Ayatollah Perry welcomes you to the Christian Republic of Texas

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

http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=10933571

The Bible has a place in public school-in literature class, next to Paradise Lost, Dante's Divine Comedy, and other works of religious themed fiction. You have to know what Christianity is to learn European history, of course, but that hardly requires the Bible.

fair enough -- i don't want my child learning about fags and how we should all be tolerant of them in school either


but thats ok --- wonder why? :chinstroke:

double standards rock!

(b) The purpose of a course under this section is to:
(1) teach students knowledge of biblical content,
characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to
understanding contemporary society and culture, including
literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy; and
(2) familiarize students with, as applicable:
(A) the contents of the Hebrew Scriptures or New
Testament;
(B) the history of the Hebrew Scriptures or New
Testament;
© the literary style and structure of the
Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament; and
(D) the influence of the Hebrew Scriptures or New
Testament on law, history, government, literature, art, music,
customs, morals, values, and culture.

Meh, BFD. Considering the influence the Bible's had on history, it seems appropriate for students to learn it so they can have an appropriate understanding of how we got here. As long as there is no proselytizing (which the bill specifically bans), then it shouldn't be a problem.

A course under this section shall not endorse, favor, or
promote, or disfavor or show hostility toward, any particular
religion or nonreligious faith or religious perspective.

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/b...ml/HB01287F.htm

I don't see the problem. My children learned about native American religion last year. Samey-Same.

Reading a book isn't the same as following a book.

I don't see any problem with it.

Bah, you're all too tolerant of religion. Religion is poison.

Even if our society were wholly atheistic, the Bible would STILL have major significance historically, and as a piece of literature.

Yeah, there's plenty of ways this could be abused by individual teachers, but that's no reason to deprive schoolkids of a valuable learning opportunity.

I just don't see the need to read the actual religious text itself to understand the historical significance of the religion it represents.

You can't understand how a document influenced people in history without examining the document itself. Might as well try to teach about the Magna Carta or the Mayflower compact or the Code of Hammurabi or the Declaration of Independence without reading those documents.

And, historical significance aside, it is a very significant piece of literature.

I really couldn't disagree with you more and will leave it at that. Otherwise we'll just talk in circles all day.

which simply means you cannot base your opinion on anything more than petty emotions

So, when are they going to do the same with the Koran and the Torah?

good point

(shocking!)

Has anyone ever changed another poster's mind here? No. You still get off on the endless circlejerk, I don't.

you thinking i 'get off' is creepy

but having an opinion should be based more on
facts than petty emotions --- but why should you
change now?

:spaz: :spaz: :spaz:

smilies....the last attempt when backed into a corner.