Governor Perry and the Official State Religion of Texas

Dear Governor Perry
and Other Members
of the "Official Religion of the State of Texas" ,

I recently heard you speak and claim that people today are confusing freedom of religion with freedom from religion. I disagree. People understand they go hand in hand. The “Official Religion of the State of Texas” is unconstitutional.

I’m very uncomfortable to learn that you don’t understand the constitution of the United States of America and that neither do many members of the Texas Congress and judiciary. Please study it some more. Maybe our letter will help with that some. Feel free to share it with other members of the “Holy Church of the Official Religion of the State of Texas”.

Once you have studied it and understand it, please defend the constitution of the United States of America, which demands that our government, at all levels, show no favoritism of one religion over another, more commonly known as “separation of church and state”.

You see, in our family, we teach our children the religion of our choice and we send them to school to learn about other things, not what the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” is, or for them to get confused about which religion is right.

Nor do we wish for our children to have to listen to some other student tell them they are going to hell because they don’t go to the “Holy Church of the Official Religion of the State of Texas”. That is not the purpose for which public schools exist: they are not there to give theocratic politicians a platform for religiously indoctrinating our children.

And I’m concerned about this new law that requires public schools to incorporate Bible literacy into the curriculum is really about establishing the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.

Which version of the Bible are they required to teach? In other words, which denomination is the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” endorsing as the correct one?

• I think the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” bible should be the Catholic Bible because I raise our children Catholic.
• I think the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” bible should be the King James version because that’s what our church uses.
• I think the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” bible should be the New American version - that’s what our church uses.
• I think the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” bible should be the Greek Orthodox Bible because we’re Greek Orthodox.
• I think the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” bible should be just the New Testament because that’s what our church uses.
• I think the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” bible should be the Torah because we’re Jewish.

What bible does the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” use and is that the one that the as does the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” will impose on the infidels, the non-believers?

• You see, our children are raised atheist and have a right to freedom from religion, for without freedom from religion, no freedom of religion can exist. We should not have to battle in the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” to raise our children in the religious atmosphere we choose as parents. The State should not be showing preference of one religion over another, it’s unconstitutional.
• You see, our children are raised Jewish and have the right to freedom of religion. We should not have to battle the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” to raise our children in the religious atmosphere we choose as parents. The State should not be showing preference of one religion over another, it’s unconstitutional.
• You see, our children are raised Hindu and have the right to freedom of religion. We should not have to battle in the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” to raise our children in the religious atmosphere we choose as parents. The State should not be showing preference of one religion over another, it’s unconstitutional.
• You see, our children are raised in Islam and have the right to freedom of religion. We should not have to battle in the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” to raise our children in the religious atmosphere we choose as parents. The State should not be showing preference of one religion over another, it’s unconstitutional.

You see, our children are raised [Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Jehovah’s Witness, First Baptist, Evangelical, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Free Methodist, Atheist, Deist, Hindu, Presbyterian] and this is different than the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.

You see, we don’t go to the “Holy Church of the Official Religion of the State of Texas” and aren’t at all happy with you making all of us go to your church. It is unconstitutional.

And what is all this about teaching Christmas in schools? I hope you’re teaching the children that Jesus was born in April. You see, we raise our children as Jehovah’s Witnesses and we don’t celebrate Christmas. Jesus was born in April, not December and you’re confusing our children with the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.

I hope you’re teaching that there is no physical evidence that Jesus lived at all because we’re raising our children as atheists and no physical evidence exists. You are teaching the children that the story of Jesus is a myth like Santa is a myth, right?

• You see, we’re raising our children in the Jewish faith and we don’t celebrate Christmas as does the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.
• You see, we’re raising our children in the Hindu faith and we don’t celebrate Christmas as does the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.
• You see, we’re raising our children in the Pagan faith and we don’t celebrate Christmas as does the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.

Does the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” teach the Holy Trinity as our church does? You see, we’re raising our children Catholic.

Will the cross you show the children be a Protestant cross or a Catholic cross, because, either way, we’re raising our children that the other one is the right one, not the one chosen by the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.

And what is this our child tells us, that a moment of silence “to pray” is practiced in their classroom? We’re raising our child in the tradition of the Cherokee, Sam Houston’s people, and they're taught to offer tobacco to the directions when they pray. Tobacco isn’t allowed in schools, so how can they pray in the manner they are taught, which differs from the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”?

What is this our child tells us, that a moment of silence “to pray” is practiced in their classroom? We’re raising our children in the traditional Hindu way. They are taught to pray at alters, with gifts to the god or goddess they pray to. Will alters be allowed in schools so our children can pray as taught? I realize this is a different way to pray than is taught by the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” but we have a right to our own religion. Have we lost the right to teach our children how to pray as we see fit?

And what is this our child tells us, that a moment of silence “to pray” is practiced in their classroom? In our Christian church, we teach that prayer is a private matter and should only be done in private. I hope this is what the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” is also teaching.

The State of Texas has no right to indoctrinate our children with the “Official Religion of the State of Texas”.

But I guess it is okay to do as long as the “Official Religion of the State of Texas” is the same as our religion. On the other hand, it is un-constitutional and any politician that believes otherwise is ignorant and unfit for office.

©2009 Robert J. Emory. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy this letter and use it for any purpose. Take it to your church, PTA, or classroom. Email it to all of you friends. Post it on Twitter, on Facebook or MySpace. Do your part as an American to protect freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

References:

Unknown, 2008. House OKs religion in school, The Dallas Morning News, Inc. retrieved on September 26, 2009 from http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/052707dntswrelexpress.2ed82b.html

Sandoval, Stephanie, 2008. Texas schools' moment of silence upheld after Carrollton couple's challenge, The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-silence_05met.ART0.North.Edition1.37cc71f.html  

Unknown, 2009, Religion Briefs: Texas schools scrambling over Bible literacy law, The Associated Press via The Daily News, Longview, WA retrieved http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/09/12/this_day/doc4aaace2733015334708497.txt

Google Search if interested in additional sources for the content of this letter:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Texas+Schools+religion&aq=f&oq=&aqi=