Religious leaders call for revisions in social studies standards
A group of religious leaders Wednesday urged the State Board of Education to reverse its earlier stance and require high school students to study constitutional protections for religious freedom in the U.S. Members of the Texas Faith Network criticized the social conservative bloc and other Republicans on the board for rejecting a proposal in March to require that students in U.S. government classes be taught the reasons behind the prohibition of a state religion in the Bill of Rights. Social conservatives have sharply questioned legal rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court that affirmed separation of church and state - including a ban on school-sponsored prayer.
"Our Founding Fathers understood that the best way to protect religious liberty in America is to keep government out of matters of faith," said Rev. Roger Paynter, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Austin. "But this state board appears hostile to teaching students about the importance of keeping religion and state separate, a principle long supported in my own Baptist tradition and in other faiths." Rev. Paynter was joined by several other ministers and religious leaders from around the state who are members of the Texas Faith Network, which includes more than 600 members.
The news conference at the Capitol came a week before the education board meets in
"Our Founding Fathers understood that the best way to protect religious liberty in America is to keep government out of matters of faith," said Rev. Roger Paynter, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Austin. "But this state board appears hostile to teaching students about the importance of keeping religion and state separate, a principle long supported in my own Baptist tradition and in other faiths." Rev. Paynter was joined by several other ministers and religious leaders from around the state who are members of the Texas Faith Network, which includes more than 600 members.
The news conference at the Capitol came a week before the education board meets in