And Chuck Norris is on board for the fight at the Odessa corral. Well, not in the court case, but supporting the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools.
Council board member and actor Chuck Norris has described this curriculum as the "first step to get God back into your public school."From the Washington Post:
Showdown in Odessa: Teaching the Bible in Texas public schoolsWHEN THE newly elected school board in Odessa, Tex., announced that it would require public schools to offer a Bible course elective, many townspeople cried hallelujah. But last week some other residents, aided by the American Civil Liberties Union and the People for the American Way Foundation, sued the school district for violating the First Amendment.
Currently 8 percent of public schools nationwide offer courses on the Bible. The Supreme Court has deemed these classes constitutional so long as they "present knowledge, but neither promote nor disparage belief." Odessa residents are thus challenging the course's execution and not its existence. The district chose the more controversial of two leading Bible class curricula: a course designed by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, a group run by a veritable Who's Who of conservative Christian leaders. Council board member and actor Chuck Norris has described this curriculum as the "first step to get God back into your public school."
...."The fact that Odessa schools may be carelessly implementing their new Bible course doesn't bode well for their willingness to teach the Bible in an objective, scholarly, nonsectarian fashion. Given that the Texas legislature is considering a bill to bring Bible courses such as Odessa's to schools statewide, we hope that this lawsuit will force schools to think more critically about teaching this important but sensitive subject.
This is an update on the story I wrote about the other night.
Texas school board member tells parents to "kiss my butt" over religious class.L.V. “Butch” Foreman, a member of the Ector County school board in Odessa, Texas, has three words for parents who say the district’s Bible course crosses the line: “kiss my butt.” Said Foreman
“If they don’t have children in the class, they can kiss my butt,” Foreman said. “They’re just looking to impose their beliefs and their views on everybody, and we don’t put up with that crap out here.”
If the plaintiffs did have children enrolled in the classes, then Foreman said he would tell the students to drop the class and take another course since it’s an elective.
..."Chuck Norris, star of TV’s “Walker, Texas Ranger” as well as films including “Missing in Action” and “Delta Force 2,” and his wife Gena have joined the board of directors of the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBCPS)
It is an important case because many schools are or will be using the curriculum from this group.
It has the support of Pat Robertson, whose group has a text being used, Dr. James Kennedy of Florida, Concerned Women of America, founded by Beverly LaHaye; Focus on the Family, associated with James Dobson;National Legal Foundation, founded by Pat Robertson; Eagle Forum, led by Phyllis Schlafly; Tony Perkins, and many others. This is going on in Florida and in several other states.
More information on the Texas schools is available here.
Texas Freedom Network