Christian groups sue to stop Kansas schools from adopting science standards

[LostOne4Ever]

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Christian groups filed a pair of lawsuits in Federal District Court challenging the Kansas state Board of Education’s decision to implement a state-wide set of science standards. On June 11, the Kansas state Board of Education adopted a universal set of science standards to be taught in classrooms across the state from kindergarten to grade 12. Faith groups are up in arms that their beliefs are not being given more credence in science classes.

According to a statement on the Pacific Justice Institute’s website, the teaching of science in all of the state’s public schools could create “a hostile learning environment for those of faith.” The institute — which purports to defend “religious freedom, parental rights and other civil liberties” — is challenging the fact that the new science standards do not give equal weight to the Christian creation myth.

The suit alleges that the new standards will “promote religious beliefs that are inconsistent with the theistic religious beliefs of plaintiffs, thereby depriving them of the right to be free from government that favors one religious view over another.” The group asked the court to place an injunction on the implementation of Next Generation Science Standards and the corresponding lesson plan handbook, Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas.

Another group, the Citizens for Objective Public Education (COPE, Inc.) filed suit on Sep. 26 demanding that the new curricula not be instituted. In a press release, CORE said that the science standards would “will have the effect of causing Kansas public schools to establish and endorse a non-theistic religious worldview,” which the group said is a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution...


More at:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/27/christian-groups-sue-to-stop-kansas-schools-from-adopting-science-standards/

Kansas is not having a good week for church and state separation.

[yesphan]

1. Oh just shut up

and pay your taxes.

[uriel1972]

2. Oh you and your silly FACTS and EVIDENCE...

Can't be upsetting the delicate and fragile beliefs of the children's parents. That wouldn't do. Sheesh, they could think of it as a test of faith. I thought the faithful were big on that kind of thing.

[Mopar151]

3. Truth is evil! n/t

[cbayer]

4. We could always hope that the recent events in Kansas represent the death throes

of some of these groups, but that would probably be too optimistic.

How in the world they think these new science texts promote any kind of religious belief is incomprehensible to me. Do they consider evolution a religion? When it comes down to it, they appear to equate science with atheism.

I can't see how they could possibly win this.

[LostOne4Ever]

7. Sadly

That is exactly what a lot of creationist claim.

I have seen them claim that evolution is faithbased and pro-atheist more than I like. Whether they actually believe that, and have no clue what the word "religion" actually means, or if it is just their cynical attempt to get their theology taught as fact and science in schools is beyond me.

Regardless, there is a growing segment on the right who refuse to believe that something can truly be religion neutral. Its the black or white fallacy taken to the extreme.

[libodem]

9. I agree

They look foolish and it just drives a wedge. I see science as evidence of what ever the Divine may possibility be. It's miraculous.

[cbayer]

11. I love the concept of science being miraculous.

When I first started to study it in earnest, I felt that I was being given a gift, an opportunity, to explore things that most couldn't even imagine.

And even though I understood medically what conception, pregnancy and birth were, my personal experience went beyond that.

I've always approached it with a touch of reverence.

[skepticscott]

12. You're almost as bad as the people in Kansas

You just can't stop trying to make science into a "religion", a "faith", a "belief system", can you?

It's rhetoric like yours that enables and gives credence and aid to this kind of blatant ignorance. This is why "liberal" and "progressive" believers are part of the problem in this country, not, as you constantly try to portray them, the solution.

[msongs]

5. they are "science" standards, not "lies, myths, superstition and hater" standards nt

[okasha]

6. Good for Kansas!

Let's hope they stand firm and other states where non-science is taught as science follow their lead.

[cbayer]

8. I think this is part of a multi-state coalition that has reviewed and recommended

a set of textbooks. They have done this to counteract the effect that Texas has had on the industry and I think they are having some success.

[dimbear]

10. Literary and archaeological evidence shows that to maximize the punishment, the Romans crucified

their victims bare naked. Please, Kansans, act to correct all incorrect representations immediately. Given your notable preference for fact, I appeal to your consciences.