One of the most influential evangelical figures of the last half-century, Pressler died about six months after he settled a high-profile lawsuit with a former member of his youth group.
religion and politics
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Feds accuse Texas prison agency of discriminating against employee for wearing a headscarf
A federal lawsuit asserts that the Texas agency terminated a state prison clerk who refused to remove a head covering in line with her Ifa faith.
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Politics
A new Texas law allows schools to hire chaplains as counselors. So far, only one school has opted into the program.
Many independent school districts, including the largest ones, do not allow chaplains to serve as counselors, which is now allowed under a new Texas law.
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Politics
Southern Baptist Convention settles high-profile lawsuit that accused former leader of sexual abuse
The suit prompted a major newspaper investigation into Southern Baptist sexual abuse and seven other men to come forward with allegations against Paul Pressler, an influential conservative activist and former Texas judge.
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Demographics
Far-right activist blasts Speaker Phelan for being “pro-Muslim” in political mailer
The card insinuates that Phelan wants to wish his constituents a happy Ramadan instead of a merry Christmas. Muslim Texans say it’s Islamophobic and some Republicans say it doesn’t reflect Christian values.
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Politics
Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker.
Barton has been a staple of Texas’ Christian conservative movement, offering crucial support to politicians and frequently being cited or called on to testify in favor of bills that critics say would erode church-state separations.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Facing enrollment declines, Texas Catholic schools are leading supporters of school vouchers
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has been one of the staunchest voucher supporters, arguing it would increase access to religious education regardless of income level.
Posted in
Righting the Rule of Law
Part 2: Texas backlash to Obama fueled conservative drive to reinterpret U.S. Constitution
Barraging the Obama administration with lawsuits, the Texas attorney general’s office wasn’t just trying to block policies. It was injecting disruptive, overtly Christian legal philosophies into the mainstream, and grooming a generation of conservative legal warriors.
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Righting the Rule of Law
Part 1: In 1998, a legal revolution was quietly born in Texas. It would pull America’s courts rightward.
With his election as Texas attorney general, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn planted the seeds of conservatism. Gov. Greg Abbott used his tenure to cultivate them into an aggressive strain of right-wing activism aimed at driving the nation’s courts and laws to the right.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Unlicensed religious chaplains may counsel students in Texas’ public schools after lawmakers OK proposal
Opponents fear the bill is a “Trojan horse” for evangelizing kids and will worsen the state’s mental health crisis through disproven counseling approaches.
