As Texas Dumbs Down, So Does the USA

[Drifterwood]

Or the fact that they cannot imagine any religion other than their own. For, in their mind, theirs is the one, true religion. And that is why church and state should forever be kept separate.

Sadly it is easier said than done, religions can be insidious little buggers.

 

[Bbucko]

:wink:

For the sake of others.

It is the other way around. It is how you achieve 1500 years of unenlightenment..

I think you're giving the enlightenment at least 250 years too much history, darling.

 

[JustAsking]

Sadly it is easier said than done, religions can be insidious little buggers.

And so can governments. All in all, a bad combination.

 

[Drifterwood]

I think you're giving the enlightenment at least 250 years too much history, darling.

I'm generous like that :wink:.

 

[Calboner]

Just for laughs:

ID Creationist Bingo

(Edited to add From the same site (JA, did you design this one?):

Where would we be if we taught creationism as science?

 

[D_Fiona_Farvel]

Highly educated sounds great. California is bankrupt. A high percentage of the state is illiterate. They pilfered away zillions of dollars in real estate taxes from the dot-com boom. They are sending IOU notes to people in leiu of tax refunds.

Sounds like paradise.

The issue with property taxes pre-dates the "dot-com boom" and is something California must address if it wants to maintain, much less improve, the educational system. The state also needs to reassess its oil taxation scheme, but that's another issue.

There are tons more from James Madison, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, and so on. Consider this one from Jefferson:

"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." --- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, Aug. 10, 1787

If that is not pure Enlightenment thinking, nothing is. Whether modern day fundamentalists like it or not, our founding fathers were deists, freemasons, and Enlightenment freethinkers.

As a Christian, I am a staunch defender of separation of church and state. I have no idea why fundamentalists would want to invite a government into their religion.

Hear, hear! Great posts!
I am not religious, but still wonder why one would want to further blur the distinction between faith and civil life. Particularly in education, where fact and faith are too often in conflict and in need of some measure of neutrality to create the right environment for open community discussion and evaluation.

A word of advice Nicky666...
When multiple people who have nothing in common find a grievance with your viewpoints, that could be a sign that you're crazy.

 

[JustAsking]

There is hope for Texas yet! Even if it requires the Federal Courts to dispense it.

 

[B_VinylBoy]

And that's why I said "could" and not "is" _exotiKittie. Context does count for something around here even if some people choose to disregard it. indeed.

 

[Calboner]

There is hope for Texas yet! Even if it requires the Federal Courts to dispense it.

According to the article, the court found that "ICRGS [the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School] has not put forth evidence sufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact with respect to any claim it brings." Read that a few times and ponder it.

Though it has given up its plan for a graduate school, the ICR will have a School of Biblical Apologetics, which will offer a degree of Master of Christian Education, which will be "exempt from licensing by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board" and from "being required to be accredited by any secular or ecumenical or other type of accrediting association."

 

[Bbucko]

According to the article, the court found that "ICRGS [the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School] has not put forth evidence sufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact with respect to any claim it brings." Read that a few times and ponder it.

Though it has given up its plan for a graduate school, the ICR will have a School of Biblical Apologetics, which will offer a degree of Master of Christian Education, which will be "exempt from licensing by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board" and from "being required to be accredited by any secular or ecumenical or other type of accrediting association."

Yeah I read that. My first thought was "credentialed ignorance"

 

[JustAsking]

According to the article, the court found that "ICRGS [the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School] has not put forth evidence sufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact with respect to any claim it brings." Read that a few times and ponder it.

That pretty much defines Creation Science, doesn't it?

Though it has given up its plan for a graduate school, the ICR will have a School of Biblical Apologetics, which will offer a degree of Master of Christian Education, which will be "exempt from licensing by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board" and from "being required to be accredited by any secular or ecumenical or other type of accrediting association."

What is the alternative? What criteria would you use to give creditation to this program? Certainly the state could not set up criteria for a religious program?

I think this whole thing strikes the right Constitutional balance. It protects science education based on the Establishment Clause. But it also allows freedom of religious expression. You might not like the resulting bogus program, but I think you would like it less if the state of Texas got into the religious accreditation business.