"State tells schools to teach Bible literacy but not how"

[Strong Atheist]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/090609dnmetbibleteach.3ff862f.html

I like one of the comments at the bottom:

"I have a problem with this being a requirement. Will they be teaching the Torah, Koran and writings from other religions as well? This is a backward requirement which is trying to force a specific religious view on others. Isn't that what we are fighting against in other countries?"

I am glad they do not do this in my state (Texas, of course... :eyes: )

As others who commented noted, it will be the subject of lawsuits (rightfully). This is what sunday school is for...

[joeybee12]

1. Yeah, someone out there now tell me NOT to bash Texas!

What a dumb-phucked up law. :mad:

[Ian David]

2. I would use this as a great chance to DEBUNK "the" bible. n/t

[Strong Atheist]

4. Which brings up an interesting point. I am a teacher. If I did what you suggested, I would be

in BIG trouble, and rightfully so. We should not be advocating for or against a religion in PUBLIC schools. That should stay in the home and the church/synagogue/mosque/sweat lodge/whatever. Religion has NO place in the public schools, either pro or con, which is why this law is wrong, and will be struck down...

[Ian David]

8. And if you're required by law to teach the bible, and you get fired for teaching YOUR interpretation

of it, which happens to be that it's bunk, and then you get fired, you have cause of action and standing to challenge the law that required you to teach it in the first place.

In my non-lawyer opinion.

[darkstar3]

10. It doesn't quite work like that.

You're very close, but there's a fine line a teacher can't cross.

If I, as a teacher, were to flat-out refuse to teach anything regarding the bible in class, and got fired in Texas due to this law, I would have an actionable case.

If I, as a teacher, teach the bible in class and add my own bias, that is a dereliction of duty infringing upon the free speech rights (however small) of my students. At this point, I have lost the high ground and the actionable case.

Nuance is the most important aspect of education, and also the most dangerous.

[Ian David]

11. Got it. Thanks! n/t

[opihimoimoi]

6. Oh Oh...here come de judge...whad we gonna do...Reality or we go w Fantasy?

While the discussion is on this level...we ignore the rising oceans, warming of the climate, and reduction of resources for our over populations...we are fucked....

[liberal N proud]

3. Of course it's Texas

The only other places that might think up something this stupid would be Alabama or Louisiana

[Joanne98]

5. We need to go through every single dollar Texas gets from the federal government

and cancel it. Since they're science haters move NASA first.

[Why Syzygy]

7. Outrageous!

Let the law suits fly! :grr:

[rd_kent]

9. It should be used as an opportunity to teach the hypocrisy found throughout

that "book". Maybe the kids will learn something.

[Igel]

12. The immediate answer would be, of course,

that the Torah would be included in the Bible. One would think, assuming it's not a different Bible from the one that I remember. At this level, the interpretations, esp. of the OT, aren't all that divergent.

I'd point out that when I was in school we were taught stuff about some other religions. It turned out to be invaluable. Greek and Roman "mythology"--which was, of course, important to know in reading and understand Renaissance through early Romantic literature (and some modernist stuff).

Now, I consider myself vaguely Christian, but I also have a Qur'aan. Some of the Ahadith, too. Why? For two reasons. The first is that when my Arabic is good enough I intend to use them as language practice--granted it's archaic, but it's still a model, in some sense. The second is that quotes and allusions to them, as well as a continuum of religious practices based upon them, are fairly common when you try to understand Arab culture and texts. Try to do Arabic without the Qur'aan is like trying to do 19th century Russian literature without the Bible.

Which is the kind of reasoning that prompted my atheist Russian lit teacher to say that the best use of the grad students' summer after their first year would be to find a Russian Bible and read it. It's why we read part of the English-language Bible in my world lit class--specifically the KJV, because so many allusions and nativized quotes rely on that particular translation. It's why we read S. Asian writings translated from Sanskrit in my S. Asian history class.

And it's why so much of what kids read in my high school was opaque--and I count myself among them. Just because it's in American English doesn't mean the culture understood as background by the writer and the culture of the reader overlap all that well. Every work of literature is, in a sense, a historical and sociological document--and if you understand neither, what you get out of it is merely what you bring to it, or what the teacher wants you to get out of it. Of course, if the only stuff worth reading is modern and about yourself and those of your ethnicity/race/SES (or intended to teach you about your classmates), then it doesn't matter.

For instance, we read Cotton Mather. He struck us all as a nearly incomprehensible loon. Now when I read the same works, I still think he's a bit of a loon, but I understand him: I understand the richness of his allusions and metaphors, I understand why he phrases things and the mood he's trying to strike. If the purpose of reading him in high school was to understand, it was a failure. If it was to simply mock a group of people and stereotype them, it was a great success. (But I assume that if I read something written and what appears to be the approved take-away message was to mock and stereotype a group of modern Americans--blacks, Latinos, Indians--that this wouldn't be nearly as amusing.)

I'd also note that when it came to reading 20th century Russian stuff, it was worth while to read, believe it or not, some of Lenin's and Stalin's writings and speeches, as well as essays by modernist and social-realist theorists. In fact, it was standard fare when I was an undergrad.

So this is dangerous, but could be quite useful for kids who actually want to understand older works of fiction (or non-fiction, even).

[ZombieHorde]

13. I would enjoy teaching a Bible class to kids. nt

[DeSwiss]

14. "Good morning class. Now, open your "textbooks" to.....

...yesterday's assigned homework: the Songs of Solomon, Chapter 4, verses one through 16. Now, who would like to start? (entire class shoving and pushing raising their sweaty little hands). Okay Suzy, why don't you get us started?"

SUZY: "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

Spikenard and saffron; calamus <----(oh, BTW - this is marijuana) and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."

- Whew!!!!! That's it class. Now you all may go to the restroom, single-file, no pushing.


Dayum! I really need
a smoke after all that!


K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!