Texas School Bible course passes constitutional muster in principle
We read:
"A proposed Bible course for public schools would not violate the First Amendment, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Wednesday, although he would not approve any specific curriculum.
In the letter, Abbott's deputy attorney general Andrew Weber said, "We believe that a court would find the proposed (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) facially constitutional. "Because we have not reviewed curricula and courses proposed pursuant to the TEKS and section (of the law), we cannot conclude whether courses offered under that section will be constitutional," Weber wrote....
Board members are not likely to approve more specific standards for the Bible course because the attorney general's letter "just reinforces that the framework is acceptable," said Bradley. The course, which would be voluntary for high school students, is scheduled to take effect in the 2009-10 school year.
Source
No doubt the ACLU will get into the act soon.
6 comments:
I can almost hear the comrades on the 9th Circus in Mexifornia laughing as they strike this one down, and with a vengeance!
I can almost hear the comrades on the 9th Circus in Mexifornia
Texas is covered by the 5th Circuit Court. The 9th Circuit could not have anything to do with this case.
A walk on the fence is less perilous. As long as the course is not faith indoctrination or faith bashing it has a chance of surviving.
In reality atheists should demand mandatory religious teaching in schools. I'm from Finland which is probably in the top 3 of the most secular countries in the world, and I've studied a subject called 'religion' from 1st grade right up to graduation. Nobody was converted by the teacher and if anything it only made the atheists of the class more sure of their ideology.
Teaching started out with regular Sunday school stuff with bible stories etc., then came church history and other common knowledge related things, and finally in "high school" we covered all other major religions as well. That didn't make me a believer but it sure as hell was educational and made studying history and philosophy a lot more interesting.
1- What are Essential SKILLS from teaching religion?(Unless you are going to join the Clergy, of course)
2- Is the course goig to cover all religions, or just one?
Texas is covered by the 5th Circuit Court. The 9th Circuit could not have anything to do with this case.
If this decision is challenged in a CA. court, the 9th Circuit could over rule it.
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