The Ten Commandments are headed toward another possible encounter with the Supreme Court, this time by way of Texas, two groups of public-school families, and a sharply divided federal appeals court. On August 17, more than two dozen Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Baha’i, Unitarian Universalist, and nonreligious families asked the Supreme Court to review Texas Senate…
Texas Wants Bible Stories in Public Schools. Cue the Culture-War Sirens.
Texas has decided to toss another log onto America’s favorite never-ending bonfire: religion in public schools. On Friday, the Texas State Board of Education approved a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students that includes Bible stories and passages. The list, set to begin taking effect in 2030, includes biblical selections…
When Church Meets State Funding: Colorado’s Preschool Mandate Showdown
At first glance, this looks like just another culture-war headline: religion versus LGBTQ rights, round 9,742. But if you slow down for a minute, this case is less about slogans and more about a genuinely hard constitutional question that doesn’t have a clean, satisfying answer. Colorado has created a universal preschool program funded by taxpayer…
Supreme Court to Mississippi: “Yeah… You Might Have Overdone It”
When the Supreme Court of the United States steps in and revives a case instead of deciding it outright, it’s a bit like a teacher handing back a test and saying, “You didn’t totally fail… but you definitely need to show your work.” That’s essentially what happened here. The Court didn’t rule that the Mississippi…
Voucher Wars: The Growing Clash Over Islamic Schools and Public Funds
Here’s the latest entry in America’s never-ending culture war series: Texas and Florida are trying to exclude certain Islamic schools from school voucher programs due to alleged ties to CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations). Supporters say this is about protecting taxpayer money and avoiding even the possibility of funding problematic organizations. Critics say it’s…
When Government Authority Slips from Law into Moral Theater
The recent actions by Republican leadership in Texas and Florida aimed at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) deserve more than reflexive applause or predictable outrage. They require sober analysis. Whatever one thinks of CAIR’s activism, rhetoric, or policy positions, the mechanism being used against it should trouble anyone who takes constitutional limits seriously. These…
The Independent Christian Conservative 