senate passed a similar law a month ago to feature the Ten Commandments prominently in classrooms starting next year. Republican state Senator Bryan Hughes, one of the promoters, explained that the Ten Commandments are "part of the American legacy" and that the project "will remind students of their importance in the founding of America."
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A hall of clasos in Carrizo Springs, Texas.The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Im
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has described the move as a victory for religious freedoms: "I believe you can't change the culture of the country until you change the culture of humanity," he said, "bringing the Ten Commandments and prayer back to schools will make students better Texans."
Texas has introduced about a half-dozen religious laws, including a requirement that signs donated to public schools read "we trust in God" be used and other bills that are being discussed such as one authorizing clergy without training in psychology to replace school counselors for teenagers or one that sets aside time in school for reading the Bible and other religious texts.
For critics of these measures, the introduction of religion in public schools sets a troubling precedent for the use of public resources to promote a particular religion.
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John Litzler, director of public policy for the Baptist Christian Life Commission, told The Texas Tribune that it is parents, not the state, that should talk to children about religion.
"I should have the right to be the one to teach my daughters about the concepts of adultery and covet the spouse. It shouldn't be one of the first things they learn in a kindergarten classroom."
Hundreds of people have signed petitions against the measure, alleging it represents a dangerous tilt by the state toward Christianity, The Washington Post reported.
"We're entering a new era," Josh Houston, a religious minority activist in Texas, told the outlet. "We had this right for most of the twentieth century, but now people are forgetting the past. We have reached the point that one law favors one religion over others. When you point it out, there is no interest in negotiating it."