A new Texas law requiring schools to set a time for students to pray will likely be popular with many residents of the Lone Star State.
A new report from the Washington, D.C.-based Pew Research Center found that 61% of adults in Texas say they approve of allowing teachers to lead Christian prayers in the classroom. That makes Texas one of 22 states where at least half of the population approves of such prayers, and one of 14 states, mostly in the South, where 60% of the population agrees.
Majorities in 12 states oppose teacher-led prayer. In 16 states, the population is split.
For more stories at your doorstep, subscribe to The Baptist Paper.
ALSO, SIGN UP for our weekly Highlights emails.
Overall, 52% of Americans approve of Christian prayer in schools, according to a new analysis of data from the most recent Pew Religious Landscape Study, published earlier this year. Forty-six percent disapprove.
On Saturday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law that requires schools to set aside time for students and staff to take part in voluntary prayer and Scripture reading. Under the law, school officials are required to “provide students and employees with an opportunity to participate in a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text on each school day” — although the state is reportedly not requiring it be Christian. The same law, however, also bars students and staff from participating unless they sign a consent form.
Ten Commandments
Abbott also signed a separate law requiring schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. A federal appeals court recently ruled a similar law in Louisiana was unconstitutional.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Bob Smietana and originally published by Religion News Service.
