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.
“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.
Great idea…to illustrate the propriety, suppose “black liberation philosophy” caused the country to be colonized…and this historical fact wasn’t being taught in schools…
There would be no argument against teaching the REASON for emigration.
Atheists etc illustrate logical weakness of their positions, by their extremist reactions against anything “God.”
If only they will then teach the real lesson of Thanksgiving…that socialism almost killed the pilgrims…and it was only after they rejected it, and adopted a capitalist free market with respect for private property, that the abundance of the “market” caused them to invite the Indians over to share in the bounty.
#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.
Not explaining the REASON pilgrim’s came to America is like not explaining gold was the reason for the Gold Rush to California.
Stupid is as stupid does, hence secularists want drones in school, non thinkers who will accept whatever statists tell them…who will be dependent upon the Government for everything.
#54 You followed the flawed premise of the blog, which misrepresents what is happening in Texas…
Throwing lit matches into fuel Eideard does for amusement…the mere mention of God starts the moon bats yapping in every direction…lots of fun for Eideard.
Teaching history accurately is not teaching religion.
#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?
#55, Alphie,
Not explaining the REASON pilgrim’s came to America is like not explaining gold was the reason for the Gold Rush to California.
OK, so why did the “Pilgrims” come to America? Did you know they weren’t even called Pilgrims until the mid 19t century?
Can you tell us how many of the “Pilgrims” were members of the group and how many others were on board that paid for their own passage?
If only they will then teach the real lesson of Thanksgiving…that socialism almost killed the pilgrims…and it was only after they rejected it, and adopted a capitalist free market with respect for private property, that the abundance of the “market” caused them to invite the Indians over to share in the bounty.
Do you even know what was behind the original Thanksgiving? The colony was starving and some friendly Native Americans shared food with them. When the colony’s first harvest came in they invited the Native Americans to share. It was the Native Americans who brought the majority of the food, including squash, maize, deer and fish.
Your weird mind doesn’t understand the difference between “communal” and “communist”. Through most of mankind’s existence humans have been a communal species. We are a social animal and have always done things for the “common” good.
The first few years of the colony quarters were shared UNTIL private homes for all could be constructed. Ten men can build a house much easier than one man. Ten men can clear a field and plant a crop much better than can one man. And three women using large pots can cook for 50 people better than 20 women could while they all waited to use the same pots when the food they used took hours to cook.
Just proclaiming something does not make it true. The Puritans came to America in order to follow their own lifestyle. They already had freedom of religion in the Netherlands. They were promised protection to live their lives the way they wished and worship any god they wanted. Some had even been there for over 20 years. The problem arose that they didn’t like the influence of the local population on their children. The children were assuming the local customs and language as they lost the English customs of the parents. That is why they left the Netherlands to seek a new life.
The commonly held belief the Puritans came to America seeking religious freedom is one of those myths that have taken on a life. Similar to Washington chopping down a cherry tree or Betsy Ross sewing the first flag. That insisting there was a whole religious aspect to this belies the evidence.
But rant on Alphie, you can be entertaining.