Many regions in Texas and the South boast of being the “buckle of the Bible Belt.” Deep East Texas just might be the real deal.

A dust-up has occurred at Kountze High School, just a few miles north of Beaumont, over whether cheerleaders can display Bible verses on banners during football games. The case has made national headlines and has created a bit of a stir in that part of the world.

I consulted recently with my pal Tom Taschinger, the editorial page editor of the Beaumont Enterprise – where I used to work – about his take on the story. He responded with an email that said in part, that the paper sided with those who say the display of the Scripture verses is a “clearcut violation of church-state separation.” He complained that the “local judge, and now the Texas AG are refusing to call a spade a spade and are leaving that job to a higher court.”

But then Tom offered this bit of a back story: “Lost in all this nonsense is the fact that the run-through banners are trampled into the mud and then thrown into the trash with soda cups and popcorn boxes – a clearly disrespectful way to treat Scripture. Yikes!”

I guess I would disagree respectfully with my friend’s view that the banners violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, given that the displays are a result of the students’ initiative and not a demand placed on them by school authorities.

But he’s totally right to chide the kids for treating these holy verses in such a – dare I say it – blasphemous manner.