civil rights advocates are ringing alarm bells about officials distributing "in god we trust poster in texas schools after a state law took affect requiring public campuses to display any donated items bearing that phrase.

" these poster demonstrate the more casual ways a state can impose religion on public ," sophie ellman golanof jews for racial & economic justice (JFREJ) told the guardian.

"alone , they re a basic violation of the separation of church and state but in the broader context , its hard not to see them as part of the larger christain nationalist project."

the southlake anti racism coalition (SARC)said they were "disturbed"by the precedence the poster' distribution could set.

" SARC is disturbed by the precedent displaying these posters in every school will set and the chilling effect this blatant intrusion of religion in what should be a seculer public institution will have on the student body especially those who do not practice the dominant christian faith," the group said in a statement.

christians were instrumental in putting the phrase on coins during the lee of colorado state university wrote last year and has  since used the phrase as supposed evidence to prove the united state is a christian nation.

in chesapeake virginia the city council ruled in 2021 that every city vehicle was to carry "in god we trust motto, a move that would require a budger of about $87000.

Ellman golan of JFREJ said the issue is deeply connected to other concerns such as women 's health and education in texas.

we know that state governments in places like texas are codifying white christian nationalist patrirchy into law at an alarming rate she added the most dangerous examples of this are bans on abortion and gender affirming care as well as efforts to censor education.

texas state senator bryan hughes who is republican and said he is the author of the in god we trust act celebrated on twitter saying that the motto asserts or collective trust in a sovereign god.

meanwhile the council on american islamic relations (CAIR) A MUSLIM CIVIL rights organization welcomed the initiative and said this might allow for an opportunity for students to learn about other faiths.

for instance in 2015 a 14 year old muslim boy in tesas suburb was arrested after he brought a clock he made to school and a teacher fearing it was a bomb called police on him. a few months later,a 12 year old sikh boy in another texas suburb was arrested adter a bully told his teacher he was carrying a bomb in his backpack.

saylor said the "in god we trust " initiative's success depended on "students of minority faiths' [feeling] supported by educations to express how they understand trusting god".