For Immediate Release: Speak up on H.B. 1034

### Press Release ###

From: Pagan Unity Campaign
Date: August 5, 2007
Subject: Speak up on H.B. 1034
Contact: Rev. Pia Fontaine (Sunshinemoonraven@comcast.net)
PUC TX- State Chair
www.paganunitycampaign.org

Thomas Jefferson once said,

"Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth.”

The school year is coming upon us and this year our children will be forced, unless you write a note, to now include, in addition to the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to our State flag which will include the verbiage found below:

"Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God and indivisible."

These changes are a result of a 142 Yeas, 1 Nay vote by our 80^th Texas Legislature in favor of House Bill no.1034, which relates to the pledge of the Texas State Flag

This is the third piece of legislation since last May that has now been ratified in lieu to Church being associated with the State of Texas.

House Bill No. 1287 now allows Elective Courses in History and Literature of Old and New Testaments Eras. They also ratified House Bill 3678, which relates to the Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act AKA “Marian’s Law”.

There are a lot of other cultures outside of the “Big Three” Monotheist faith systems that honor more than “One God”. Some examples are the Hindu faith, Buddhists, Indigenous folk of the Hawaiian Islands, the people of the First Nations, Taoists, Shinto, and the many varied faiths that come under the umbrella of Paganism.

We are also taught that we have First Amendment rights, one of which includes the establishment clause, firmly separating church and state so that all may feel free to make religious expressions as they deem proper without fear of governmental influence. Let's remind Rep. Riddle and our elected officials that they are elected to represent all the people and their ideals and that "One God" concept has no place in the classrooms of America."

To email your local legislator and find your House Representative and District Information Click Here:

http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/zip.aspx

To email Rep. Debbie Riddle Click here:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=150&rep=debbie.riddle

District Office
3648 F.M. 1960 West
Suite 106
Houston, TX 77068
(281) 537-5252
(281) 537-8821 Fax

Links for the Full Text Version of the Bills and Votes Below:

H.B. 1034 Author: Riddle, Berman Flynn, Hildebran, Branch
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/HB01034I.htm
Relating to the pledge of allegiance to the state flag.
Voted on Record : The motion to concur in senate amendments prevailed by (Record 1616):
142 Yeas,1 Nays,1 Present,not voting.
http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/hjrnl/80r/pdf/80RDAY82FINAL.PDF#page=8

H.B. No. 1287 Author: Chisum Joint Authors: Flynn, Zerwas, Berman, Eissler
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/doc/HB01287I.doc
Elective Courses In History and Literature of Old and New Testaments Eras
Voted on Record:iYeas28,Nays2.
http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/sjrnl/80r/pdf/80RSJ05-23-F.PDF#page=70

H.B 3678 Primary Author: Howard, Charlie Joint Author : Chisum
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/HB03678I.htm
Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act AKA “Marian’s Law”
Voted on Record: 107 Yeas,28 Nays,2 Present,not voting.
http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/hjrnl/80r/pdf/80RDAY85FINAL.PDF#page=174

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^[1] (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782; from George Seldes, ed., The Great Quotations, Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1983, p. 363.)