Mark Chancey

These measures promote one religion over others, and religion over non-religion, threatening to turn students, families, and teachers who don’t subscribe to Christian-nationalist religiosity into outsiders in their own public schools and communities. texasobserver.org/a-wall-thats-w…

Only 15 Texas districts opt in for prayer and Bible reading bit.ly/4cLVAsN

Ten Commandments in schools? Ten Commandments monuments? Brian Kaylor, Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and I discuss the issues in the latest podcast from Word & Way. dogma.wordandway.org/rewriting-the-…

Get the Ten Commandments off my Spring Branch kindergartner’s wall | Opinion houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outloo… via @houstonchron

Social studies work group members urge State Board of Education not to rush process dallasnews.com/news/education…

The court held that, since the displays hadn't yet been posted in the plaintiffs’ classrooms, it “cannot yet know ...how the text will be used.” The opinion didn't address the TX suit challenging SB 10, a similar law, that was argued w/the LA one in Jan. au.org/the-latest/pre…

More than 160 Texas faith leaders urge school districts to reject prayer policy under new state law. We were glad to participate in this effort and grateful to the faith leaders who support our effort. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t… via @houstonchron

The government’s idea of 'Judeo-Christianity' doesn’t sound very Jewish religionnews.com/2026/01/07/the…

Abbott has for some time boasted about using his gubernatorial power to promote and favor Christianity. Now he's using it to target and disfavor Islam. An elected official should not do either. eedition.houstonchronicle.com/infinity/artic…

Good NYTimes piece by @ashleyahn88 on how Trump administration pushed sectarian messages on Christmas: nytimes.com/2025/12/25/adm… This fits problematic trend of Christian social media posts as DHS & DoW have co-opted Bible verses & others like DoL have pushed Christian content. 1/

How should public schools approach the Bible? In #AASAMag, @MarkChancey of @SMU explains why teaching the Bible for cultural literacy—objectively and without bias—can deepen students’ understanding of history and society. Read more: aasa.org/resources/reso… #PublicEducation

NEW: An Episcopal priest — a Kenyan national who works with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice — has been detained by ICE, says diocese. The area bishop, reached via email, told me church officials still “do not know yet why he was targeted.” religionnews.com/2025/11/02/epi…

NEW: I spoke to clergy and faith leaders who've joined protests at the Chicago-area ICE facility. Three say they've been shot w/pepper balls, sometimes while praying. All say ICE is also violating their religious freedom, and one is arguing it in court. religionnews.com/2025/10/07/in-…

medialaw.unc.edu/events/faith-m… Free online event on October 8!

The Bible has not been banned from public schools, but there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to use it there, a professor told a summit on religion and public education Sept. 16. bit.ly/3I4nH9G

The new “Bluebonnet” curriculum in Texas furthers the mythology of America as a Christian nation and tries to “indoctrinate that history at a very early age for young Texans,” according to Amanda Tyler. bit.ly/4gxaQJO

"The numbers may grow as the state collects more data. Some districts adopted the plan not for its religious emphasis but for more funding and to better align with teaching requirements."texastribune.org/2025/08/28/tex… via @TexasTribune

41 law profs & legal historians debunked this claim in a 2003 brief. “American law is generally viewed as having secular origins.” “Indeed, the legal and historical record does not include significant and meaningful references to the Ten Commandments." (au.org/the-latest/chu…)

Head of Texas funeral commission shared anti-Islam media, pictures of Muslim state rep in texts keranews.org/government/202…

The Ten Commandments are now on display in Texas classrooms. wfaa.com/article/news/e…