5 Shocking Ways the Christian Right Has Forced the Bible Into America's Schools

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/5-shocking-ways-christian-right-has-forced-bible-americas-schools



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1. Texas: In one of the creationists’ sneakiest moves to date, in 2007 a phalanx of anti-science fundamentalist groups swamped the Texas legislature and lobbied for a law allowing elective courses “about” the Bible in public schools.

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2. Louisiana: In the early 1980s, Louisiana legislators decided to pass a law mandating that when evolution was taught in public schools, “creation science” must be as well. Scientists, educators and advocates of church-state separation were appalled and blasted the so-called “balanced treatment” measure, but lawmakers, led by state Sen. Bill Keith, plowed ahead. The bill was soon law.

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3. Georgia: Education officials in Cobb County, Georgia have a long and sorry history of trying to undercut instruction about evolution. Any discussion of the “origin of the human species” is banned in elementary and middle schools, and high schools are forbidden to require students to demonstrate an understanding of evolution as a condition of graduation.

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4. Pennsylvania: The school board in Dover, PA., a small town south of Harrisburg, thought it would be a good idea in 2004 to introduce “intelligent design” (ID) creationism in public school science classes. (“Intelligent design” holds that human life is so complex that it must have been purposefully designed by some intelligent agency. God and space aliens are the leading contenders, and the IDers aren’t really serious about the space aliens.)

[MrScorpio]

1. "Why are we reading this? I want to get into a good college."

[sadbear]

13. College is going to blow a lot of young Texans' minds.

In fact, I work at a large university in Texas and am friends with many professors. All of them (yes, all) say that every semester there is at least one student who argues with them over the stuff they learned in high schools. Makes me wonder why these college professors are not more vocal about elementary and secondary education. It would certainly make their own jobs a little easier if they didn't have to unteach all that bullshit.

[el_bryanto]

2. As for that first one - it's frustrating because of course students should be exposed to the Bible

Not a seminary/sunday school class, but the Bible has influenced society, art, music, literature, philosophy for centuries. It is possibly the most important single text in western society.

But it probably can't actually be studied in a high school setting - not without ruffling somebodies feathers.

Bryant

[rgbecker]

7. From the beginning of time until the late 1500's 99.9% of the population never thought....

of reading the Bible, never held one and couldn't read it if they could get their hands on one. When they finally got a copy, they went to war for 30 years and from Ireland to Texas they are stilling fighting over what it says.

Until those that praise and study the Bible full time can agree on what's in it, I don't think we need to bother with it in our public schools.

Just saying, as a guy who wasted too much time in Sunday School.

[el_bryanto]

10. from the beginning of time until the late 1500s 99.99% of the population didn't matter

Sorry but it's true. And waiting around for religious unity around the Bible seems foolish and frankly a violation of the separation of Church and State.

Bryant

[libodem]

9. We got quite a bit

Of reference to Christ, in Western Civilization, because of the influence on the entire culture. And hey, who knows, a person might end up on, Jeopardy, and need the tidbit.

[liberal_at_heart]

15. that's what comparative religion and history classes are for

you can teach how ALL religions and philosophies have influenced the world from an objective, intellectual point of view, but I don't trust evangelical Christians to be the ones teaching it. They would be biased. They would teach how Christianity is the only good religion and how all others are evil. The would teach theology and not just history.

[el_bryanto]

17. And I agree with that - of course I also wouldn't trust a passionate atheist to teach it either nt

[beerandjesus]

3. And they wonder why some of us hold their religion in complete and utter contempt.

I am so over the idea that we're supposed to be "respectful" of people's beliefs. Not that I go around picking fights with people, but when one's religion leads one to contemptible acts, one's religion earns contempt. By their fruits ye shall know them... I seem to remember hearing that somewhere.

[Demo_Chris]

11. Well said!

[The Wizard]

5. Religion is a crutch for people

who can't cope with reality; "the opiate of the masses" as stated by Marx. Marx wasn't wrong about everything. In fact his treatise about predatory capitalism devouring itself also holds much truth.
I anxiously await the next series of videos sold on late night TV, "Priests Gone Wild."

[cali]

6. And, as the article says ALL of this has been adjudicated

the Louisiana and PA cases went to the SC and the creationist freaks were skewered.

There are no ifs ands or buts. Teaching creationism or ID as science is against the law. I'm sure these fucks are trying to sneak it in, but it is unequivocally illegal.

[OldDem2012]

8. I bet a lot of the heads of the so-called "Christian right" would explode if....

....they knew about all of the other books EXCLUDED from what is known as the bible today:

The Lost Books of the Bible

QUOTE:

An Introduction

Human history has allowed precious few ancient religious writings to survive the onslaught of the more aggressive and powerful religious forces, which seek only to gain territory and wealth. Genocide and cultural eradication always go hand in hand with missionary zeal. In many cases every trace of the conquered society's religious writings, practices, icons, and even buildings were destroyed, in the name of conversion from worship of gods considered evil, and religious customs labeled as heresies. What generally results from past crusades is the conqueror's religion replacing or predominantly blending with the conquered culture's former religious practice, making the its religion almost unrecognizable. Christianity falls into the latter category, having been the victim of the Roman Empire, under the Emperor Constantine, who blended the Christian Church with the institutionalized "pagan" practices of Rome and eliminated any semblance of either the Jewish religious influence or the first church Jesus established during his ministry.

So, what exactly is the "Christian right" trying to force down the throats of those who don't believe the same way they do, and why are they doing it?

[cbdo2007]

12. I actually agree with #4 - I honestly believe it was space aliens....

so I'm happy for this to be in the schools.

[sadbear]

16. I did an oral book report on "Chariots of the Gods?" in 7th grade.

Let let me preface that with the fact that this was in Texas.

There were quite a few shocked looks when I was done.

[Wednesdays]

14. It's not just Creationism they push, it's history, too

Here in Oklahoma, my kid's 6th grade history teacher spent a month on "Early History of the Israelites." The kids learned all about Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, etc.

Of course, there was no religious proselytizing involved here. No siree.

[liberal_at_heart]

18. yeah that is definitely biased

that is not the right way to do it and should not be allowed.