Texas public schools required to teach Bible this year
By Sara Story - email
Posted by Michael Hetrick
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.
"By the end of the year, what they begin to realize is that it is pervasive. You can't get away from it. The kids came back and were like 'It's everywhere,'" said John Keeling, the social studies chair at Whitehouse High School. Whitehouse already offers a Bible elective. "The purpose of a course like this isn't even really to get kids to believe it, per se, it is just to appreciate the profound impact that it has had on our history and on our government."
The law actually passed in 2007, but this will be the first school year it is enforced because the bill says, "The provisions of this act pertaining to a school district do not take effect until the 2009-2010 school year."
This has gained mixed reactions from East Texans.
"I think it is a good thing because a lot of kids don't have that experience, and they already want to take prayer out of school as it is, and you see where our kids are ending up!" said Tyler resident Laura Tucker.
Tyler resident, Havis Tatum, disagrees with Tucker.
"I don't want anybody teaching their religious beliefs to my child unless they want to send their child to my house and let me teach them my religious views," said Tatum. "There is no difference."
School officials said schools have not enforced the law because of confusion over the bill's wording and lack of state funding.
For now, each school district must find a way to fill the requirement before the seats are filled with students.
We would like to know what you think about this story. Click here to leave your comments and read the contents of Texas House Bill 1287.
"This statement, in its utterly clueless hubristic stupidity, cannot be improved upon. I merely quote it in admiration of its perfection." - Garibaldi
"Problem is, while the Germans have had many mea culpas and quite painfully dealt with their history, the South is still hellbent on painting themselves as the real victims. It gives them a special place in the history of assholes" - Covenant
"Over three million died fighting for the emperor, but when the war was over he pretended it was not his responsibility. What kind of man does that?'' - Saburo Sakai
I think that "it's everywhere" comment by John Keeling is hilarious. I have the feeling the main reason his students see influences of the bible everywhere is because he keeps telling them that everything is influenced by it. I'm curious to see what he claims is influenced by it, but I can already imagine it's things like the Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc. Too bad it's nothing like the Ku Klux Klan or anything along those lines, you know, things that actually have been strongly influenced by the bible.
At least they managed to get the "They took prayer out of schools and it has ruined our children" comment in there somewhere. Wouldn't be a Texas bible story without it
Well it'll get kicked out once it gets to the courts but that will take awhile. If they want to have the bible in school then it should be in a literature class along with Shakespeare and the Illiad and such.
"There are very few problems that cannot be solved by the suitable application of photon torpedoes
dragon wrote:Well it'll get kicked out once it gets to the courts but that will take awhile. If they want to have the bible in school then it should be in a literature class along with Shakespeare and the Illiad and such.
Why do I have the feeling that will cause fundies to flip out? Heck, I had the Biblical version of creation in a lit class back in 8th grade and the teacher made a point that we were simply treating it as literature along with other creation myths (I think I remeber some native American one about the world resting on the back of a giant turtle, and maybe a Babylonian or Sumerian one), though that was in western Pennslyvania.
Back in the late '80s, when I was in a Texas HS, they did cover the Bible in honors English in between the Upanishads and Dante. There was no attempt to treat it as anything but literature, but this was in the (relatively) liberal Austin. I'm sure that it wasn't treated in the same way in the shit-hole more conservative areas of Texas.
In theory, there is nothing wrong with requiring the Bible to be covered by literature—it is one of the most influential works in Western culture. You can bet that isn't the reason it was required, nor the way it will be presented in many parts of Texas.
I will consider it an innocent attempt at teaching it as literature when they also teach the Qur'an, the Tora, or The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (among others).
What grades are this for? I didn't see it mentioned in the article. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess somewhere between K-12, where the kids won't have the necessary critical reasoning skills yet to tell that they're being spoon fed bullshit?
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
dragon wrote:Well it'll get kicked out once it gets to the courts but that will take awhile. If they want to have the bible in school then it should be in a literature class along with Shakespeare and the Illiad and such.
The usual practise is to issue an injunction against the enforcement of the law in question until it's constitutionality has been decided in the courts.
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
I'm just glad it isn't Utah. Texas gets a shit load of heat, but Utah is the reddest state in the union.
They say, "the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." I suppose it never occurred to them that they are the tyrants, not the patriots. Those weapons are not being used to fight some kind of tyranny; they are bringing them to an event where people are getting together to talk. -Mike Wong
But as far as board culture in general, I do think that young male overaggression is a contributing factor to the general atmosphere of hostility. It's not SOS and the Mess throwing hand grenades all over the forum- Red
I can't help but wonder from which angle they will teach the Bible? Catholic, Protestant? Both read the book very differently and we could see some interesting shit storms if a Protestant teacher uses it to attack Catholic views and vice versa.
"The real ideological schism in America is not Republican vs Democrat; it is North vs South, Urban vs Rural, and it has been since the 19th century."
-Mike Wong
Invictus ChiKen wrote:I can't help but wonder from which angle they will teach the Bible? Catholic, Protestant? Both read the book very differently and we could see some interesting shit storms if a Protestant teacher uses it to attack Catholic views and vice versa.
Are you kidding? Just wait until they try teaching it to Muslim students.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
I'm just thinking of the Catholic on Protestant action toss in the Muslims and we will have a lovely three way...
An I just gave myself an interesting picture...
"The real ideological schism in America is not Republican vs Democrat; it is North vs South, Urban vs Rural, and it has been since the 19th century."
-Mike Wong
Invictus ChiKen wrote:I can't help but wonder from which angle they will teach the Bible? Catholic, Protestant? Both read the book very differently and we could see some interesting shit storms if a Protestant teacher uses it to attack Catholic views and vice versa.
Are you kidding? Just wait until they try teaching it to Muslim students.
I doubt many Jews would like having their kids hear about how Jesus is the messiah and all that stuff either.
Invictus ChiKen wrote:I can't help but wonder from which angle they will teach the Bible? Catholic, Protestant? Both read the book very differently and we could see some interesting shit storms if a Protestant teacher uses it to attack Catholic views and vice versa.
Protestand. This country has a long history of being anti-Catholic.
They say, "the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." I suppose it never occurred to them that they are the tyrants, not the patriots. Those weapons are not being used to fight some kind of tyranny; they are bringing them to an event where people are getting together to talk. -Mike Wong
But as far as board culture in general, I do think that young male overaggression is a contributing factor to the general atmosphere of hostility. It's not SOS and the Mess throwing hand grenades all over the forum- Red
Invictus ChiKen wrote:I can't help but wonder from which angle they will teach the Bible? Catholic, Protestant? Both read the book very differently and we could see some interesting shit storms if a Protestant teacher uses it to attack Catholic views and vice versa.
Protestand. This country has a long history of being anti-Catholic.
True but I thought some parts of Texas had a majority Catholic population... Still it will be fun if it goes like I think it will and the groups get attacked by Catholic fundis for telling there kids there church is the Whore of Babylon
"The real ideological schism in America is not Republican vs Democrat; it is North vs South, Urban vs Rural, and it has been since the 19th century."
-Mike Wong
Darth Holbytlan wrote:In theory, there is nothing wrong with requiring the Bible to be covered by literature—it is one of the most influential works in Western culture. You can bet that isn't the reason it was required, nor the way it will be presented in many parts of Texas.
They gave it away when they spoke of teaching its enormous influence on government. The Bible is not supposed to influence government.
In any case, no discussion of Biblical influences on western society would be complete without discussing both positive and negative influences. Who wants to bet that the Bible will have zero negative influences on society according to Texas educators?
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Darth Holbytlan wrote:In theory, there is nothing wrong with requiring the Bible to be covered by literature—it is one of the most influential works in Western culture. You can bet that isn't the reason it was required, nor the way it will be presented in many parts of Texas.
They gave it away when they spoke of teaching its enormous influence on government. The Bible is not supposed to influence government.
In any case, no discussion of Biblical influences on western society would be complete without discussing both positive and negative influences. Who wants to bet that the Bible will have zero negative influences on society according to Texas educators?
I'll bet if they do they'll explain it away with no true Scotsmen.
"The real ideological schism in America is not Republican vs Democrat; it is North vs South, Urban vs Rural, and it has been since the 19th century."
-Mike Wong
In any case, no discussion of Biblical influences on western society would be complete without discussing both positive and negative influences. Who wants to bet that the Bible will have zero negative influences on society according to Texas educators?
I'll bet if they do they'll explain it away with no true Scotsmen.
You can do that when talking about Christians, but not when talking about the Bible itself. I would consider it far more likely that they cannot think of any conceivable negative influences the Bible might exert upon society, because they're a bunch of fundies.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Invictus ChiKen wrote:I can't help but wonder from which angle they will teach the Bible? Catholic, Protestant? Both read the book very differently and we could see some interesting shit storms if a Protestant teacher uses it to attack Catholic views and vice versa.
Reading the Bible is a good way to become an atheist so teaching about the Bible from an objective point of view wouldn't be so bad (you know, point out the good and bad and why some parts are downright silly because bronze age barbarians didn't know better), but I doubt it can be done in Texas.
This is what happens when you have an anemic state goverment that is forced to rely on corporate and religious special interests groups to stay in power.
Is anybody honestly surprised at anything Texas does anymore?
wautd wrote:Reading the Bible is a good way to become an atheist so teaching about the Bible from an objective point of view wouldn't be so bad (you know, point out the good and bad and why some parts are downright silly because bronze age barbarians didn't know better), but I doubt it can be done in Texas.
I would amend that to say that reading the bible is a good way to abandon Christianity if you were raised as a Christian and have intellectual curiosity. To a non-Christian, the bible likely has little impact, and to people who lack the ability or drive to ask serious questions about the claims made by the source material, the purpose of the exercise is lost.
Note: I'm semi-retired from the board, so if you need something, please be patient.
LordOskuro wrote:I will consider it an innocent attempt at teaching it as literature when they also teach the Qur'an, the Tora, or The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (among others).
The Spaghetti Monster reference is a little silly, don't you think? After all, if there is to be a literature course, then the FSM hasn't exactly had a large influence in the shaping of English (as in the language, not the country) literature. For that matter, neither has the Qur'an, and as the Torah is also part of the bible, your reference is redundant.
For good or bad, the bible is a source of important mythology, and understanding it is essential for the understanding of other important literature. I have absolutely no problem with a literature course with the bible as its main subject. I also have very little faith that this attempt to shoe-horn the bible into the curriculum will be anything other than proselytizing.
73% of all statistics are made up, including this one.
Invictus ChiKen wrote:I can't help but wonder from which angle they will teach the Bible? Catholic, Protestant? Both read the book very differently and we could see some interesting shit storms if a Protestant teacher uses it to attack Catholic views and vice versa.
Protestand. This country has a long history of being anti-Catholic.
True but I thought some parts of Texas had a majority Catholic population... Still it will be fun if it goes like I think it will and the groups get attacked by Catholic fundis for telling there kids there church is the Whore of Babylon
Though obviously Protestants are more splintered and each sect would have a smaller proportion than the RCC.
Also, a kind of World Culture and Lit class would teach something like the Bible better than an English Lit class - like Holbytian, I had a class which taught about half religious texts. Which places it in context.
Are you accusing me of not having a viable magnetic field? - Masaq' Hub, Look to Windward
Invictus ChiKen wrote:True but I thought some parts of Texas had a majority Catholic population... Still it will be fun if it goes like I think it will and the groups get attacked by Catholic fundis for telling there kids there church is the Whore of Babylon
Though obviously Protestants are more splintered and each sect would have a smaller proportion than the RCC.
Also, a kind of World Culture and Lit class would teach something like the Bible better than an English Lit class - like Holbytian, I had a class which taught about half religious texts. Which places it in context.
Read more carefully. He said some parts of Texas, so he wasn't referring to the state as a whole.
Time makes more converts than reason. -- Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776
