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Texas School District approves Bible class

Actually, skeptic, if you'll read the thread you can see where posters have LOOKED at the book chosen for the class and found that it does not treat the Bible as a literary work.

Also, you might note that many APPROVE of the concept, excluding the religious textbook, because the Bible IS literature and classical literature teachers already teach it.
 
Who has looked at the textbook and found it did not treat the Bible as a literary work? I read the sample chapter and thought it was superficial. I doubt if the text will discuss Yahweh's place in the Babylonian pantheon and the evolution of monotheism, or Paul's co-opting the Messianic myths with Greek mysticism. Instead they'll be feel-good references to the symbolism of the rainbow and discussion of the conventions of the parable.
 
ChristineR said:
I read the sample chapter and thought it was superficial. I doubt if the text will discuss Yahweh's place in the Babylonian pantheon and the evolution of monotheism, or Paul's co-opting the Messianic myths with Greek mysticism. Instead they'll be feel-good references to the symbolism of the rainbow and discussion of the conventions of the parable.
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Well, let's be fair here. It is a high school class. I don't think I've seen any literature discussions in high school curricula that weren't superficial.
 
Trustee Jorge Maldonado reminded audience members that the course is meant to teach about religion, not teach religion.

"The intent and purpose of the course is clearly defined and already established to be in compliance with the First Amendment," he said. "The goal of the course is to teach religion in a way that is purely academic and not devotional."
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Bri- If it is purely academic and not devotional, then it is teaching about religion. They are the same statement worded differently.
 
Skeptic said:
I'm sorry, but this is just the sort of thing that makes skeptic look aloof, elitist, and full of themselves.

The course is specifically aimed at teaching the bible as literature and history. I think it's an excellent idea because, among other things, it's perfectly clear that most fundamentalists are unaware of what the bible (both OT and NT) actually says. Having actually read the bible cover to cover, I discovered that virtually every famous bible story is far more detailed, complicated, and interesting than the "PG" version everybody knows about.

So what do people here say? Well, the first reaction is that a). It just has to take time and effort from really important stuff like math and science, and b). It's surely just a cover for religious indoctrinization, since it will be taught in Texas, and we know what those sort of people are like. All this without the slightest bit of evidence for either propostion.

Imagine, for a moment, that somebody said: "It's nice they want to teach science to kids in the inner city, but that will just take time away from things they really need to learn, like home economics and car repair; and besides, it will be taught by black people, and we all know they'll just use the science class to preach their belief in voodoo--you know what they're like!".

Sorry guys, but you're simply showing you are prejudiced snobs, that's all.
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Or we're just not good at showing our distrust, or we simply don't have the guts to say 'I don't trust these people at all because so far all they've done is to promote Christianity and would like any foothold at all--even outright lying--to get us to go along with their mental crutch.'

The black people reference you make is not wholly accurate: we know there are several people in the Southern United States who want to promote Christianity at any cost. This is not a stereotype, this is a known fact. If anything, you have us on terms of phasing. Generalization about skin color is one thing, and this is merely pointing out that a lot of people who like conning other people into religion under the guise of something else isn't exactly.
 
slingblade said:
I fully agree, and I am a teacher of English, and an atheist who frankly has issues with religion in schools. But as long as they teach it as literature, or even as mythology, I'm fine with it.
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What are the chances of that really happening, in the bible belt especially?
 
Skeptic said:
I'm sorry, but this is just the sort of thing that makes skeptic look aloof, elitist, and full of themselves.


Sorry guys, but you're simply showing you are prejudiced snobs, that's all.
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No, you sound like a dupe (if you consider yourself a skeptic, that is).

This whole thing is coming from the Christian right. Do you really think they want students studying the bible from a comparative religion perspective, or as mythology. The whole goddammed thing is going to be an apologetics course, with some lip service to impartiality thrown in there in order to get it past the courts.
 
Renfield said:
No, you sound like a dupe (if you consider yourself a skeptic, that is).

This whole thing is coming from the Christian right. Do you really think they want students studying the bible from a comparative religion perspective, or as mythology. The whole goddammed thing is going to be an apologetics course, with some lip service to impartiality thrown in there in order to get it past the courts.
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Truth!.

Just read the sample PDF of the textbook.

It isn't study of the bible. It's bible study. Yes, there is a difference.
 
FredFlash said:
What is "an establishment of religion?"

Fred
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That seems pretty clear to me.

It's when the Government outlays funds for or creates policy that has anything to do with religions view. Putting 'In God we Trust' on a coin is establishment.

The framers found it pretty important too, as It is the first thing in the bill of rights, article 1.

Before freedom of speech, before free press, before assembly and petition, etc.
 
Yeah, Bible study with the emphasis on the fact that people quote the Bible all the time without even knowing it. They go out of their way to say that non-Christians still can read and understand the Bible. The problem I have with it all is that I'm sure they aren't going to be giving the whole thing context, or rather, they will be giving the selective context of modern American fundamentalist Christianity.

For instance, I assume they will read the ten commandments story. Will they discuss why the Israelites felt the need to build a golden calf? Will they discuss why they had a ritual orgy? Will they point out the various and sundry ways violations of the ten commandments are built into Christian practice? Will they discuss the revised ten commandments, which basically say "Stop worshipping calves!" and have no moral worth at all?
 
The United States Was Founded As A Heathen Nation That Disowned God ​

The evildoers who got the motto IN GOD WE TRUST impressed on the United State’s coins despised the men who established our system of government and considered men like James Madison to be heathens who disowned God. The evil ones were successful largely because of the increase in Counterfeit Christian sentiment that existed during and after the Civil War.

A Rev. M.R. Watkinson, who was part of a larger campaign waged by a coalition of eleven Protestant denominations, disenchanted with the exemption of religion from the cognizance of government and hoping to make some changes, wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Samuel P. Chase in 1861. Secretary Chase was an advocate of government authority over religion and received other appeals from Counterfeit Christians throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. Rev. Watkinson’s letter dated November 13, 1861 read:

Dear Sir:

You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances. One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked.

I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.
You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? (He just accused the noble men who established our system of government of being heathens)

What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. (It was with a kiss that Judas betrayed his divine Master; and we should all be admonished -- no matter what our faith may be -- that the rights of conscience cannot be so successfully assailed as under the pretext of holiness)


This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. (He again charges the founding fathers of heathenism) This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God (Separating civil authority from the duty that we are to render only to God, as we wre directed to do by the Savior in the holy scriptures, is distorted by this evil pervert into a disowning of God) as not the least of our present national disasters.

To you first I address a subject that must be agitated.​

The United States was deprived of any right to claim it was a genuine Christian Nation when the American people did not take up the terrible swift sword and extirpate the wicked government stooges who passed the 1860's bill that authorized the government to declare the people’s trust in God on the nation’s coins. The people might just as well have sworn allegiance to the Devil and worshiped in the Temple of Satan.

FVF
 
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