Posted on 09/08/2009 12:59:45 PM PDT by OldDeckHand
Vanda Terrell is still getting used to saying it.
"Let's open our Bibles," the veteran Plano ISD teacher tells students daily at two public high schools in the district. And it's legal for her to do it. A new state law requires that Texas public schools incorporate Bible literacy into the curriculum.
But the law provides no specific guidelines, funding for materials or teacher training. So high schools are left scrambling to figure out what to teach and how to teach it. A handful of North Texas districts are offering an elective class, but most are choosing instead to embed Old and New Testament teachings into current classes.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
And, why stop there. We certainly need to have a scholarly study of the Koran with respect to the current war we’re fighting. That should go over well.
How about this. Read the texts and compare them:
Christianity
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:1-11)
Islam
There came to him (the Holy Prophet) a woman from Gamid and said: ‘Allah’s Messenger, I have committed adultery, so purify me.’ He (the Holy Prophet) turned her away. On the following day she said: ‘Allah’s messenger, why do you turn me away? ... By Allah I have become pregnant.’ He said ‘Well, if you insist upon it, then go away until you give birth.’ When she was delivered she came with the child (wrapped) in a rag, and said ‘Here is the child whom I have given birth to.’ He said ‘Go away and suckle him until you wean him.’ When she had weaned him, she came to him (the Holy Prophet) with the child who was holding a piece of bread in his hand. She said ‘Allah’s Apostle, here is he as I have weaned him and he eats food.’ He (the Holy Prophet) entrusted the child to one of the Muslims and then pronounced punishment. And she was put in a ditch up to her chest and he commanded people and they stoned her. (Sahih Muslim 4206)
Jesus
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)
Mohammed
Allah’s Apostle was asked, “What is the best deed?” He replied, “To believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad). The questioner then asked, “What is the next in goodness? He replied, “To participate in Jihad in Allah’s Cause.” The questioner again asked, “What is the next (in goodness)?” He replied, “To perform Hajj Mubrur.”
“Believers! - wage war against such of the infidels as are your neighbors, and let them find you rigorous; and know that God is with those who fear him.” (Koran 9:124)
Qur’an 8:12 “I shall terrorize the infidels. So wound their bodies and incapacitate them because they oppose Allah and His Apostle.”
Qur’an 8:57 “If you gain mastery over them in battle, inflict such a defeat as would terrorize them, so that they would learn a lesson and be warned.”
Art. 3. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
The Northwest Ordinance. It’s the law.
The Bible and Christianity are the root of Western Civilization. That is just a historical fact. Without a good basic understanding of the Bible and Christian history, much of our history and language is unintelligible. The Koran is essentially irrelevant in this regard, as are Shinto holy books.
As just one example, someone who reads Lincoln’s speeches without some familiarity with biblical language will miss a great deal of what he is saying.
I don’t suggest the Bible be studied as a holy book, but as a work of literature it is utterly foundational for understanding English/American politics, history and literature.
Just a guess but I’d say Page by Page?
Gook luck with that.
So?....The government will teach children the cute stories in the bible. Doing this will teach the children that the bible is trivial.
This is hardly religiously neutral and, is in fact, undermining the Judeo-Christian beliefs of most of the families of this nation.
Fundamentally, the government schools have only three choices and **none ** are religiously neutral. Each choice will have the government establishing the worldview of some, while simultaneously undermining the religious worldview of others; The school can:
* Not teach the Bible.
This establishes the religious belief that the bible is irrelevant to the student's lives and studies, and teaches students how to live without God and Judeo Christian principles. ( This is **not** religiously neutral!)
* Teach the cute Bible stories but **not** teach the religious application of the moral and religious principles to the student's temporal and spiritual life.
Doing this establishes the religious worldview that the Judeo Christian beliefs are “cute”, and that God is not really important. ( Again,...This is not religious neutral.)
* Teach the bible as the word of God and fully integrate it into the worldview of the school. This isn't religiously neutral since it establishes the Judeo Christian worldview and forces on those who do not believe in the bible or God.
Solution: Begin the process of completely privatizing universal K-12 education. It is **impossible** to have religiously neutral government schools. These government schools are a First Amendment and freedom of conscience abomination!
The College I attended had a ‘Bible As Literature’ class.
Islam: Religion of peace. Yeah, right.
Gook luck with that.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Please read post #7. I agree, but not even a mountain of good luck can make any of this religiously neutral.
Fundamentally, it is impossible to have a religiously neutral school. That is why government must get out of the education business completely. Study of the bible is merely one example among thousands of decisions that government schools must make than can **never** have a religiously neutral solution.
The government school can:
*Teach the bible as cute stories.
*Completely ignore the bible.
* Teach the bible within a religious framework.
They are the **only** choices available and each one has NON-NEUTRAL religious content and consequences!
A 4th choice would be to teach it as a foundational work of Western Literature.
I'll be prepared to disagree with that statement, just as soon as I can find a quote from a Founding Father extolling the virtues of Islam or Shintoism.
The blind eye that so-called intelligent people turn to history is baffling to me.
Yes, I agree. The gubmit has no business in the education business. I do think societally, a country and its people have a vested interested in assuring it's children are educated - no question about it. Which is exactly why we should move as quickly as possible to a "all voucher" education system.
Sure, if the governments wants to set or establish accreditation standards for the redemption of these vouchers, I have no problem with that. But, to keep sinking hundreds of billions into failing schools is ridiculous.
“A 4th choice would be to teach it as a foundational work of Western Literature.”
Which relegates the Word of God to just another myth, as the ancient Greeks and Romans had.
Take your kids out of public school and start all of the christian schools that you want. THAT is something I hope that we can all support, regardless of faith (or lack thereof).
The question of its veracity is up to the reader. The focus would be on language.
Theology aside, what was the first book published by Gutenberg?
I rest my case.
It's taken years for my eyes to be opened by the brilliant lessons of the Old Testament. The most striking example (for me) is the Book of Job. During Job's worst days, his two best friends sat with him for a week, saying nothing. Their mere presence was enough to bolster his spirits, and allow him to endure his pain and suffering.
Teaching our students a lesson like this is a bad thing?
Ping~
Unbelievable. Yeah um like, let’s let the state teach the “bible”. Which version will they um use?
just as soon as I can find a quote from a Founding Father extolling the virtues of Islam or Shintoism.
When I was in school, we opened each day with a bible reading and the Lord's prayer. That is a historical fact. Can that historical fact now even be taught in school as a fact?
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