The Christian right is making a fresh push to force religion onto the school curriculum in Texas with the state’s education board about to consider recommendations that children be taught that there would be no United States if it had not been for God.
Members of a panel of experts appointed by the board to revise the state’s history curriculum, who include a Christian fundamentalist preacher who says he is fighting a war for America’s moral soul, want lessons to emphasise the part played by Christianity in the founding of the US and that religion is a civic virtue.
Opponents have decried the move as an attempt to insert religious teachings in to the classroom by stealth, similar to the Christian right’s partially successful attempt to limit the teaching of evolution in biology lessons in Texas.
One of the panel, David Barton, founder of a Christian heritage group called WallBuilders, argues that the curriculum should reflect the fact that the US Constitution was written with God in mind including that “there is a fixed moral law derived from God and nature”, that “there is a creator” and “government exists primarily to protect God-given rights to every individual”…
Another of the experts is Reverend Peter Marshall, who heads his own Christian ministry and preaches that Hurricane Katrina and defeat in the Vietnam war were God’s punishment for sexual promiscuity and tolerance of homosexuals. Marshall recommended that children be taught about the “motivational role” of the Bible and Christianity in establishing the original colonies that later became the US…
Dan Quinn of the Texas Freedom Network, which describes itself as a “counter to the religious right”, called the recommendations “troubling”. “I don’t think anyone disputes that faith played a role in our history. But it’s a stretch to say that it played the role described by David Barton and Peter Marshall. They’re absurdly unqualified to be considered experts. It’s a very deceptive and devious way to distort the curriculum in our public schools,” he said.
Not that being biased and unqualified means much to American politicians – Texas flavor or otherwise.
I can see the employment situation in the US being a bit relieved by TX adding all this religion to their schools. Sacrificing one State for the benefit of the other 49 is not a bad deal when you think about it.
Just think of all the Texas graduates trying to get employment around the country.
“Sorry, we only accept resumes from applicants with real education. Have a good day. Goodbye.”
Fine as long as they talk about how Christianity was also used as justification for slavery and taking the land away from the people who were already here and killing them when they tried to resist.
#32
yep yep. Good and bad needs to come out 🙂
#10 – Robert,
No offense intended, you sound fairly reasonable. However, it seems they’ve already gotten to you. Many of the founders were not at all religious and in fact Jefferson in particular was vehemently opposed to Christianity, though strongly favored freedom of religion.
Jefferson, the primary author of both the declaration of independence and the constitution, was a Deist. Deism is about as far from belief in a personal god as one can get without being an atheist. Here are some of his quotes on the subject.
http://tinyurl.com/lfu4
has anyone notice that all this shit in texas has been going down ever since W moved back?
The US founding fathers were generally a bunch of deists – in other words they refute the notion of revealed truth. Generally they accepted some notions of Christian morality but wove in many notions of individual liberty from the Rational philosophers.
At the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia a motion to pray was voted down with only 4 members in favour. Enough said.
It took until jccalhoun in #32 to get it right.
Religion played a large role in the creation and building of America. As jc pointed out with slavery, but also the whole idea that manifest destiny favored the white man taking the land from the natives. Genocide was justified when it was white guys, who believed in the good god, killing the non-white guys, who believed in their own style of god.
#3, joe,
the smart kids go to private, charter, or special magnet schools run by private companies. the only ones that go to public schools are the retards
Judging from the grammar in your post, you didn’t even go to school.
Moran.
Children sitting around watching TV and playing video games is less detrimental than sitting in church listening to the psychotic babble of these self-appointed and self-righteous “God” experts.
The fact that this country was taken over by Christian believing hordes doesn’t mean that it should retain outdated beliefs of these people. Should we also stick with the idea that the earth is the center of the universe and all their other wrong assumptions and beliefs? Heck, why stop at the beliefs of colonists, lets go back all the way to the beliefs of the caveman and completely devolve.
“want lessons to emphasise the part played by Christianity in the founding of the US and that religion is a civic virtue.”
I would give more to the Catholics. For their prosecution of others. Forcing others to run from them to the new world.
To Europe and England for sending their criminals over here.
For the Dutch India trading company and other like them, that sent groups over to raise Stocks/tobacco and other crops, with no concern over the survival rate of those people.
Mr. Fusion! Very nice using your master’s tactics in this thread. Your worship is noted.
#40 dumb southerner
For a dumb Southerner, you are one smart cookie. Quite brilliant.
#42, Jimmy Heel,
Still giving $1.00 “tugs” in the Airport Men’s Room I hear. Good for you. Must be expensive though.
Stop thinkin’ with your dipstick Jimmy!
They won’t to be happy until they’re returned to the dark ages, rolling around in mud. Attacking passing cars, with science books, before resorting to cannibalism.
Traaxx,
At the time the Declaration of Independence was written, the American revolutionaries were trying to free themselves from an oppressive monarch that headed an official state church. Translation: “in your face, you holy prick.” By the way, why isn’t God mentioned in the US Constitution?
Bald brazen absurdity rules all.
The end.
first text book in schools in America was a bible..
therefore placing them back into schools would be American…
Where is your logic? You have forgotten your roots.. You dont know what being an American really is, you do not have a reference except your perverted lifestyle that reflected on this blog…
oh someone needs to hear this, this one was for FREE!!!
#49, cheeky,
Can you back that up? It is my understanding the first textbooks were Latin and Greek classics used in the Boston common schools.
#6 Re. Austin….
I generally agree that once you go well beyond civilized areas, the loonies lurk. However, don’t forget about Dallas as also being a big blue dot in a red state!!!
It’s shameful to see the Christian Taliban (CT) tarnish the image of the great state if Texas (which I love) but I see all this as a good thing.
IMHO, the more radical they get, the better it is to isolate the CT. Same thing is happening in Pakistan where the people are rejective the MT (Muslim Taliban).
#51 Alfred1 That is so funny. You absolutely cracked me up this morning. Thanks.
OK, ok..
School is for teaching Common sence, and Basic knowledge and TRUTH that will help persons over time. Shared knowledge that is common over all religions and beliefs.
Church is for the understanding of you CORE beliefs, and the humanity that you should gain.
IF you want to teach religion in school, we are going to need a longer year. There will be 10 Common belief systems from around the world.
How many religions CARE if you know other religions?? MOST hate it if you know other religions.
So, if you want to PUSH religion in school..remember whom we will be praying to..from the Boghwan, christ, Confucius, Islam, and a BUNCH of others.
#56
Still laughing. Wiping tear from eye. Thank you and keep it coming.
Is the woman in the red dress cupping her breast in the picture?
Why is the woman in the red dress cupping her breast in the picture?
We should encourage Texas to secede from the union. Then they can be mired in their own superstitions and ignorance without the fear they can have enough dimwits in Alabama and surroundings electing any of them president again.
I find it entertaining, that for ALL the sunshine, in Texas and mexico. I would turn both states into GIANT solar farms. The USA wouldnt have a power problem for the NEXT 100 years.
#59
’cause it feels good 🙂
**********
But really –
Always find it amazing how quickly people forget history.
Refusing to acknowledge and remember the past….including mistakes that were made (that Fusion and others like to point out) will only guarantee that the same mistakes will be made over and over again.
One can only conclude; That a person who tries to hide the past has the sole purpose of exploiting the same mistakes again.