Texas cheerleaders get Bible verse flags back, for now

A banner made by the Kountze High School cheerleaders which displays a Bible verse. / Facebook/Support Kountze Kids

HOUSTON Southeast Texas cheerleaders who were barred from using Bible verses on their signs will be allowed to feature the religious scriptures for the time being.

A Texas judge has decided to continue allowing, for now, Kountze High School's cheerleaders to use run-through banners with biblical verses at football games.

State District Judge Steve Thomas said at the end of a day of testimony Thursday that he needs more time to issue a final ruling. He extended a temporary order granted last month to allow the banners. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 18.

• AG offers to help defend Texas school's Bible banners
• Texas high school cheerleaders barred from using Bible verses on football banners

The cheerleaders have used run-throughs at football games with scripture verses such as, "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me."

A letter was sent from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis.-based nonprofit that challenges any religion in public schools, complaining that the banner violated religious freedom. An attorney advised the district to ban the run-throughs as possibly violating U.S. Supreme Court rulings barring prayer in schools. Kountze High School superintendent Kevin Weldon complied, even though he personally disagreed.

"It is not a personal opinion of mine," Weldon told KVUE-TV. "My personal convictions are that I am a Christian as well. But I'm also a state employee and Kountze ISD representative. And I was advised that that such a practice would be in direct violation of United State Supreme Court decisions."

The ban angered many people, including Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott who offered to help the school. In a letter to Weldon, he said the superintendent had the right to legally allow the signs.

In addition, the Plano, Texas-based Liberty Institute sued, arguing the ban violates the cheerleaders' free-speech rights.

Kountze is 85 miles northeast of Houston.

[spenthan]

I am not a liberal so don't call me that after reading my opinion. I have voted for every Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon but like many Republicans out there I care about our fiscal well being and do not agree with the party on a lot of social issues. Like it or not if you allow religious activities at school events you will have to do the same for Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist and whatever other religion we have here in our diverse country. The same people that believe in their right to do this would be horrified if the other religions did the same at "your" activities.

[BPhil06]

As a Christian, I find it interesting that they write Bible verses on a banner so that their football team can rip them apart and trample them into the ground.

[rayward73446]

Christians have been trying to infiltrate our school system for decades, and have no place in our schools or our government. That is separation of church and state. It is the law of the land and rightly so. To allow one religion into our schools would mean that we must allow all religions in school. Christians would not be very happy about that, but all should be treated equally under the law. The banners should go, and not be allowed. People can choose where they wish to attend religious services, and that is where it belongs. For cheerleaders, or anyone else that feels strongly in their beliefs to display religious banners at football games is just forcing your beliefs on others who may not be interested, and could feel oppressed by their actions.

[BAC_Tech]

90 to 95 percent of the framers were christian. However they feared that a specific sect of Christianity might gain control of the government or the government limit a religion. That is why they put the establishment and free exercise clause in the constitution. They believed that Christianity should play a large role in the government because it is what we fought for in the revolution. Also the phrase 'Separation of Church and State' is not even in the constitution but in letters from Thomas Jefferson. It is now known that Jefferson was a Deist and therefore did not represent the majority of the framers because he was in the 5% that was not Christian. Also almost everything about the country in its early states has to do with Christianity. And the only supreme law is the constitution where it establishes itself as that in article 6. Why don't you learn the constitution and stop being ignorant.

[BAC_Tech]

90 to 95 percent of the framers were christian. However they feared that a specific sect of Christianity might gain control of the government or the government limit a religion. That is why they put the establishment and free exercise clause in the constitution. They believed that Christianity should play a large role in the government because it is what we fought for in the revolution. Also the phrase 'Separation of Church and State' is not even in the constitution but in letters from Thomas Jefferson. It is now known that Jefferson was a Deist and therefore did not represent the majority of the framers because he was in the 5% that was not Christian. Also almost everything about the country in its early states has to do with Christianity. And the only supreme law is the constitution where it establishes itself as that in article 6. Why don't you learn the constitution and stop being ignorant.

[Yakko_Warner]

Secularism has to stay in our schools. If we decide to allow one "god" more power than others it will lead to a national religion which is what the U.S. founders did not want, and it's what none of us want. What's going to happen if someone else wants to put scriptures from other religions? I doubt that the attorney general would protect them so adamantly. Things like this breed hatred and elitism. We are turning into a society much like Iran and Afghanistan with our bigotry and hatred of other religions. It's funny we went overseas to "help" them be more democratic yet we are the one's picking up their habits. Shameful, just shameful.

[BAC_Tech]

90 to 95 percent of the framers were christian. However they feared that a specific sect of Christianity might gain control of the government or the government limit a religion. That is why they put the establishment and free exercise clause in the constitution. They believed that Christianity should play a large role in the government because it is what we fought for in the revolution. Also the phrase 'Separation of Church and State' is not even in the constitution but in letters from Thomas Jefferson. It is now known that Jefferson was a Deist and therefore did not represent the majority of the framers because he was in the 5% that was not Christian. Also almost everything about the country in its early states has to do with Christianity.

[Yakko_Warner]

In response to BAC_TECH, the first amendment states "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion." Your claim that it does not specifically say the 'separation of church and state' is picking hairs. Although most were indeed of diverse theologies, their main goal was to evade tyranny from ANY parties be they internal or external. They never believed christianity had any right in government;the biggest reason people did not support JFK was because of his catholic upbringing. Barack Obama's own religion came into peoples mind in the past election and in the years after. As to your argument that Jefferson(being a deist) represented only 5% of the Constitutional Convention, your argument is invalid for he was neither a writer, nor one of the delegates who signed the constitution. If you meant the Declaration of Independence, then maybe you would have some validity; however, fifty-five other men signed the document he wrote. One would assume they read it over very carefully to make sure it agreed with each of their opinions. So in reality they all represent and would uphold the document Jefferson wrote and they approved.

[Sally_Hemings_Jefferson]

Good to see Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott standing up for the religious freedoms of these cheerleaders.

I'm sure he'll do the same when Muslim cheerleaders include verses from the Quran or Hindu cheerleaders include references to Vishnu. The religious freedoms of Satanist cheerleaders will also, no doubt, be vigorously defended.

[Foggy7680]

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"

So if they lose, what does that say?

[lubknluvit]

This is great news, the sad news is that we have to fight and expend so much energy for the freedoms granted to us by God and by the U.S. Constitution. Our Founding Fathers never intended for citizens to be silent about our faith in Christin school, public square, wherever.

[lubknluvit]

I meant to have a space between Christ and in. Sorry.

[ByeGod]

You'd think a group of Christians would have mentioned God in their Constitution, wouldn't you? But God is not mentioned once! Maybe they weren't Christians. John Adams: "T'would be a perfect world were there no religion in it." Hmmmm......

[hsinco-2009]

Gross and disgusting!