Buckster

Hmmm... I wonder...

While the teachers' "lesson plans" for the course may be very fair, neutral and meet general acceptance, what about the object of study itself?

Won't this put a Christian bible in public school classrooms? Maybe even one for each student to be used as references or something? I mean, how else does one study "Hebrew Scriptures" when there is no other "student textbook" (per the article) to study them from?

And isn't that REALLY the point, after all? To get the Christian bible into the hands and minds of public school kids?

Otherwise, what is so particularly important about teaching PUBLIC SCHOOL children (my children) "Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures"?

Also, I don't know about anyone else, but the word "Introduction" brings to MY mind that something MORE in depth will follow. Gee... I wonder WHAT?

Hmmm... How about, "Introduction to the GREEK Scriptures"? That sounds interesting, huh? And after all, it's just a logical next course from one that's already been legally approved and taught (if it happens), so there's some precedence there that everything's A-OK. Besides, we've already got all these bibles IN the PUBLIC classrooms now from the Hebrew course, so it couldn't hurt...

I dunno... I'm thinking slippery, very SLIPPERY, slope...

[ February 17, 2002: Message edited by: Buckster ]</p>

Larmer

I wouldn't have had a problem taking a world religion course, as long as it was an elective. We actually had a good debate about that in World Issues in OAC. Everyone found it was strange that I was for it... I also thought of taking one here at University, but since my fuck up last year, I don't have time for any courses other than my majors.

atheist_in_foxhole

Look at this:

CHATTANOOGA - Rhea County school board members voted unanimously Thursday night to appeal a federal judge's ruling that ordered an end to Bible classes that had been taught for 51 years in the county's public schools.

"The judge cited areas we can fix to bring the program within the guidelines of the law; however, these changes would water down the content of the message," board member Bruce Majors told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "We can tell the Bible as history or allegory. But what we want is to teach our children that the Bible is the truth. Our only course is an appeal."

<a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_989264,00.html" target="_blank">Full article</a>

So, they want to teach students in PUBLIC schools that the Bible is truth? Their chances for winning the appeal just went from slim to none. What a bunch of maroons!

[ February 18, 2002: Message edited by: atheist_in_foxhole ]</p>

Heleilu

Hi, Rosie! What college in Memphis do you attend? Both my parents graduated from Rhodes, then known as Southwestern at Memphis.

Mojo-Jojo: Why does Nashville get all the professional sports teams, while Memphis has the Redbirds? Answer that and I think you'll understand.

Rosiel

Hi Heleilu! I'm going to the University of Memphis (once known as Memphis State).

On topic, I just heard on the midday news that the class has been approved and that depending on how many students sign up, it could begin in the fall. -_-

MOJO-JOJO

Well you got the Grizzlies!! (but then they began losing)

Your question underscores the hidden meaning behind Tom Hanks "ice-breaker" question to Helen Hunt in "Cast Away" (when first seeing her after 4 years).

The only thing more upsetting to him later was when he discovered what was in the package that he had saved to deliver in the end....(a waterproof, solar-powered, satellite phone )

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: MOJO-JOJO ]</p>

MOJO-JOJO

Well, I wouldn't say "maroons"......just a bunch of god-fearin', country folk from down Chattanooga way that haven't been enlightened by the good people here at the SecWeb. The people from Rhea County and the Chattanooga region are just friendly, intolerant, JEE-ZUS lovin' backwoods bible thumpers. But Chattanooga has also produced one of the world's richest and most well-known atheists in the world too.....Ted Turner!

The worst thing I have to put up with at my daughter's school is a prayer at the flagpole every Monday morning by the fundies from the church next door. One of these days, I think I'll join in, and at the end of the prayer I'll say out loud "PRAISE ALLAH!"

I mean.....shouldn't other gods get equal time at the pole??

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: MOJO-JOJO ]</p>

ohwilleke

I can't even begin to think about what a bad day I would be having if I was the school district's lawyer. I'd go buy a box of maroons or something to ease my pain I guess.

kcr

This worries me, mostly becasue of the context.

I live in Memphis, so i am fairly familiar with the history and the area.

First, while certain sections of Memphis may be more cosmopolitan than the state as a whole, it is still a deeply religious city. Remember, the head of the Sourthern baptist Convention has his church in a suburb.

Second, Shelby county officials have tried to institute a bible study class as part of the curriculum. Not bible as history, or art, or literature, or comaparative religions, but bible study.

Taking those two facts into account, I am very concerned that this will be used as an excuse for bible study.

And Nashville got the football team cause the legislatures all wanted soemthng to do when they were in session.

Echo

Ok, I can't think of anything to add to this conversation, but since I was born in Memphis, raised in a little town in East Tenn, and went to college in Nashville, I just had to stick my nose in this Tennessee conversation somewhere.