Religion in Schools: Texas School Board Meeting 2022

A Facebook friend posted that she was attending a Texas School Board meeting. She was there as a member of a huge group of Christians who were trying to influence the selection of textbooks, as well as any other matter before the Board. She is a member of a church which believes in the speaking of tongues, faith healing, and other extreme fringe beliefs. A charismatic, evangelical who has family money enabling her to constantly travel to various Central & South American countries to participate in mass religious revivals. The 'leaders' perform mass 'healings' where cripples 'walk', the blind 'see', the deaf 'hear', and hundreds accept Christ, becoming 'saved' at each gathering. It is reminiscent of the 'healers' who ran tent revivals throughout the US, with 'plants' at each service who came forward to be healed. The woman seems very sweet and caring, but oblivious to chicanery and has no 'bullshit' detector. I admire her blind devotion and dedication to her beliefs. But I also wonder why she needs to travel so far to see the miracles which support her system of beliefs. Unless the only way she can experience these things is by going to areas where the educational systems are poor and the people are more gullible and susceptible to these types of leaders, then more power to her. 

I have met many people like this in my life. due to never needing to worry about earning a living, they drift from passion to passion as if they were a bit of dandelion fluff floating in the breeze. Any sparkly thing will snatch their attention. Where they live and what they are able to experience plays a huge part in the direction in which they go. When young, it is parental belief systems that influence them the most. As young adults, they either seek answers on their own, or they dive deeper into the system in which they are already belong. Personally, I feel that intelligence plays a huge part in this and how open they are during the educational process. If one truly studies all materials, rather than just seeking information which reinforces what they already believe. Too many refuse to hear anything which disproves their childhood belief indoctrination. Those who pay attention  By their middle years, many will drift back into the systems they were indoctrinated into as children.

All this background info is so you can understand the thinking of the population which takes time to appear in masses to governmental hearings to express their 'opinions' on how policy should be formulated. Also realize that not many can take a week or more of time to attend these hearings, and that those who can usually are folks from money with no purpose in life other than to explore their passions. 

The following was my question when the OP wrote that the group was there to be sure the TX School Board knew that "Religion" was represented at the hearing.

Or all religions? Or only one? Which version or denomination will prevail? Should the Catholic version be taught? Or Wesleyans? Or Freewill Baptist? Or Church of Christ? Should Latter Day Saints be the ones whose version of God is learned by Texas children? Or A.M.E(African Methodist Episcopal)? Or Jehovah Witness? Or Original Freewill Baptist? Should it be the doctrine of Pentecostal Holiness? Or Church of God in Christ? Or Seven Day Adventists? Or Methodist? Or Southern Baptist? These are only some of the different denominations in my small town of 2,500. Within 5 miles of our town center, I believe there are over 50 churches. Some churches only have 10 members. One church has 24 members and they are all from one family. One church sect says that their women should never speak in church, never cut their hair, never wear make-up, wear ankle-length skirts, & obey whatever their husband or father tells them(our mayor goes to one of these churches). Though some of our townsfolk travel to other towns to churches that look like entertainment complexes, with rock bands, coffee shops, tattooed & pierced ministers, movie screens, and that modern church casual radical feel. But are only Christian denominations in consideration? I'm not sure what the Chinese families in town believe, whether they are Christian, Taoist, or Buddhist. I'm sure most of the Indian families are Hindu, but I'm positive one of the Indian families is Sikh. A Japanese restaurant opened last year and I would imagine the owners are Shintoists. There are a few Muslims live in my tiny town, who operate a couple of convenience stores. Oh, I forgot that there are several Jewish families too. We don't have any snake-handling churches, that I'm sure of. Now If you were to look at an entire state, I bet there would be dozens of possible denominations and religions presented. What about the non-Christian families? Must their children be taught a religion that is different than that of their parents? Does the group that sends the most representatives to attend the state school board meeting win and gets their belief system taught? That doesn't seem fair to the millions of Texans who cannot travel to the state school board meeting due to distance, work, or other reasons. If the sect or denomination which gains control of the state school system is not the one I agree with, will I be able to take my kids out of the state school and get funding so I can send them to a school which teaches my belief system of Christianity or homeschool them so I'm sure they only learn what I want them to learn? Would this apply to anyone not agreeing with the "official" state school board religion? Does that mean the state of Texas would fund schooling for Catholics, Muslims, Mormons, Satanists, or any other group Whose religious beliefs are not deemed "official" by the state school board? I'm confused at why parents need the school system to educate their children in religion, as religion was what I learned from my parents and at whichever church my mom chose to attend at that time and/or the preacher she really liked at the time. Which is what a church is for, you know? This is a parent's responsibility--to choose what religion they wish their child to learn. and once the child becomes an adult, they either continue with that particular denomination, or they find which one suits them the best. As I am sure you have done. She made sure I was in church whenever it was open-->Sunday School/morning sermons, Training Union/evening sermons, Sunday dinner on the grounds, Wednesday night prayer meeting, revivals(mom insisted that the visiting preacher eat supper one night with us during revival week), as well as any special services that might be happening. Plus homecoming services at several different churches in the area. Growing up, I attended a middle class Southern Baptist church led by a minister, an old timey country Southern Baptist church(whooping/hollering, singing conventions, folks filled with the Holy Spirit at most services) led by a fire & brimstone preacher, and the upper class Southern Baptist church(which my family helped found in 1847 & I was a youth pastor there in HS) led by a pastor. And I got my university degree at Campbell Univ., a Southern Baptist university here in NC. I taught 8th grade science and was a vice-principal in a public school in NC. Barely had time to teach my subject, much less anything else. And I've been an ordained non-denominational minister since 1998.