A teacher in California was prohibited from giving his students copies of the Declaration of Independence and other historical documents because they referenced God.
A Maryland school district ruled that the history of the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving will be taught with any references to God or Christianity forbidden.
Dear Christian brothers and sisters, are YOUR children still in the government schools?
Hi, Dory!
Oh, it's this kind of thing that makes my heart go up into my throat. How much more obvious can it get?! They aren't teaching history, but destroying a country.
Did you receive the email I sent you on Sunday? I attached a small graphics file on it to show you ... Maybe you have spam software that kept it from getting to you?
Posted by: Valerie | November 26, 2004 at 10:15 AM
Umm... if you read further on these two cases, the word "god" wasn't the issue; it turns out in both cases the teacher took things too far and really was in the wrong. Please don't believe everything that the conservative legal foundations and Fred Phelps tell you -- take the time to find out for yourself what the truth is behind these cases. In the California case, the issue had more to do with the "supplementary" reading the teacher was handing out to his studnets, which amounted to proselytizing literature not permitted by the schools. Think if a Jewish or Islamic teacher handed out proselytizing material in the class -- you would be upset then.
If you folks who believe in God would use the brains he gave you to find out the facts instead of believing what every tinpot evangelist with a need for publicity tells you, this world would be a less stressful place and the rest of us might be more willing to listen to you when you have informed opinions to give.
think about it.
Posted by: dejah thoris | November 27, 2004 at 06:37 PM
Dejah,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. As to my source of information, it was the news sources I linked to, not any foundation nor the person you referenced (of whom I have never heard).
The Maryland case had nothing to do with any one teacher; it was about a stated policy of the school district that specifically forbids any references by students or teachers to thanking God at Thanksgiving--either now or in regards to what the Pilgrims were doing. In the California case, the "proselytising literature" you speak of was samples of historical documents and the writings of our country's founders.
You seem to assume that people are trying to add Christianity into our history. To me it seems to be just the opposite--the religious sentiments and debates of our history are being purged for the sake of an artificial religious neutrality. That is not education; it is propaganda. The truth is, religious debates were raging during the time of our nation's founding. I, for one, would probably not agree with much of the sentiment expressed in the documents that were handed out, but I want my child to understand the nature of the debates that shaped our history rather than be sheltered from them for fear he might agree with something with which I disagree.
As for people of Islamic or Jewish faiths--or any faith other than atheism or agnosticism for that matter--I can't understand why anyone who sincerely holds to those beliefs would want to teach in or have their children taught in a school system such as our government schools. My comments, however, were addressed to my Christian brothers and sisters because our faith directs us to educate our children in a Christ-centered way.
Posted by: Dory | November 27, 2004 at 08:53 PM