Keep Religion Out of Texas Public Schools

Reference Article

• Published by ACLU Texas
• By Author Erin Walter

www.aclutx.org/news/keep-religion-out-texas-public-schools

Introduction

• Erin Walter's 2023 article argues Senate bills 1515, 1396, 1556, and 763.
• According to Walters, these bills are intended to force Christian values into the public school system.

Introduction

FALLACY #1: NON SEQUITUR

• She talks about her son being bullied bc he doesn't have the christian beliefs his peers have
• she then proposes right after that Texas politicians seek to empower this bullying by forcing state-sponsored religion
• The fallacy occurs with the assumption that a state-sponsored bill will cause more bullying.
• Bullying of any sort can happen regardless of any laws or bills.

FALLACY #2: Apriorism

• “The same lawmakers banning books and censoring curricula now want to dictate what students worship.”
• The fallacy occurs when stating that through controlling thoughts beliefs through banning certain books and curriculum, the same applies to implementing religion in public schools.

FALLACY #3: Ad Bacculum

• "These bills would create a hostile learning and work environment for the majority of Texans who do not subscribe to their right-wing version of Christianity”
• this could imply that people who are not of the christian faith would be subjecting themselves to hostility in Texas school, and vice versa.

FALLACY #4: Composition

• The article discusses bills that:

• Put the ten commandments in a visible place in classrooms

• Require a time of prayer and reading the bible

• Hire “chaplains” that serve as school counsellors

FALLACY #4: Composition

• Erin could be assuming that these actions would cause the entire school system to:

• Force state-sponsored religion

• Provoke a hostile learning environment to non-christian students

• Ultimately create an environment of christian indoctrination

FALLACY #4: Composition

• even if these actions were to produce such things, in some instances it does not mean that it will do the same in the whole.