Texas cheerleaders fight for biblical banners at football games

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on September 25, 2012 at 7:33am

Solution to this one is simple: let BOTH TEAMS have their Jebus-banners at a game ... and the winner will demonstrate which side that carpenter-turned-halfback is on!

Simple, no? [groan!]

Permalink Reply by Pat on September 25, 2012 at 8:28am

And is anyone surprised, given examples like this, that the US ranks far below other developed nations in the quality of their education? Here's a thought. Have Kountze High School of Texas, with their Jesus banners,  play Kandahar Central High School of Afghanistan, with their Allah banners. The captain of the loosing team's head is then used as the ball at the next polo match in central Asia. Then we can all see how confident they are in the power of their magic man being on "their side."

Permalink Reply by Josh Karpf on September 25, 2012 at 10:14am

This is nationwide news now, but I'm nowhere near it. Are there any local freethought groups that are close enough to this to make it part of their activism?

Permalink Reply by Becky Glynn on September 25, 2012 at 10:51pm

FFRF is who filed the complaint and they have an alert out to call the superintendent to thank him for stopping this "practice".  I called them today and spoke to his secretary, who was none to happy to pass my thanks on to him.  The number is 409-246-3352....we can all be active on this one.

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on September 25, 2012 at 11:29pm

Thanks for the phone number. I received an email from the FFRF on the issue. Will do all I can to help the FFRF.

Permalink Reply by Donald T on September 27, 2012 at 6:58am

The tide is turning.  Before, the superintendent would have told FFRF to sue and kept the banners.  Now the default is on our side.  But this is Texas.  They still believe in paddling in school so changing minds here will be slow. 

Permalink Reply by Josh Karpf on October 18, 2012 at 7:29am

UPDATE: 

Texas AG intervenes in cheerleader banner dispute

10/17/12

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j7TR7eG64RnUxMoz3...

 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Wednesday he will defend high school cheerleaders who want to use Bible verses on banners at football games. . . .

Abbott said that since the cheerleaders create the banners without school funding, they qualify as free speech and should not be banned.

"This is student-led expression, and that's perfectly constitutional," Abbott said. "We will not allow atheist groups from outside the state of Texas to come into the state to use menacing and misleading and intimidating tactics to try to bully schools to bow down to the altar of secular beliefs."

The foundation responded by accusing Abbott of abusing his elected position to promote religious views.

"Abbott has crossed the line from carrying out his secular constitutional duties to defend the state of Texas, to using his government bully pulpit to bully and scapegoat atheists," its statement said. "Those cheerleaders are free to worship as they like, go to the church of their choice, but not to exploit a public school event, and their school-sponsored podium, to push their personal religious views on an entire stadium." . . . .

Permalink Reply by Mark Johnston on October 28, 2012 at 9:43am

All we need is a group of freethinking cheerleaders in a neighboring district to put up an atheist banner for the team to run through.  Then we will see how serious Abbott is about free speech.

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on October 28, 2012 at 9:59am

Wonder how they'd feel about a bunch of competing catholic cheerleaders at their events?

TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT!

Time to transubstantiate!