Unaccredited Tyndale Seminary steamrolls State of Texas in court

[RespectableGent]

I came across an interesting case where a small unaccredited school defeats the Texas Department of Education in court, defeating its diploma mill legislation.

http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/hi...030995.htm

The Supreme Court rules that the State of Texas has no control over the curriculum content of religious schools, the use of the word "Seminary", or the usage of the term "diploma".

The northern state of Wyoming has recently passed laws forcing religious schools in the state to get accredited. But how could a state force a religious school to get accredited or do anything with its curriculum without violating the Free Exercise guarantees of the First Amendment, similar to what happened in this case?

[RespectableGent]

Audio from the case:

http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/or...3-0995.mp3

[Dickie Billericay]

The Supreme Court rules that the State of Texas has no control over the curriculum content of religious schools, the use of the word "Seminary", or the usage of the term "diploma".

Now there's a guy named "Hecht" I can agree with for once! That is, Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan L. Hecht, who wrote the opinion reversing the court of appeals. He definitely got it right.

Texas is very progressive in some areas (e.g., no state income tax) but extremely backward in other areas, such as attempting to over-regulate and control higher education. These are the same dopes who declared DETC degrees illegal because they weren't RA. Clearly the socialist camels have gotten their noses under the tent in that department.

As you stated RG, the decision demonstrates that any state attempting to regulate religion in a similar manner would run afoul of the constitution.

The problem for most of those inclined to fight Big Brother is that they cannot afford to engage lawyers for the countless hours it takes to get a correct ruling.

Why would such an obvious result require multiple court decisions and literally years of attorney fees and labor? Who has the big money and the willingness to crush small religious organizations? Only the wealthy higher ed cartel comprised of big government and billion dollar endowments.

People need to realize that the shrill "anti-diploma mill" crowd is really just a facade for anti-religion, anti-competition, pro-cartel and pro intrusive nanny-state socialism.

[Virtual Bison]

I see it this way, the court had rightfully determined that the state has no business regulating religious belief or practice. These are clearly religious institutions. And the state cannot tell a religious body who they can accept to preach or give credentials too. Did Jesus Christ have an accredited degree? Hell, you could say that he was an unaccredited preacher! That is why he was sentenced and put to death, preaching without a license.

Now I do wonder how this would apply to non-religious degrees and non-religious institutions. I fear that there will be a distinction.