Faith and football: Cheerleaders can display scriptures at Texas public school games … for now.

After receiving complaints, administrators at the Kountze Independent School District banned cheerleaders from painting bible verses on the middle school football team's run-through banners. Critics said that the banners constituted a school sponsorship of religion.

A Beaumont, TX judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the ban. For now, cheerleaders performing at the Kountze Middle School Lion's playing field are allowed to continue to display explicitly Christian banners. The issue will be reviewed in a couple of weeks.

"We do everything through God, and He gives us the glory to do it," one team member told KHOU 11 reporters (see video embedded below). Another added, "Everything we do, we do as a team and with God on our side."

Administrators say there is no problem with religious signs and banners in the stands, but believe the displays are out of bounds when they are on the football field.

"I don't see a problem with them holding a scripture," a woman opined to reporters about the cheerleaders' pious displays. "I don't see a problem with it. I don't understand. If you don't like it, don't look."

The Lions lost 36-0, despite the abundance of faith, KHOU added.

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D. Beeksma

One of the growing crowd of American "nones" herself, Deborah is a prolific writer who finds religion, spirituality and the impact of belief (and non-belief) on culture inspiring, fascinating and at times, disturbing. She hosts the God Discussion show and handles the site's technical work. Her education and background is in business, ecommerce and law.

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