265 Comments
User's avatar
Troublesh00ter's avatar

It's time for Ken Paxton and the rest of the Texan Christiian Nationalists to read the room. Texas public schools DO NOT WANT PRAYER MANDATED in their classrooms. Not just a majority but a near-totality of Texas school districts said a resounding NO to Paxton's proposal for prayer time set aside during the school day.

Sadly, I'm pretty sure Kenny will find an excuse for ignoring the will of Texans. That's sorta his thing.

oraxx's avatar

This is especially true in the big cities. I live in the DFW metro, and it's about as diverse as it gets.

Straw's avatar

Norwegian here. What is DFW metro?

And btw, in Norway the government just decided that schools has to let pupils "enjoy" church service before xmas holiday, during school day. It is up to the pupils to decide, but the reality is group pressure.

My apologies for odd writing.

Richard S. Russell's avatar

Dallas and Fort Worth started out as 2 small communities, widely separated by vacant prairie, but just kept growing and growing until they finally made contact and kept spread outward from their common border.

The same sort of thing happened multiple times in the US. There are about 30 different communities packed in wall to wall in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. New York City is famously 5 separate boroughs that at one time were independent of each other. Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota is basically one big city (surrounded by a dozen other ones that you can pass into and out of without realizing there was a border there).

Saint Petersburg — Clearwater in Florida is another famous pair of twin cities. (Completely trivial aside: When I was a kid growing up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, we had a really good semi-pro softball team. They'd make it to the nationals every year, and they usually ended up playing against Clearwater for the title. Everybody was amused to note that Eau Claire, after the river named by early French voyageurs, also meant "clear water".)

oraxx's avatar

There are over a hundred incorporated towns and cities in the DFW metroplex.

Richard S. Russell's avatar

Contrarily, I understand that Houston didn't wait around for suburbs to spring up, it just kept extending its city limits to include areas where there MIGHT be future development. Thus the land areas within their actual city limits are:

Houston: ~669 square miles

Dallas: ~385 square miles

Fort Worth: ~350 square miles

even tho the DFW metro area is more populous:

Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metro area: ~8.1 million

Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metro area: ~7.5 million

Straw's avatar

Aha, thank you. I have never been in Florida.

Lynn Veit's avatar

If you ever visit, come during the winter, late fall, or early spring. Summer in Florida is brutal.

Straw's avatar

When thing are back more to normal, I guess we will visit again. Our folks mostly live in Arkansas or nearby states. Visitingen them is priority #1. Being tourists is priority #2. Visiting Florida could is on the plan. In spring time.

RegularJoe's avatar

You left out the greater Marion-Cedar Rapids-Hiawatha-Ely-Fairfax-Mt. Vernon-Robins-Palo metro area. 😉

Maltnothops's avatar

The Quad Cities! Davenport and…..those other ones that I never can remember.

RegularJoe's avatar

Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline.

They're in my Union's jurisdiction. 😉

Kay-El's avatar

It’s the Dallas-Fort Worth (Texas) metropolitan area.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

DFW = Dallas / Fort Worth, one of the largest metropolitan areas in Texas and where I did a whole lot of field service work, mostly for Texas Instruments.

beads's avatar

Oooh, Davenport. Home of the Iowa 80. Do you need a CB? A TV? A tooth pulled? Want to watch a movie on a huge TV while letting your chair give you a massage? Lot lizard on your agenda? You've found your Mecca.

Sinanju06's avatar

This is pretty much true with the entire state. Texas is the second most populous state in the US after California, with an estimated 31.7 million people, according to the most recent census data. All of this is being fueled by migration amongst citizens from other states as well as international mmigration, and with this great influx of people, naturally not everyone is going to identify as Christian.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

And whatever few churches there are in those areas, 5 will get you 50 that they are evangelical baptist or assemblies of god or something very similar. With the pastors or preachers preaching TRUMP from the pulpit practically every Sunday.

Lynn Veit's avatar

Back in the 80's, our church had a minister that quoted Rush Dildo as often as he quoted the Apostle Paul. I think he had the few confused.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Oh, CHARMING! 🤢🤮

Derrik Pates's avatar

Trouble is, they don't care whether anyone else wants it. They want to make people dance to their tune, regardless of the legality (or lack of) of the nonsense he's pushing. The hypocrisy is half the point.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

And cruelty the other half. What I hope is that people will finally start connecting bills like this to Paxton (and with luck, Abbot as well!) and kick their sorry asses out of office. As for the runoff election, I suspect Cornyn will edge it out, though probably not by much. If Paxton DOES get in there, the contrast between him and Talarico will be like midnight on a moonless night and high noon in the Sahara.

And I would LOVE to see Talarico pull that one out, regardless.

Maltnothops's avatar

A Paxton-Talarico race would be such a joy. WWJD?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

I mean, toxic Christianity versus relatively beneficent Christianity? THAT race will be REALLY telling about the brand of Christianity favored by Texans!

Claudia's avatar

Paxton, 63, known to have engaged in multiple violations of the ten commandments - adultery (that coveting ones neighbour's wife bit), financial shenanigans (thou shall not steal), providing wrong information (lying) and that's just what I know. I am sure we'll get some instances of taking the Lord's name in vain, some sabbath violations as well - what else am I missing??

Talarico, 36, no known violations.

Shouldn't be much of a contest for a real christian.

Maltnothops's avatar

Shouldn’t be but from reading the evangelical Christian Post, I know that the folks there don’t regard Talarico as a Real Christian. A couple days ago CP ran a piece saying that Talarico’s pastor is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Claudia's avatar

This surprises me!

I take it you're local? If you are, could you keep an eye on it, please, I'd be interested to see how that develops, i.e. whether the attacks keep coming. Or what else they're going to attack him with.

Thank you.

Sinanju06's avatar

But they're not going to since they have their heads stuck up their asses. They need to be removed from office.

Lynn Veit's avatar

Gawd's will supersedes that of mere humans, especially icky heathens.

Joe King's avatar

𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 15 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒? 𝐼𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒.

Republicans try to force their religion on schoolchildren. Professional educators reject that for the unconstitutional nonsense it is. Film at 11.

Holytape's avatar

How else would an omnipresent and omnipotent God hear the prayers of believers without a dedicated place and time for prayer? God you expect God to be listening just in case you pray? He has better thing to do with his time.

Holytape's avatar

Voice mail?! What is God a psychopath?!

larry parker's avatar

Hypothetically, yes.

Straw's avatar

Oh Thor did I hate that.

Boreal's avatar

Grooming young vulnerable minds because your mythology is so easily debunked by critical thinking skills.

NOGODZ20's avatar

Fanatigelicals molest children in more ways than one.

NOGODZ20's avatar

When it comes to mandatory prayers, they must think their god is only available during school hours.

If that were true then why all the school shootings, which their god refuses to avert?

Joe King's avatar

From the way the guy is depicted in his book, the bastard 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 the school shootings.

Straw's avatar

You are definitely not wrong about that.

Matri's avatar

Needed to find a replacement for the bears.

Claudia's avatar

That's a cracking bit of logic!

Joe King's avatar

It wouldn't surprise me if those 15 districts that are going along with the NSGOP nonsense wre all very rural, very religious, and with at least half of the teachers going along with the mandate from administration because they are afraid of being fired.

Bensnewlogin's avatar

Public prayer is performative piety pushed by pusillanimously political, pimpled pigs like Paxton, practically pissing preemptively on parental property.

I didn’t need prayer to teach me to say that. But it does help to prove what I have long maintained: prayer is what you do when you don’t want to do anything at all, but you don’t want to be called out for it. Maybe someday the people of Texas will realize that their pastors and politicians are doing nothing for them.

nmgirl's avatar

I told you guys last week about how a local car wash wants to pray for me.

Bensnewlogin's avatar

Nah. I’m good. Just wash my car, but not in the Blood of the Lamb.

Len Koz's avatar

See wreck's reference to Theodoric of York.

Bensnewlogin's avatar

Unfortunately, I have to agree.

Richard S. Russell's avatar

“Pray: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.”

—Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914), American author, The Devil’s Dictionary

NOGODZ20's avatar

And once again, some xtians in the Lone Brain Cell State insist on violating Matthew 6:5-6.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

But-but-but ... they want EVERYONE to know how CHRISTIAN they are!

NOGODZ20's avatar

Their own savior told his followers that anyone who makes a show of their faith to be seen by non-followers will have no reward by his father in heaven.

Oops.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

You know that and I know that. They conveniently IGNORE that, I suspect because their egos won't let them acknowledge that.

I suspect that, if they could see this situation the way WE see it, they'd lose their minds.

Straw's avatar

Of course they ignore it. After all, they believe in a sky daddy they have never seen.

Joan the Dork's avatar

OT- Quelle surprise, the puppy-murdering, plastic-faced, genocidal shitstain of a cabinet secretary is also a giant flaming liar: https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-misled-senate-judiciary-corey-lewandowski-contracts

Troublesh00ter's avatar

So ... a habitual liar hires other liars who lie their asses off, just like their boss and regardless of the venue. Who woulda thunk it?

John Smith's avatar

All members of Trump’s administration and the rest of the goddamm right wing jesusfuckers are lying; when their lips are moving, then they are lying. When these smegheads need to prove anything they say, they pull the information/numbers/etc from their scrawny ass.

In fact, their ass and their face look so similar that it is hard to tell which end is spewing shit!

Lynn Veit's avatar

🤣🤣🤣

LOVE that final sentence!

Claudia's avatar

Has she opened herself up for impeachment?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

The way Noem has managed ICE and Homeland Security in general, she damned well SHOULD be impeached. The question becomes: will enough Republicans go for it? We've already had some GOP defections which led to Pam Bondi being called to testify before Congress, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Whether it actually HAPPENS or not, that's another matter.

Joan the Dork's avatar

So... sad trombone for wannabe-theocrats in cowboy hats? Yep. sad trombone for wannabe-theocrats in cowboy hats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQeezCdF4mk

oraxx's avatar

I am cautiously optimistic that the harder the Christian nationalists try to force their religion into the public schools, the more they will alienate today's young people.

Kukaan Ei Missään's avatar

"I am cautiously optimistic that the harder the Christian nationalists try to force their religion into the public schools, the more they will alienate today's young people."

I get the feeling that it is a last hurrah. They realise that that their power, and they desperate to try something, anything to preserve it.

A similar attempt in the UK has simply seen congregations disappearing one funeral at a time.

Charles Newman's avatar

"they will alienate" Praying this will happen. LOL

Troublesh00ter's avatar

It's taken a while, but I think that people may be waking up to the BS the Nat-Cs are attempting to lay on them. The very fact that an overwhelming majority of school districts thumbed their collective noses at Paxton speaks volumes.

What I wonder is whether this story has made it out to the general news media in Texas. That would make a significant difference, all by itself.

oraxx's avatar

Paxton is as corrupt as they come, and he will go with what ever he sees as politically popular. Always with his arrogant smirk. The Texas Senate did not acquit him on the charges that got him impeached because he was innocent. They circled the wagons and acquitted him because he's a Republican. Period.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

I'm not wild for Cornyn, but he and Paxton will apparently be in a runoff election later this year, then up against Talarico in the general ... where I'm HOPING that maybe-just-maybe we can turn the Lone Star State just that little bit PURPLE.

oraxx's avatar

The big cities in Texas already tilt blue. A lot of people don't realize that two of the five largest cities in the US are in Texas.

Linda's avatar

They do. The reason why cities across the country were demonized (crime-ridden, hellholes etc) leading up to the last presidential election is because conservatives know this. They are terrified of cities because that’s where folks of all backgrounds get together and talk…about our similarities rather than our differences. That is dangerous to the ruling class! 🤣

Richard S. Russell's avatar

2020 Presidential votes for Democrats in Texas: 5,259,126.

That’s more Democrats in Texas than in these states actually WON by Democrats: Arizona (1,672,143), Colorado (1,804,352), Connecticut (1,080,831), Delaware (296,268), DC* (317,323), Georgia (2,473,633), Hawaii (366,130), Illinois (3,471,915), Maine (435,072), Maryland (1,985,023), Massachusetts (2,382,202), Michigan (2,804,040), Minnesota (1,717,077), Nevada (703,486), New Hampshire (424,937), New Jersey (2,608,335), New Mexico (501,614), New York (5,230,985), Oregon (1,340,383), Pennsylvania (3,458,229), Rhode Island (307,486), Vermont (242,820), Virginia (2,413,568), Washington (2,369,612), and Wisconsin (1,630,866).

– – – –

*sadly, not really a state

Claudia's avatar

He strikes me as a seriously unpleasant chap.

Linda's avatar
Mar 4Edited

I think Nat-C’s are doing long-term harm to how people view Christianity and religion generally and they don’t care one bit. In terms of young people (young men especially) I believe they are looking for an alternative sense of belonging/community and just not finding those options currently. I believe it is our duty to help create/offer those spaces to them.

oraxx's avatar

They seem to think people will passively submit to having a particular brand of Christianity imposed on them. They could not be more wrong.

Claudia's avatar

And other, normal people might look upon the Texas legislature and think 'Guys, don't you think that there are more worthwhile issues you should be focusing on? You've only got three and a half days a year, surely you should concentrate on sorting out healthcare, environmental issues or transport problems?'

I really wish that all of those plonkers get kicked out at the next election!

John Smith's avatar

If not kicked out of office, I would settle for the boneheads to be kicked in the balls again and again (with steel toe boots). If they can handle their genitalia being brutally assaulted, then they can handle any crisis.

Maybe that should be a requisite for office, I sure tough republicans can handle that!

At the very least the entertainment value would be there! 😇

Claudia's avatar

PS Have you seen the little video about the Canada Resistance Force? It’s very funny.

Claudia's avatar

I hesitate to upvote your comment, I am generally against violence. I even restrain myself in writing about my plans for the day when Mr Orange departs.

But I can certainly appreciate the sentiment ….

Greetings to you in Canada, hope you’re doing well.

John Smith's avatar

Thank you, yes I am well. I wasn’t really serious (well, maybe a little). However, sometimes the frustration of the way the world is going, that it bring a smidgen of nastiness out of me and probably others as well! Like I said it is just the ranting of feeling that needs to be expressed in a harmless rant. Rant and rave, then move on is the way to go!

Claudia's avatar

Good to hear that you’re doing ok!

And here’s the little Canada Resistance video - I’ve been posting it all over the place, if I’ve already sent it to you, apologies. I just think it’s really really good. Yes, it’s AI or CGI but it’s still good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWSKlYjD8vU&list=RDzWSKlYjD8vU&start_radio=1

K Cox's avatar

Who else wants to know, who are the 15?

nmgirl's avatar

me too.. can't find a list online anywhere. And can't find anything on my hometowns's school website either.

Joan the Dork's avatar

OT- Senate Republicans (and one dipshit DINO) decide that bombing brown people without Congressional authorization is fine, actually: https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-senate-vote-war-powers-06f9465c16218f90192f7502baa736eb

Rare stopped clock moment for Rand Paul; entirely predictable backstabbing by the ever-disgraceful John Fetterman. Iranians aren't white or Christian enough to be worth re-asserting the lawful separation of powers over, apparently.

Len Koz's avatar

Can we borrow an idea from George Carlin and beat Cheetolini to death by hitting him repeatedly with Fetterman? 2 victims, no murder weapon. The police would assume it was a pedestrian accident.

Mr.E's avatar

the party of the 10 commandments will never let a bullshit story die.

https://bsky.app/profile/rightwingwatch.bsky.social/post/3mgb4std7422s

Joan the Dork's avatar

No parent with school-age children, who may need to relieve themselves during a lockdown and have no way of doing so because of right-wing outrage merchants, should 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 forgive Joe Rogan for originating that filthy fucking lie.

Boreal's avatar

Joe Rogan is shit.

John Smith's avatar

Trump supporters are that dumb to believe a story like this, I mean this is a group that believes in a talking snake, virgin giving birth, a person being turned into a pillar of salt, and a dead guy coming back to life.

In fact if Trump, Fox channel, right wing clergy were to claim that Persian cats are communist spies working for Iran to destroy the United States; not only would they accept it without question, they would go out and start killing Persian cats thinking that the cats ARE communist spies working to destroy the US. This group already willing to believe what their leaders tell them even if it is two contradictory statements.

Boreal's avatar

Tony Suarez is a lying POS.

NOGODZ20's avatar

Suarez is like a puppy with a stinky slipper that he just can't stop chewing on.

Joan the Dork's avatar

OT- Sham Blondie gets herself subpoenaed, again: https://apnews.com/article/bondi-subpoena-epstein-files-house-committee-b16a5ab68c4a37a3a533e5f2412d7a57

Ruh-roh, looks like lighting the entire Middle East on fire again 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 make the Epstein Files go away! Perhaps building your campaign around releasing evidence that would definitely incriminate you if you ever actually released it might have 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 possibly been just a little bit of a somewhat less-than-good idea? Just thinking out loud here.

Boreal's avatar

But the Dow is at 50,000………was……….could be………..might be………..isn’t.