Texas Public School Bible Classes Teach Races Come from Noah’s Sons, B

[WIP]

Well, you just knew that Texas would lead the way back to the stone age, with their ramped up emphasis on "Christian" education. Some of the highlights from the Texas Freedom Network reporton religious teaching coming in to public and charter schools in Texas:

Instructional material in two school districts teach that racial diversity today can be traced back to Noah’s sons, a long-discredited claim that has been a foundational component of some forms of racism.

Religious bias is common, with most courses taught from a Protestant — often a conservative Protestant — perspective. One course, for example, assumes Christians will at some point be “raptured.” Materials include a Venn diagram showing the pros and cons of theories that posit the rapture before the returning Jesus’ 1,000-year reign and those that place it afterward. In many courses, the perspectives of Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Jews are often left out.

Anti-Jewish bias — intentional or not — is not uncommon. Some courses even portray Judaism as a flawed and incomplete religion that has been replaced by Christianity.

Many courses suggest or openly claim that the Bible is literally true. “The Bible is the written word of God,” students are told in one PowerPoint presentation. Some courses go so far as to suggest that the Bible can be used to verify events in history. One district, for example, teaches students that the Bible’s historical claims are largely beyond question by listing biblical events side by side with historical developments from around the globe.

Course materials in numerous classes are designed to evangelize rather than provide an objective study of the Bible’s influence. A book in one district makes its purpose clear in the preface: “May this study be of value to you. May you fully come to believe that ‘Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.’ And may you have ‘life in His name.’”

A number of courses teach students that the Bible proves Earth is just 6,000 years old.

Students are taught that the United States is a Christian nation founded on the Christian biblical principles taught in their classrooms.

Academic rigor is so poor that many courses rely mostly on memorization of Bible verses and factoids from Bible stories rather than teaching students how to analyze what they are studying. One district relies heavily on Bible cartoons from Hanna-Barbera for its high school class. Students in another district spend two days watching what lesson plans describe a “the historic documentary Ancient Aliens,” which presents “a new interpretation of angelic beings described as extraterrestrials.”

If we take a closer look at that first point about using the Old Testament version of racial origins, this chart from one of the education guides is on page 22 of the abridged report:

http://www.tfn.org/s....pdf?docID=3422

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I'm old enough to recall when I was young that Southern political and religious advocates of racial segregation used to pull that one about blacks being descendents from Noah's cursed son - Ham, as the reason why race-mixing couldn't be allowed. Are today's Texans smart enough to leave that one in the past? Or is what's old, new again?

[betsy]

Texas Public School Bible Classes Teach Races Come from Noah’s Sons, Biblical Literalism, 6000-year-old Earth

So what! Good for them for having the guts!

Secular classrooms teaches assumptions for facts!

[BubberMiley]

These people are not truly of God. They are more interesting in sowing division among his children than uniting them.

Edited January 25, 2013 by BubberMiley

[Mighty AC]

Unbelievable! I find myself embarrassed by what my future grandchildren will think of my generation based on stories like these. This is just another example of why religion is so dangerous. It's not surprising that the Texas Republicans also want to ban the teaching of higher order thinking skills. Critical thinking may hamper the Christian institutionalized indoctrination initiative. Or as the kids call it, the CI3.

I'm old enough to recall when I was young that Southern political and religious advocates of racial segregation used to pull that one about blacks being descendents from Noah's cursed son - Ham, as the reason why race-mixing couldn't be allowed. Are today's Texans smart enough to leave that one in the past? Or is what's old, new again?

Christian "values" are being discussed in another thread and religious justification for racism is just another example of how societal values determine how mainstream Christians interpret and cherry pick from the Bible.

[bush_cheney2004]

I'm old enough to recall when I was young that Southern political and religious advocates of racial segregation used to pull that one about blacks being descendents from Noah's cursed son - Ham, as the reason why race-mixing couldn't be allowed. Are today's Texans smart enough to leave that one in the past? Or is what's old, new again?

...and I'm old enough to recall that "blacks" and other "visible minorities" were subject to such discrimination in Canada (and the U.S.) for no Biblical reason at all !

[Canuckistani]

...and I'm old enough to recall that "blacks" and other "visible minorities" were subject to such discrimination in Canada (and the U.S.) for no Biblical reason at all !

Must have been born yesterday, since last I looked that is still the case today. Canada, US, most places. Not sure what that has to do with WIP' point. We certainly don't teach that crap in Canada in public schools, but it seems the US does.

Edited January 25, 2013 by Canuckistani

[g_bambino]

Secular classrooms teaches assumptions for facts!

Very, very, very well founded assumptions, unlike assumptions based on.... well, to quote Willy Wonka, "pure imagination".

Good for them for having the guts!

Well, then you should be pushing for classrooms to teach the Star Trek theory on the origins of humanoid life in the universe. Be brave, betsy! Be brave!

[g_bambino]

Not sure what that has to do with WIP' point.

Absolutely nothing. Just him starting his Canada vs. USA bit as a lead in to complaining about how Canadians can't stop comparing themselves to Americans.

[WIP]

Unbelievable! I find myself embarrassed by what my future grandchildren will think of my generation based on stories like these. This is just another example of why religion is so dangerous. It's not surprising that the Texas Republicans also want to ban the teaching of higher order thinking skills. Critical thinking may hamper the Christian institutionalized indoctrination initiative. Or as the kids call it, the CI3.

Christian "values" are being discussed in another thread and religious justification for racism is just another example of how societal values determine how mainstream Christians interpret and cherry pick from the Bible.

But I wanted to underline the return of race theory because this is more dangerous than teaching people that the earth is flat and was created 6000 years ago. You may have noticed online that the conservatives jump on the Abolitionist anti-slavery bandwagon for rhetorical purposes; but in actual fact, the literalists were the ones who provided the ideological justification for slavery by declaring that black Africans were descendents of Noah's cursed son. Worth noting that the major Protestant denominations (Baptists, Methodists) in the U.S. split over the slavery issue in the leadup to the Civil War, with the other side pulling bible quotes that declared all were equal under God. The Abolitionists had no choice other than to follow a more liberal approach to using their Bibles, since most of the Bible verses....even in the NT, not only fail to challenge slavery, but even provide a Christian cover i.e. Christian slaves are admonished by Paul to be extra-devoted slaves etc. So, the new fundamentalists may not go the whole nine yards back to slavery, but they are starting the process of justifying segregation again, and putting racial purity in their Christian Nation mythology.

[BubberMiley]

Absolutely nothing. Just him starting his Canada vs. USA bit as a lead in to complaining about how Canadians can't stop comparing themselves to Americans.

One of the worst aspects of Alzheimer's is how it makes you forget that you're repeating yourself.

[sharkman]

What else do you expect them to teach in a Bible class? Evolution?

[betsy]

Very, very, very well founded assumptions,

Refer to the the sample documentary how evolutionists explain the history of our planet, from the movie EXPELLED. I've seen another docu from CBC way back. They didn't even attempt to explain how those floating "thingies" suddenly appear in the water...suddenly, they were just there! Probably that's how the movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was inspired!

The conclusion, "Whatever caused it," regarding how life started on earth is not a well-founded assumption. Compared to the Bible, your assumption is zit....zit, that's been squished at that.

Keep being in denial. That's understandble. There's nothing else for you to back you up. If not for secularism, you've been long laughed out of the schoolrooms!

unlike assumptions based on.... well, to quote Willy Wonka, "pure imagination".

From panspermia...to the "yogurt" soup....to aliens from outer space....it's your scientists who's got such vivid imaginations!

It's your team that believes in leprechauns, and fairies....spacemen wearing pasta strainers for helmets....spaghetti monsters that came in "magic pies in the sky!" UFO...whooo-whoooo! You guys are actually the Twilight Zone crowd!

Ha-ha-ha! Funny how almost everything you guys threw at Christianity got neatly thrown back in your faces! Fitting perfectly so! With proof to boot from your big mouthed guru! Ha-ha-ha-ha.

Well, then you should be pushing for classrooms to teach the Star Trek theory on the origins of humanoid life in the universe.

You are!!!! You believe your ancestors came in what seems like flying saucers (aptly described as "magic pie in the sky"). It's now a question of what they are! Who knows....they could be the leprechauns....or the fairies....or most likely, the spaghetti monsters!

Be brave, betsy! Be brave!

By that, I guess you don't know what being "brave" really means.

Edited January 26, 2013 by betsy

[Guest Manny]

Haha, thank you Mr. Spock. Or better yet, Will Wheaton

[Michael Hardner]

Posting gag image after image is not discussion.

[Sleipnir]

Secular classrooms teaches assumptions for facts!

Let us assume that bears and fish are not the same species.

Let us assume that ingesting cyanide is can be lethal.

Let us assume that 1+1=2.

Let us assume that Zimbabwe is located in Africa.

Let us assume that negative and positive charges attracts.

Let us assume that black is not a colour.

Let us assume that oak is a stronger, heavier wood than cedar.

Posting gag image after image is not discussion.

How about posting a gag image without positing an after gag image?

Edited January 26, 2013 by Sleipnir

[betsy]

Posting gag image after image is not discussion.

Tell them!

However, sometimes, a gag image is worth a thousand words.

[betsy]

Let us assume that bears and fish are not the same species.

Let us assume that ingesting cyanide is can be lethal.

Let us assume that 1+1=2.

Let us assume that Zimbabwe is located in Africa.

Let us assume that negative and positive charges attracts.

Let us assume that black is not a colour.

Let us assume that oak is a stronger, heavier wood than cedar.

We're talking about the beginning, Sleipnir. Start from the beginning. Assume that.

You're changing the channel.....being obtuse....or not getting it?

You guys just want to skip it, don't ya?

Edited January 26, 2013 by betsy

[Sleipnir]

Start from the beginning, Sleipnir. Start from the beginning.

The assumption that bears and fish are not the same species?

Edited January 26, 2013 by Sleipnir

[betsy]

The assumption that bears and fish are not the same species?

come back to me when you've got something to say, ok?

Edited January 26, 2013 by betsy

[Guest Manny]

Let us assume that bears and fish are not the same species.

Let us assume that ingesting cyanide is can be lethal.

Let us assume that 1+1=2.

Let us assume that Zimbabwe is located in Africa.

Let us assume that negative and positive charges attracts.

Let us assume that black is not a colour.

Let us assume that oak is a stronger, heavier wood than cedar.

What do you mean here, is someone disputing points such as these? I haven't heard of it.

It's the stuff that can't be proved, that's the problem.

[Smallc]

Posting gag image after image is not discussion.

Lighten up.

[Sleipnir]

It's the stuff that can't be proved, that's the problem.

You don't have a concept of what it takes to prove something.

Example:

You demand proof to see that rabbits and beavers are not the same species.

You demand proof that 1+1=2.

I rest my case

[Guest Manny]

You don't have a concept of what it takes to prove something.

Example:

You demand proof to see that rabbits and beavers are not the same species.

You demand proof that 1+1=2.

I rest my case

No no you misunderstood. I meant, things that are easily proven are not in dispute. Such as your list. Other things where there is no clear empirical proof are up for debate. You know the usual stuff. Creation, or the foundations of reality. Or the definition of human being.

Simply put there are things we as a society have been arguing about since maybe the dawn of time, and always will!

Except for the 1+1 part...

[kimmy]

What else do you expect them to teach in a Bible class? Evolution?

So does the Bible actually teach that black people are descendents of Ham, or is that an interpretation that's been added since then?

(Honest question.)

-k

[bush_cheney2004]

So does the Bible actually teach that black people are descendents of Ham, or is that an interpretation that's been added since then?

(Honest question.)

So where did the "white people" come from....honest question.