A federal judge says the University of California can deny course credit to applicants from Christian high schools whose textbooks declare the Bible infallible and reject evolution.
Rejecting claims of religious discrimination and stifling of free expression, U.S. District Judge James Otero of Los Angeles said UC’s review committees cited legitimate reasons for rejecting the texts – not because they contained religious viewpoints, but because they omitted important topics in science and history and failed to teach critical thinking.
Otero’s ruling Friday, which focused on specific courses and texts, followed his decision in March that found no anti-religious bias in the university’s system of reviewing high school classes. Now that the lawsuit has been dismissed, a group of Christian schools has appealed Otero’s rulings to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
On the vaguely unrelated topic of Christian dating (very important to students), here are some tips. Thanks Hop!
On another, take this survey on your understanding of evolution.
Oh Lord, let the light of reason shine down upon them.
If it’s gods will, those credits will be transfered.
Wow, I’m glad I skipped the imaginary friend training.
Did the fundies ask god to transfer the credits?
I agree completely with the decision reached but have to laugh at the manipulated politically correct language used to support it.
Quite simply, if you think the bible is the unerring guide to historical analysis or chemical reactions==you aren’t qualified to enter UC. How that is not a bias against religion is beyond me. Phrasing the other side of the coin that the students don’t have critical thinking skills is just an artful way to ignore the obviousness and rightfulness of the issue at hand.
No matter how its phrased, its all about what you think and not about how you think.
Say it plain.
How about transferring math course credit for courses that include imaginary numbers? Does UC block those, too?
Why is it there is such an out right attack on the christian religion. I would like to see if UC is accepting students from the middle east where koran is taught in all schools as the law of the land and is infallible or what about Indians who worship Buddha and went to school and learned that the cow in the yard is long lost grandma. there seems to be plenty of these religious groups accepted with their full transcripts.
but then again liberals love every religion but Christianity because as you can see on the news we run around blowing our selves up and beheading people calling it the will of god.
Good to hear. I wish they would do something about the fundamentalist nutjobs who preach on my school’s campus, but I live in the bible belt.
And I hope you’re just joking #7.
#7;
Bad choice of subject to use for your oh-so-witty remark.
Imaginary numbers have numerous, practical real-world applications.
#0, Uncle Dave;
A more accurate headline would reflect the fact the judge has merely reaffirmed University of California’s right to deem what are appropriate classes to grant credit for.
The judge did not rule that UC cannot accept credit for the courses in question.
#9, Somebody_Else;
I always find it amusing that our souls are very important for the fundies to save when the weather is nice out.
Once it starts getting rainy or cold, they flee the campus. I guess god only wants them to save people when it’s convenient.
What? No credit for Snake Handling or Speaking in Tongues either ? Damn Atheists !!!
p.s. Love the picture !
So, if they talk about God’s impact on science and math and still do the science and math it doesn’t count? If they learn about the history of the middle east and the Roman empire and learn about Christianity at the same time it doesn’t count?
That’s bull crap. I can see the schools requiring an entrance exam to make sure the kids know what they need to know, but to reject classes out of hand for arbitrary reasons is indeed religious discrimination.
And frankly, using terms like “fundies” only supports the notion that bigotry is alive and well in the liberal atheist heart.
#14;
And when your post shows that you didn’t even RTFA, you give me absolutely no reason to stop calling them for what they are: fundies.
# 8, 14
To quote from the source:
Another rejected text, “Biology for Christian Schools,” declares on the first page that “if (scientific) conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong,” Otero said.
Seems to me that that speaks pretty well to the notion in the judgement that the students are not encouraged to develop critical thinking skills. It’s a very black and white blanket statement, meant to discourage even the notion that science and religion could be complementary.
#14
There’s a difference between “studying God’s impact on science and math” and refusing to accept our modern understanding of subjects like astronomy and biology in favor of a book and an invisible man who lives in the sky.
No one who thinks the universe is only 10,000 years old belongs in a university, sorry.
People who develop “Critical Thinking Skills” tend to see the Bible for what it is – A FAIRY TALE !!! And the Fundies can’t have that, so the BRAIN-WASHING OF IMPRESSIONABLE KIDS WILL CONTINUE !!!
I took the survey. I’ll let you know the results when I get them.
I support the exclusion of people with inadequate education from institutes of higher learning. They are merely setting prerequisites.
I do not quite agree with bobbo on this one. I do not want it stated plainly. I want it weasel worded. This will allow those who come from such backgrounds but have managed to educate themselves to potentially take a test showing that they have attained the appropriate level of education on their own and still further their own education.
There are some who come from extremely religious backgrounds and manage to make up their own minds about such things and break free of the enslavement to an imaginary friend. These people are often among the best and brightest. Imagine the strength of will and intelligence it takes to overcome such teachings from birth.
Such people should be rewarded and may be among the top of their class.
#17 I think most would be on the 6000 year old universe track rather than the 10,000 year old universe track. Get it right!
It’s nothing new not to get transfer credit for a lot of different courses at Cal. Generally speaking if it is not a high-level accredited school lots of courses will not transfer. A lot of JC and community college courses will not transfer. They are strict about it, that’s why they are a top ten school. The fact that some idiots sued for credits is ridiculous.
#19–Scott==its rare, but you are arguing for a point already fully considered.
Courses teaching a god centered cause for history or science cannot be included towards qualifying for UC BASED ON COURSE WORK. Those failing to qualify on course work can still qualify under the SAT testing service.
So–its abundantly clear that your religious training does not qualify and yet if you are of hypocritical stuff (what you call “strength of will”) and qualify under the PSA test, you can still get in.
So Scott==what you advocate for is completely part of the system and the only thing left is whether of not the court/schools/authority should speak clearly on the subject.
Clearly, religion is not training for a higher education. Saying so might help some having less strength of will in their earlier years see the route to their success more easily.
Let the truth, plainly stated, rule our lives. Somebody in the enlightenment surely said that.
#21 – bobbo,
Good. I’m glad to hear I missed that point. That’s what I get for skimming instead of reading.
Still haven’t received results of the survey. Perhaps they’ll send it only after they determine that it’s done.
#21 – “Those failing to qualify on course work can still qualify under the SAT testing service.”
Thanks bobbo. That was one of the 1st questions I thought of when I read the article.
Perhaps “Creationist-Related Study” could be accepted for credit in CREATIVE FANTASY WRITING, if not for Science !!! Would square with reality !!!
Good. Glad to see some sense in the world.
#20
You are correct.
Also, if you want to transfer to UC, you usually see a counsellor to find out what courses will count and take those, and you will not expect other courses to transfer (like that underwater basketweaving class that transformed your life). If you don’t get counselling.. then you aren’t very smart. If you got bad counseling, tough break, it happens sometimes, but it isn’t the University’s fault.
I suspect that the truth is there is an agenda here that involves making the University Christian. Its a state university, so that will happen about the time Hell freezes over, if you believe in Hell.
Chris
I’m just going on memory here but there are 2 different issues with some overlap being discussed?
1–Qualifications to get in==combination/evaluation of many things including required SAT, High School GPA, which High School it Was, Sports Played, Community Activity, Letters from Congressmen, etc.
2–Units Needed to Get a Degree and Prerequistes to take a class. How many of your college prep classes that you took will qualify versus starting from scratch at the new school will be independently reviewed.
I’m not going to re-read the linked article–it may have been ambiguous as I don’t think any school admits students solely on high school performance absent a pre-arrangement.
Creationist School credits should only be passed on to other Creationist schools, simple. I’d love to be the Personnel Officers who work in the real world interviewing these graduates.
Question – “How do you see the evolution of business in a fiduciary context?”
Answer – “Um….there’s no such thing as evolution!”
I think its a shame that universities discriminate against dumb people by not accepting them. I also think all this distinction between ‘academic’ and ‘science’ vs. ‘relgion’ and ‘woo’ (good word recently introduced to me by this blog, if you don’t know it, look it up), what they should do is tear down all the distinctions, merging arts, science, and religion into one topic of ‘neat stuff’. They should also avoid any topic that may cause offensive to people (either religiously or otherwise). In fact, maybe they should just ditch this whole ‘learning’ thing in universities all-toghether and focus more on sports. No one ever just offended over sports, and everybody loves to see those guys in tight fitting clothes slap each other on the behind.
I don’t see any problem with the judge’s decision here.
The plaintiffs are f#cking d*uche baggues.
They should get a life.