Attitudes in rural Louisiana about religion and schools are the subject of an article in today's Tuscaloosa News. The 5th Circuit is presently considering an appeal of a judgment obtained by the ACLU against the Tangipahoa Parish school board (see prior related posting). It enjoined the board from opening its meetings with a lengthy prayer that mentions Jesus. The article quotes an influential evangelical preacher who heads a church outside of New Orleans, Rev. Louis Husser, as saying: "The ACLU defends pedophiles. You have to understand where they're coming from."
The article also reports that some fundamentalist parents are upset over a thumbprint machine used in one high school to identify students. They believe it is a forerunner of the Antichrist. Again, Rev. Husser is outspoken: "We know that there are electronic devices that will be used in the End-Time by the Antichrist. Some feel that this is leading into some of the tactics of the Antichrist, which is a cashless system."
