In Texas, Christian right grows confident and assertive
Emboldened by court rulings and election victories, the Christian right is outspoken as it pushes its moral views through the Texas Legislature. Full Story
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![FILE: The 10 Commandments plaque on the Capitol grounds in Austin on July 17, 2012.]()
Credit: Ariel Min for The Texas Tribune -
Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, wants Texas to require school lessons about “evil” of communism
The prominent right-wing pastor told state lawmakers that an anti-communist curriculum is crucial to reaffirming that America is a “Christian country.” Full Story
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![Rafael Cruz, father of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, testifies before the K-12 Senate education committee on March 11, 2025.]()
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Texas Senate panel advances bill requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms
The committee also gave initial approval to a bill that would allow prayer in schools. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol and the Ten Commandments Monument at sunrise on Tuesday, June 6, in Austin, Texas.]()
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In quest to infuse more religion into Texas schools, advocates say courts are now on their side
Past efforts to allow more religion in public schools have been hamstrung by legal challenges. But those on the religious right feel empowered by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Full Story
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![A christian bible sits on a representatives desk on the house floor on first day of the 88th legislature, Jan 10, 2023.]()
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Texas GOP chair claims church-state separation is a myth as lawmakers, pastors prep for “spiritual battle”
Abraham George’s comments are the latest sign of the state GOP’s embrace of fundamentalist ideologies that seek to center public life around their faith. Full Story
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![Landon Schott, pastor of Mercy Culture, leads a worship service in the state Capitol extension auditorium on the first day of the 2025 state legislative session in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.]()
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Reading, writing and religion? A Texas curriculum advisory board’s link to faith-based advocacy
The composition of the state’s hand-picked curriculum advisory board raises questions about whether panelists were inclined to green-light Bible-infused coursework. Full Story
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![Holy Bibles rest on chairs at Stonewall Church in Douglass on Feb. 26, 2024. Douglass is about 14 miles west of Nacogdoches on Texas Highway 21.]()
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At this West Texas church, “the Lord’s work” is helping the poor, not rewriting law
Led by co-pastors Joe and Dawn Weaks, Connection Christian Church, a 118-year-old congregation in Odessa, has transformed while keeping true to its legacy of helping the community. Full Story
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![Pastor Dawn Weaks leads her congregation in prayer during a blessing of the backpacks ceremony for the start of the new school year at Connection Christian Church Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Odessa.]()
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Texas’ Christian-influenced curriculum spurs worries about bullying, church-state separation
Some secular groups and members of other faiths say the curriculum could give schools too much control over how children are taught religion. Full Story
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![A monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Capitol in Austin on June 24, 2024.]()
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West Texas pastor who used illegal donations from churches to campaign for office is fined $3,500
Fines issued to Scott Beard of Abilene’s Fountaingate Fellowship and two pastors follow reporting from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that revealed the churches donated to his campaign for local office despite state and federal prohibitions. Full Story
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Credit: Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
State Board of Education fields concerns about Christian bias in proposed K-12 curriculum
The proposal comes as part of a larger effort by officials in Texas and across the country to inject Christianity into public life. Full Story
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![TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, center left, answers questions from State Board of Education members at the start of their meeting on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at the William B. Travis Building in Austin. Morath recommended the SBOE approve five new charter school systems in the state.]()
Credit: Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribune -
Paul Pressler, a former Southern Baptist leader accused of sexual abuse, dead at 94
One of the most influential evangelical figures of the last half-century, Pressler died about six months after he settled a high-profile lawsuit with a former member of his youth group. Full Story
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![Paul Pressler, retired justice of the Texas 14th Circuit Court of Appeals.]()
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Feds accuse Texas prison agency of discriminating against employee for wearing a headscarf
A federal lawsuit asserts that the Texas agency terminated a state prison clerk who refused to remove a head covering in line with her Ifa faith. Full Story
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A new Texas law allows schools to hire chaplains as counselors. So far, only one school has opted into the program.
Many independent school districts, including the largest ones, do not allow chaplains to serve as counselors, which is now allowed under a new Texas law. Full Story
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![Nimitz Middle School students gather in the hallway outside of a classroom as they wait for a teacher between periods Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
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Interfaith collaboration is vital to solving today’s massive challenges, community leaders say
During a conversation hosted in Houston by The Texas Tribune, panelists talked about the importance of building bridges among different faiths despite politics often causing divisions within institutions. Full Story
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![In this Texas Tribune conversation, which is part of our “We the Texans” project looking at the state of democracy in Texas, we’ll talk with faith leaders about improving their communities, getting past the daily vitriol we hear in public discourse and what guidance they give to people who are losing faith in our systems and institutions.]()
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Southern Baptist Convention settles high-profile lawsuit that accused former leader of sexual abuse
The suit prompted a major newspaper investigation into Southern Baptist sexual abuse and seven other men to come forward with allegations against Paul Pressler, an influential conservative activist and former Texas judge. Full Story
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![Paul Pressler, retired justice of the Texas 14th Circuit Court of Appeals.]()
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Far-right activist blasts Speaker Phelan for being "pro-Muslim" in political mailer
The card insinuates that Phelan wants to wish his constituents a happy Ramadan instead of a merry Christmas. Muslim Texans say it’s Islamophobic and some Republicans say it doesn't reflect Christian values. Full Story
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![Cary Cheshire outside of the offices of Pale Horse Strategies in Fort Worth on Oct. 6, 2023. Cheshire is the executive director of Texans For Strong Borders and a longtime employee of Defend Texas Liberty-linked groups.]()
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Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker.
Barton has been a staple of Texas’ Christian conservative movement, offering crucial support to politicians and frequently being cited or called on to testify in favor of bills that critics say would erode church-state separations. Full Story
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Facing enrollment declines, Texas Catholic schools are leading supporters of school vouchers
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has been one of the staunchest voucher supporters, arguing it would increase access to religious education regardless of income level. Full Story
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![A classroom at Sacred Heart Parish School in Uvalde, on Aug. 14, 2022. The school is preparing for classes to begin the following day, a full month ahead of public schools in the Uvalde district.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
Part 1: In 1998, a legal revolution was quietly born in Texas. It would pull America’s courts rightward.
With his election as Texas attorney general, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn planted the seeds of conservatism. Gov. Greg Abbott used his tenure to cultivate them into an aggressive strain of right-wing activism aimed at driving the nation’s courts and laws to the right. Full Story
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![A woven photo collage featuring images from left to right and highlights of red. Photo clips include corners of the U.S. Supreme Court architecture, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn on the Senate judicial committee, stained glass windows from a cathedral, and federal justices during a hearing.]()
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Texas backlash to Obama fueled conservative drive to reinterpret U.S. Constitution
Barraging the Obama administration with lawsuits, the Texas attorney general’s office wasn’t just trying to block policies. It was injecting disruptive, overtly Christian legal philosophies into the mainstream, and grooming a generation of conservative legal warriors. Full Story
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![A woven photo collage featuring images from left to right and highlights of red. Photo clips include stained glass windows from a cathedral, a young Greg Abbott, framed images of Supreme Court justices, and the U.S. Capitol dome.]()
Credit: Emily Albracht/The Texas Tribune
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