‘WHITEHOUSE, TX (KLTV) – The school year is almost here, and if literature of the Bible is not already offered in your child’s school, it will be this fall.’
‘Books are a common sight in classrooms around the nation, but the Bible is one book that is not. Come this fall, a Texas law says all public schools must offer information relating to the Bible in their curriculum.’
The law was actually passed in 2007 but first goes into effect for the 2009-2010 school year. Here you can find a copy of it to read over yourself. Take special notice of the part that lays out the required curriculum:
Of course they have the obligatory ‘a course offered under this law shall not endorse, favor, or promote, or disfavor or show hostility toward any particular religion or nonreligious faith or religious perspective.’ But I imagine Texas schools wont be requiring classes on the Talmud, Q’uran, Tao Te Ching, LaVey’s Satanic Bible, Dianetics, Eastern Orthodox Bible, Wicca, or Militant Atheist texts any time soon.
(Header Image: The Great Desecration)
Science. Why not? 
August 16, 2009 at 7:09 pm
[…] This year, the Bible will be taught in Texas. […]
August 17, 2009 at 10:38 am
Hey, it’s Texas, where they wear those silly-looking hats that come down to their ears in order to keep any intelligence from seeping into their brains, and that sends us politicians like Tom Delay who do their best to keep intelligence from seeping into the minds of the rest of America.
August 20, 2009 at 10:12 am
That explains everything. 🙂
August 17, 2009 at 11:17 am
I don’t see a problem with it. I live in Texas and I don’t see why it would be a problem. I do see a problem in regards to the other religions that you listed. I was born and raised here and I only came across other Christians or Catholics. So why not have teachings similar to the people that were born and raised here? In regards to people people moving here and being offended by the Bible…maybe you should integrate or find a place to live that is in line with your own religion. I wouldn’t move to a place that is not Christian (meaning, if I can’t find a christian church in the area…maybe I shouldn’t move there).
August 17, 2009 at 1:00 pm
The problem is with those of us with no religion. Where do you suggest we move?
August 18, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Move to California, most of it is Godless anyway. I joke, but it is true that religion is what is being pushed out (on the whole), not Atheism.
Our culture tolerates Atheism far more than it does Christianity. It seems if one or two states don’t want to ignore the beliefs of the majority of it’s citizen’s, that is good. More American’s claim to be Christians than Atheists, I think it’s fair to have at least a couple of states that still treat their beliefs with respect.
August 20, 2009 at 10:13 am
‘Our culture tolerates Atheism far more than it does Christianity.’
Really? You actually believe this?
August 17, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I believe there are quite a few Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddists, atheists and others born in Texas. Just because you are distanced from your immigrant ancesters by more generations than other Americans does not give you more rights than them. Zenophobia is no excuse for bad manners.
August 17, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Oh Jim, If you’re referring to a “fear of foreigners,” that’s “xenophobia.”
Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists are not necessarily foreigners. I’m not so sure that my boyfriend’s family – for example – would be too hep on being referred to as “foreigners” when they immigrated from Russia around the turn of the 20th century (early 1900s). They’re Americans who just happen to practice Judaism.
It’s funny that your automatic assumption is that Richard must be a latent racist because he simply hasn’t encountered anyone of a different religion. I grew up in Southern NJ and virtually everyone I want to school with was Roman Catholic. That doesn’t make me a xenophobe, it simply means I grew up in an area that was predominantly Italian.
August 17, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I take it you don’t really understand what is meant by “separation of church and state,” huh?
It doesn’t matter who you run into down at the ol’ Piggly Wiggly. It matters that public funds are being used in a manner to endorse other religions.
August 20, 2009 at 10:14 am
‘Down at the ol’ Piggly Wiggly.’
lol
August 20, 2009 at 10:18 am
Not everyone that was born and raised in Texas is a Christian. Of that I am sure. Your sample selection bias has led you to a false conclusion. Perhaps if Texas spent more time worrying about teaching children useful things, rather than Christian things, you would understand that.
August 17, 2009 at 11:19 am
That’s kinda weird (that they would require a class on The Bible as literature). I studied Genesis my senior year of high school, but it certainly wasn’t mandated by the State (Tennessee) and we had the option to switch to another class if the subject matter was objectionable to us. I figure as long as the teacher isn’t using it to preach or attempt to convert the students, this kind of study does not violate church and state separation. However, this Texas law just might.
As you said, they aren’t requiring classes in any other religious books, are they? That could actually be pretty interesting – to study various religious books alone and together, to compare and contrast. It could be enlightening.
August 17, 2009 at 11:41 am
First of all, if you’re going to study US History, European History, Art History, English or AP English, and even World History, anyone who doesn’t have atleast a basic knowledge of the teachings of christianity/catholocism/the bible is going to start off at a slight disadvantage. I can’t tell you how many times non-christian and even many christian students didn’t catch a very important biblical reference, or didn’t understand quite how christianity has played out in the entirety of the western world. I agree that other texts should be taught, such as the Quran, Talmud, Hindu texts, and texts of different Chinese philosophies, and they are to a certain extent in AP World History, but understanding biblical stories and references specifically would help greatly in classes that focus on british lit, such as AP English IV.
It’s going to be taught as an academic text, and the class will be optional. So some fundementalist christians will be happy sappy because the Bible is “back in school?” Doesn’t discredit the fact that knowing basics of the bible will help some students better understand their other studies. Don’t act like it’s some stupid Texas conservative arsecrap because even if it is, it’s beneficial… and opitional.
August 17, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Sure, good points. But given the history of Bible thumping and proselytizing in the South and MidWest, and given the wording of the statute, a person would have to be an idiot to think that this wasn’t going to be used as an excuse to shove the fundogelical view down the throats of a captive audience of students.
It may be instructive to notice that there is no requirement for courses in critical thinking – such courses would tend to keep academic Bible courses in the field of intellectual inquiry, which I suspect would be antithetical to the intent and to the assumptions of this law. And also notice item 2E, which assumes that the free enterprise system confers benefits but makes no mention of its practical and intellectual deficits.
This law has the stinky cheese smell of a fundogelical wedge into the public schools.
August 20, 2009 at 10:20 am
My sentiments exactly.
August 17, 2009 at 11:43 am
sorry, optional**
August 17, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Our society was founded and is greatly influenced by the Judeo-Christian worldview. Therefore, in order to be a well-educated, literate member of our democracy, it’s beneficial for our students to have a good understanding of why our republic was founded, and the importance that the Bible has had throughout our history.
There’s a lot more common sense in Texas than either coast in my opinion, and NO, I don’t live there… yet.
August 17, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Doesn’t sound like we’ll miss you when you go.
August 17, 2009 at 12:58 pm
It’s official. My home state is not only a joke of this country but now a cult bent on destroying the brains of children through a new Jesus Camp that all children must attend – public school. This is truly horrific and makes me think of the Taliban!
The Bible is an incomplete book centralized around a FICTIONAL character that was and still is used to wage some of the worst wars and the commit the most horrible acts against those who are of a different faith – or no faith. You can expect teen pregnancy rates to skyrocket along with crime and poverty. The more religious a state/country is the IQ of it’s inhabitants drop. Our founding fathers used Manifest Destiny to slaughter the natives of this country and remove them from their land. The Bible is a barbaric tool used by religious entities to control the ignorant masses. If you let others do your thinking for you then don’t reproduce – you are an embarrassment to your species.
August 17, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Bitter much?
August 17, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Let me guess. The same folks who brought you this Texas law are rabidly working from making sure the word “homosexual” never reaches the ears of our young, right?
On one hand it is “our kids need to know” and on the other “they must never hear about it.”
Proselytizing has absolutely nothing to do with this. Riiiiight.
August 17, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Yeah, seriously what. I seem to remember something about church, state, and a separation of the two. This is distinctively unconstitutional.
Or are we still not allowed to mess with Texas?
August 17, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I don’t agree with this at all, but at least they make the point of stating “its impact on history and literature”. If I truly believed that they would stick to this line of thought, I wouldn’t mind. However, I can’t help but feel that they will inevitably be teaching religion for it’s doctrine as opposed to it from a purely historical perspective.
August 17, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Well, then they should have absolutely no problem with a required homosexual studies course, one that explores the impact of homosexuals on “history and literature.”
You know, the thought occurs to me that not everything under the sun that had an effect on “history and literature” needs to be taught in our public schools.
Society already has a system in place for religious studies. It’s called churches and homes.
August 18, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I agree, we need to pick and choose what we teach and I feel very strongly that religion shouldn’t be one of them. I suppose I should have stated my comment a bit differently… I should have said:
“Look at the political disclaimer that says ‘its impact on history and literature’, this way they have an out for all the people who feel that this isn’t right.”
By putting that in there, they’re covering they’re basically trying to cover their asses from the people like us that feel that religion has no place in schools.
August 18, 2009 at 3:05 pm
sorry for the typos…
August 17, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I could not read the ‘law ‘ clearly. Did it mention Old or New testiment ? I bet the students will have fun knowing Moses had many wives. So did Abraham ! If so, does that mean TX encourages the old Mormon doctrin? Wonder how the baptists view this since southern baptist has its headquarter in TX somewhere. Dallas where ex-Prs. Bush lives ?
August 17, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Speaking as an educator living in Texas, I’m kind of surprised that all the posters here are focusing on the religion issue while completely overlooking the much more blatant example of conservative world view written into this law: namely, that bit about teaching economics, with an “emphasis on the free market and its benefits.”
That line in and of itself is proof positive to me that educational standards in Texas are at least 50% about proselytizing. While many professional economists believe that free markets are largely beneficial, there are a number that don’t–and I’d be curious to see how many states mandate that we teach the “benefits” of the free market, at the exclusion of its weaknesses.
Which reminds me of the debate we’ve recently had here on evolution: “strengths and weaknesses” anybody?
Look, when it comes to teaching the Bible, I agree that the New Testament has been tremendously important to Western Literature. If you’re studying British Literature, then, yes, you should probably read some excerpts from the Bible. But to require the Bible, statewide, all while not mentioning any of the other profoundly important texts that have been involved in the founding and creation of the Republic? Why leave out Nietzche, who was pretty important to twentieth century culture, or the pagan boy-lover Plato, whose ideas about the Republic were tremendously important to our founding fathers–arguably more important than the Bible was.
Overall, it’s pretty damn irksome.
August 17, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Hey, I mentioned the economics bit! 🙂
Good point about Nietzsche and Plato. Naturally the fundos would crucify you for that.
August 18, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I could say a million things about what is and what is not taught in schools. Some of the things they teach in schools is completely worthless, and others that are necessary aren’t taught at all. A few examples are:
Why don’t they teach teenagers how to do laundry?
Why don’t they teach teenagers how what to look for in a breaker box if the power goes out in a room?
Why don’t they teach teenagers that mixing bleach and ammonia is lethal?
We assume that these are things taught in the home, but that’s not necessarily true. Look at all the bad parents out there that don’t play any part in the lives of their children.
Basic survival is far more important than economics, religion, or philosophy.
August 18, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I don’t think the majority of high schoolers are ready for Nietche or Plato 😉
August 18, 2009 at 7:16 pm
[…] Why Texas? Why!?!?! ‘WHITEHOUSE, TX (KLTV) – The school year is almost here, and if literature of the Bible is not already […] […]
August 19, 2009 at 11:08 am
[…] Fucking ridiculous. The Bible – and only the Bible – is a required text in Texan school districts. […]
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