The ones who live in states that do nonsense like this?
Republicans in Idaho are pushing a bill to make the Bible a reference book in public school classes teaching science and law, Patheos reports.
Members of the state’s Republican party have published a set of proposed resolutions following a central committee meeting this past weekend among Idaho GOP higher-ups. The policy initiatives the state’s conservative leadership dreamed up include “A Resolution Supporting Bible Use in Idaho Public Schools.”
Republican party chairperson for Idaho County, Marge Arnzen, submitted legislative language to infuse the state’s curriculum with biblical teachings. The proposal, partially captured in screen shots below, begins with a nod to the Christian supreme being :
Concluding that theocracy is the rightful law of the land, Arnzen’s bill would see the Bible stand on academic par with textbooks in the state’s biology and government classrooms.
The sane people will have to point out that God is also referenced in the Quran, so the schools will have to give both books equal standing. There are also ancient Egyptian texts that reference gods, so they will have to be included as well. And don’t forget the Valhalla series that mentions Thor, Odin, Loki, Freya, and the gang…
I have no problem with using The Bible as a reference in a Law class, as the book DOES represent one of the earlier codifications of Law, as does Hamurabbi’s Code(sp?). It also describes an early incarnation of Judges and a regular Justice System. But only as an EXAMPLE of an earlier codification and enforcement of agreed-upon social principles, not as a FOUNDING BASIS for our modern ones. Our laws stem from English Common Law, not The Bible.
But there’s just no place in a Biology class for the Bible, except perhaps as (again) an EXAMPLE of where humanity once drew their lessons on the nature of life and the universe. Emphasizing it as one which has now been superseded by the tested and confirmed (within science’s ability to do so) revelations of the scientific method. Nothing wrong with telling such classes also that if they really do want to expand upon the Biblical versions of Biology, they are welcome to do so on their own time. Public schools, by virtue of their establishment by the State, and regulation by the U.S., are proscribed from teaching religion. And no, atheism and Darwinism are not religions.
Nor does it apply to History (as a reference), Geology, or Climatology.
I wanted to add to my last post that as well as NOT teaching Biblical versions of the sciences, schools should not tolerate students who purposely inject their religious views into the class as a means of forcing the issue, either. That should be treated no differently than if a student interrupted a class discussion to relate to them all the details of their latest romantic encounter. In other words, as a deliberate attempt to interfere with the lesson(s) being taught by blathering on about something totally unrelated and wasting everyone’s time. If their parents object, then they can take it up with the School Board, but the Biology lesson should be left alone, and students should not have to get involved in religious debate simply to study life sciences. Whereas continually interrupting or interfering students who have been admonished, yet repeat their behavior, should be suspended just as would any other student who purposely prevented classes from going forward with their lesson plans.