Arkansas proposes Bible Curriculum
Offline http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-arkansas-lawmaker-proposes-bible-curriculum-story,0,4638648.story?track=rss
Bible Proposed For Arkansas Public Schools.
By
April Smith
A big book that carries a lot of weight and can stir some strong opinions, especially when it comes to whether public school students should get a schooling on the bible.
"I was brought up in a high school and in my early school years we had prayer and said the pledge and I honestly believe a Christian based education would be fabulous today," says Jack Standford of Earle, Arkansas.
Some Arkansas lawmakers think so too.
Senator Denny Altes of Fort Smith is pre-filing a bill requiring the Arkansas Department of Education to create a bible curriculum.
School districts would have the option to adopt it.
Some say it's a good idea considering what schools are facing.
"We have dropout rates. If they get God in school and everything, young people will know they can accomplish anything they want to," says Roy Brown of West Memphis.
"Spirituality whether it's Christianity or the bible, we don't have that now and I think it's caused a lot of problems," says Tip Senhausen of Horse Shoe Lake.
Reports say the bible course would be taught objectively, similar to religion courses now in a few districts.
Eighteen year old Ikeia Smith believes it can help with academics and behavior, but also sees the other side.
"It can be kind of discriminatory because some students might not believe in that. Some students might not have their religion based on the bible. I mean for me, I would love it because I am all for the bible," says Smith.
West Memphis' School Superintendent says he has heard about the proposal, but because he has not seen it for himself, he can't comment on it.
Expect to hear a lot more about it during the upcoming Arkansas legislative session.
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“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
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So... the kids are failing, the teachers aren't teaching, they need to improve the situation... and teaching the bible is going to help - how?
Oh, I know! 'Spare the rod, spoil the child'.
Just another prime example of Christians not accepting responsibility for their failures and 'turning it over to the Lord'.
Is the school system now responsible for teaching kids the difference between right and wrong? Seems like this is what their motive is: 'if the parents can't control their kids, by god, we will'.
Isn't Arkansas about the most ass-backward state in the Union? I don't see this happening in CA or, NJ.
'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' A. Einstein
I don't know why all of that computer stuff posted on the end of the article ? But, unlike regular posts, I do not see an edit button on a topic posting like a forum posting.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
hmmm....
Le vent souffle sur les tombes
La liberté reviendra
On nous oubliera
Nous rentrerons dans l'ombre
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
I think something was lost in the translation.
'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' A. Einstein
Xians will never stop trying to concinve themselves and everyone around them that belief in the Oogy Boogy Monster is the answer to all of our problems. That reason is a curse and reality is only a dream.
They fill me with a sense of dread.
A more idiomatic translation from here: http://www.sebastianhayes.co.uk/?page_id=38
The wind whistles above the graves./ Freedom will return/ We will be forgotten/We will pass into the shadows
Perhaps iwbiek is hoping this, too, will pass. People keep doing the same thing over and over, hoping for a different outcome. We are all guilty of this - even me. Here's hoping we gain some sanity and quit praying to an imaginary friend. It doesn't work, it doesn't confer peace, morals, lawfulness, or a drug free life. Someday, people may wake up and get off their butts and fix the problems themselves, but I'm not holding my breath.
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
They mentioned this story again on the ten o'clock news last night.
I watched random people on the television ranting and raving about Bible studies might do something to curb drug use and sex among teens. A stupid argument if I ever heard one.
One of the main people pushing for this was using the old creationist trick argument : We ain't trying to make people believe we just want equal time in the classroom for kids to know their options.
Wait a minute, if that is his goal, then he should have classes with the Koran, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, The Bhagavad Gita, the Torah, Wiccan classes, Hindu classes, Shamanism classes and even Dianetics classes. If you want to push one book of superstitious nonsense onto children and call it "equal time". Then in order to be fair, you would have to have time for ALL of the nonsense to get taught.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' A. Einstein
Just show them a graph of violent crime rates over time correlated to religious beliefs in western countries.
Oh wait, sex is more harmful that murder and kids born before 1960 never had sex before marriage, so never-mind.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
I would like to see this get turned around on these evangelic pole-smokers....
I would like the state legislature to "run" with this idea... But...only impose a balanced theology ciriculum in public schools..... so that they could teach little would-be brainwashed boys & girls about *ALL* religion... It is my belief that educating younf people about religion would create a huge crop of young atheists....
www.RichWoodsBlog.com
This makes me so glad that one of my children finished from 8th grade in Texas schools. My youngest is currently attending a Texas school and is in special ed and this by far is the best special ed I've ever seen. Not to mention I let it be well known that I am atheist and I do not want anything to do with religion pushed on my kid. I was told the other day that he didn't do the pledge of allegence. I almost replied, so? This isn't one nation under god and I've already told y'all my disbelief. I'm tempted to go tell the principle that I want my son exemt from the pledge of allegence until they take out the words " one nation unger god".
If all the Christians who have called other Christians " not really a Christian " were to vanish, there'd be no Christians left.
it's from "the song of the french partisan," a song about the french resistance against the nazis. it's basically me being tongue-in-cheek about encroaching fascism in america. i just hope it won't get to the point where partisan warfare will be necessary.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson