Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt on Wednesday lashed out at atheists who had asked that Christian plaques be removed from public schools in Texas, saying that they "need to understand the culture" in the South.
Earlier this year, the Midlothian Independent School District covered Christian plaques at two schools after the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) threatened to sue. But parents and students protested, and the Midlothian ISD board voted to uncover the plaques.
The FFRF has said that it was considering moving forward with a lawsuit, but the board declined to take up the matter at Monday night's meeting.
Tiffany Davlin, who organized protests to keep the plaques, told Fox News in a Wednesday interview that the schools should have to keep the plaque because a majority of the parents were Christians and approved of them.
"We're all about wanting to see the cause of Christ go further," Pastor Justin Coffman, whose children attend Midlothian ISD schools, explained to Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt. "We want to see the cause of Christ in more public arenas in the American culture. We don't want to take things away from. We want to see Christ in our schools."
"This is the same group that has attacked other schools in other states," Earhardt said of the FFRF, pointing out that a coach at Clemson University had been asked to stop holding Bible studies for students.
The South Carolina native continued: "And I think, growing up in the South, people in Wisconsin, these atheists in other cities need to understand the culture in the South, and how church is a very integral part of our childhood and growing up, and it's a very important part for the Southern culture."
Davlin said that she was upset that a secular group could "come into a community, which is a strong Christian-majority community, and say what we can or cannot have."
"Attempt to bully us," Coffman opined.
"Yeah," Earhardt agreed. "Yeah, Justin, you touched on it: the War on Christianity."