Texas AG Hires Anti-Gay and anti-Church/State Separation Activist -

by Guest Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:06 pm

Texas Attorney General (and indicted securities fraud suspect) Ken Paxton has hired fundamentalist activist Jeff Mateer as his top assistant:
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/150years/article/Paxton-hire-draws-ire-for-fighting-gay-marriage-6925133.php

In Texas it is just business as usual to hire zealots and ideologues and put them in positions where they are supposed to be working for the people, all the people (an not just the ones, like Betty Bowers, who are so close to Jesus that they share a bank account). Nothing surprising here in a state where the State Board of Education has promoted “intelligent design” over science and David Barton’s preposterous fantasies over historical scholarship. The most interesting bit of the article is where Mateer challenged students to cite verbatim the part of the U.S. Constitution that establishes separation of church and state. He offered a $100 prize to the one who could. Let me try: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” I just checked to see if I got it right, and I did. Do I get my $100 now?

“Respecting” is the interesting word in this passage. In this context it means “concerning” or “relating to” or “in reference to.” In this context, therefore, the word is quite vague. I assume that the Founders chose their words carefully. If they had only meant to say that the U.S. would have no official, established religion or denomination, then that is what they would have said. Instead they intentionally left if vague. Why? Probably because they could see that the U.S. unfortunately contains individuals like Mr. Mateer–those of theocratic propensities who have no problem with using the prestige, power, or authority of government to promote sectarian ends. With people like Mateer, outlawing de jure establishment of religion will not stop them from establishing a de facto theocracy. Perhaps if Mr. Mateer and his ilk had their way we would not officially be called the Baptist States of America, but every government office would have the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes; Bible readings and Christian indoctrination would occur in all public schools; all public property would have crosses all year and Christmas and Easter displays in season; creationism would be taught in science classes; LGBT people and Muslims would be second-class citizens; and Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security would be replaced by “faith based” charities. The authors of the Constitution, in their wisdom, sought to prevent anything even respecting (i.e. concerning or relating to) an establishment of religion, whether de jureor de facto.

- See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/secularoutpost/2016/03/21/texas-ag-hires-anti-gay-and-anti-churchstate-separation-activist/#sthash.P3noDOoi.dpuf

by Ben Reilly Mon Mar 28, 2016 3:51 pm

The Texas state government is basically a far-right Christian gang, which uses cronyism and corrupt practices to remain far more powerful than it would be if democracy were allowed to operate fairly:

Texas AG Hires Anti-Gay and anti-Church/State Separation Activist - Texas-2008-presidential-election

Texas AG Hires Anti-Gay and anti-Church/State Separation Activist - Texas-2008-presidential-election

Blue is for Obama. Those blue dots of El Paso, Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio might seem isolated, but what the map doesn't show is that those places have over HALF of the entire state's population. Texas should have a lot more Democratic representatives at the state and federal level.

by Original Quill Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:15 pm

The really dangerous county in Texas is Harris County, around Houston. That place bears watching, as most of the racism, etc, happens there.

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Texas AG Hires Anti-Gay and anti-Church/State Separation Activist -

Texas AG Hires Anti-Gay and anti-Church/State Separation Activist -

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