ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) — Georgia is poised to introduce two literature classes on the Bible in public schools next year, a move some critics say would make the state the first to take an explicit stance endorsing — and funding — biblical teachings. The Bible already is incorporated into some classes in Georgia and other states, but some critics say the board’s move, which makes the Bible the classes’ main text, treads into dangerous turf.
Why do we pretend they are telling the truth here about their intent? They aren’t. This is a blatant attempt to preach to other people’s kids on the federal dime.The real result of this will he huge classes (due to incredible peer-pressure and no class size limits) and preaching (oc Christianity) by teachers and students. On your tax dollar.
FlyingWeasel,
You know, you are right – that’s vulgar and crass. I will take care of the offending posts.
Phreedm Is A Dumbass – do you really want to base your online personality on someone who you seem to hold in such low regard? Come on. What happened to ‘take the high road’, constructive criticism, and intelligent debate?
Phreedm can be frustrating, and is often just plain wrong. But sometimes, just sometimes, there is a grain of truth in what he says from which all of us might learn something.
Apologies to all who are offended by my (minimal) actions.
Phreedm lives in the south I can imagine. The mentality of the south is very different. It’s almost a proud ignorance as I see it. If you ask a proud southerner about the civil war they will call it the war of Northern oppression and say it wasn’t over slavery. The ones like phreedm really get annoyed when Northerners and Californians come down here and try to intergrate some of that culture into this society. Fundamentalist xianity is all they know and it’s usually limited to the church they go to and have gone to most of their life. When you speak of these ideas you are coming across as challenging and that xian southern pride rises up as a defense mechanism because southern xians think everyone makes fun of rednecks and that shouldn’t happen. I mean no insult to phreedm but am giving my observation of the southern xian mindset as I see it.
TXatheist,
I have lived in the North, the West and currently in the South. In my experience there is little difference between the regions. Each area has its hicks, it’s ultra conservatives, and its progressives. Each area tends to take religion seriously. And in each area people, regardless of their politics and religious persuasions are generally decent, friendly people.
Sure there are bigots, but no locale has that market cornered.
Regarding the civil war, I’ve never heard it described as ‘the war of Northern Oppression’, and I’m interested in what you consider as the issue behind the civil war. From the history I’ve read (I’m not a product of the US education system), prior to hostilities, the issue at hand regarding slavery was not a the elimination of the practice, but a reduction in the rate of expansion in to new states. At some time during the war it became politically expedient to advocate the elimination of slavery to forestall any international assistance coming to the aid of the South.
I’ve never heard it referred to as “‘the war of Northern Oppression’” either…only as “the war of Northern Aggression”.
HeatheNZ,
I’ve lived in Illinois, California and Texas. In IL religion was almost as irrelevent as it was in California. I didn’t realize how much religion was a concern until I moved to Texas where it’s infused into many public affairs. Yeah, the first time I heard war of Northern Oppression and war of Northern Aggression I was shocked.
The reason for the CW in my understanding? Economics that would hinder the South. That leads into cheap labor and hence slavery as the key issue. “States rights” is code word for slavery.
Now that you got me on the topic I’ll explain the current system of legalized slavery. Why is the South so anti-union? They’d have to pay illegals a decent wage with benefits. It would give laborers a solid voice. Right now illegals build do the construction, mow yards, bus tables, wash dishes and many other physical labor jobs.
TXatheist,
I guess I’ve been following you around. I’ve lived in Chicago, the Bay Area and not Atlanta – in that order. There certainly are many more churches per capita in suburbia in Altanta than there seemed to be in Chicago or CA – however not so in South Chicago… going through the projects one tends to see an inordinate number of churches (and liquor stores).
Having said that, I’ve not noticed any greater degree of intrusion of religion in my sphere of interest from one place to another. just my experience.
I like your point about illegal immigrants. It’s valid and interesting. And I think it’s immoral to tacitly accept a second-class of people in this society.
Thanks and I am not directly talking about churches per capita but the culture that brings the church teachings out into everyday life. I’m sure there are plenty of churches in Illinois where I grew up but my best friends in high school went to Catholic junior high and they never talked about god or church. Not here in Texas, those darn fish emblems are everywhere. I’d say 5-10% of the cars have them.
TXatheist:
Try living here in Colorado Springs ? home of the Dobson cult.
I’ve lived in Southern California, Arizona, Nebraska and now, Colorado. I’ve spent a lot of time in the south and northern mid-west, and my experiences reflect that of HeathNZ?s ? these regions are all similar in their religiousness. The only exception was living in rural Nebraska ? where there seemed to be a far greater intrusion of the religious into one’s life than when living in large population centers. Maybe that?s the distinction? At least, in my experience.
I think your point about illegal immigrants is accurate. From my perspective, it’s also common in other regions of the US. Rural Nebraskan’s, at least those I was exposed to, had a very anti-immigrant attitude. More specifically, an anti-Mexican attitude. It seemed ironic to me that a region so proud of their religious (Christian) beliefs would be so intolerant of an entire ethnic group.
DVanWechel,
I am sure your right. We did live in Pueblo (West) for a few years. I only made it to the Springs to see the Airforce Academy and that was a one time trip as an 11 year old so I didn’t pay attention to religion at that time.
I have to say at least our Texas boy Benny Hinn gets a bad name as a televangelist. My brother in Cincinnati will soon get to brag that he lives right next to the Ken Hamm creation museum, oh boy.
The Ken Hamm Creation Museum? Creation and museum – two words that should never be used in that context.
Does that mean that Ken Hamm is responsible for creation? : )
I’m gonna have to agree with DVanWechel. Yes Greek mythology is taught in schools but really nobody takes that seriously. People just can’t relate to it. The bible on the other hand is sadly still seen as fact and anyone who believes in it will take it literally. NOT a good idea
it was the war of northern aggression.yankee hypocrites tried to start slave revolts that would have killed countless innocents black&white.
as for phreedm i can understand his frustration.growing substance abuse,breakdown of family even i as a atheist am disgusted at the direction of our society.
I have never been approached by as many xians seeking to save my soul as on the streets of San Francisco. I think that some regions of the USA are more religious than others but in my experience there are ignorant rednecks in New York City and educated progressives in small town Texas. No place is immune from stupidity in spite of what many Europeans want to believe.
Comment from: DVanWechel
Hey thanks for agreeing…so much for “sin” argument…
Asshole farted: Hey thanks for agreeing…so much for “sin” argument…
touch?, scumbag….
Thanks reason for proving my point. Yankees tried to get the immoral and lazy southerners to do the work and not use blacks. It leads right into my point of illegals doing the slave labor today. Southerners say they don’t want immigrants but they don’t want to do the work themselves.
alexatheist,
I wish you were right but 1.5 years ago we Texans voted on the gay marriage thing. I think 82 percent were against it so don’t give us too much credit
alex,
you’re kidding. In San Francisco? what is this world coming to?
So long as the approach to teaching the Bible as literature is deconstructive, with an empasis on Christian cultural transmission by means of intertextuality (in other words, how Christian ideas came to dominate the Western literary canon), then I’m all for it. Post-structuralist feminists have taken such an approach to literary analysis for decades. It’s high time for atheists to do the same.
Dave,
You don’t seem to have much faith in other people. No offense, but I think you might be a little out of touch with the youth. A lot of kids today are renouncing religion, either as atheists or agnostics. A lot of kids even mock religion. So honestly, I don’t think the peer pressure will be too great, and there are bound to be some kids in the class that if it starts getting too preachy they’ll start arguing with the teachers. Not to mention that a lot of english teachers, in my experience anyways, are not that religious themselves. So if english teachers are teaching these courses it shouldn’t get too out of hand. The only people in the classes to worry about would be the jocks who are trying to show off by arguing for the bible or the religious nuts.
As a military member stationed in GA, I have first hand knowledge of the religious attitudes here. Like many of you, I believe that religion in general, and the bible in particular, could be an optional course in public schools under two conditions;
1) The Christian bible should not be the only text taught
2) It should be taught as the fiction that it is–in a mythology class
Unfortunately, my experience as an open atheist have shown me that those conditions will almost certainly never be met in GA. I work with men whose wives teach in the public schools here, and they are some of the most devout people I’ve ever met. It’s too bad. Many of the people here need to see ALL of the bible.