Texas Board of Education at it again Banning textbooks

[kennyc]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6893460.shtml

(CBS/AP) Texas' State Board of Education - following a long history of throwing itself into "culture war" issues - is set to vote Friday on a resolution calling on textbook publishers to limit what they print about Islam in world history books.

The resolution cites world history books no longer used in Texas schools that it says devoted more lines of text to Islamic beliefs and practices than Christian beliefs and practices.

"Diverse reviewers have repeatedly documented gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions in social studies texts," reads a draft of the resolution, which would not be binding on future boards that will choose the state's next generation of social studies texts. .....

see link for rest...

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by kennyc

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6893460.shtml

(CBS/AP) Texas' State Board of Education - following a long history of throwing itself into "culture war" issues - is set to vote Friday on a resolution calling on textbook publishers to limit what they print about Islam in world history books.

The resolution cites world history books no longer used in Texas schools that it says devoted more lines of text to Islamic beliefs and practices than Christian beliefs and practices.

"Diverse reviewers have repeatedly documented gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions in social studies texts," reads a draft of the resolution, which would not be binding on future boards that will choose the state's next generation of social studies texts. .....

see link for rest...

Well it certainly is the right of a government to protect its culture and values... nobody can be truly impartial. What do the majority of Texans believe in?

[kennyc]

Well, it is certainly the responsibility of the government to follow the will of the people, but not to impose unfounded beliefs and restraints on education, and in particular not to impose specific religious beliefs on government institutions which is strictly prohibited by the constitution.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well, it is certainly the responsibility of the government to follow the will of the people, but not to impose unfounded beliefs and restraints on education, and in particular not to impose specific religious beliefs on government institutions which is strictly prohibited by the constitution.

Yeah but to favor something that the majority of people don't believe is not good. The constitution also protects the culture of the nation. So if theres too much Islam coming out of these books.... got to censor it.

[GlennD]

Originally Posted by terrazoids

Well it certainly is the right of a government to protect its culture and values... nobody can be truly impartial. What do the majority of Texans believe in?

I would like to think that a majority of Texans, even if they are Christian, see the Crusaders as "invaders" and "violent attackers". That was the only example that the article gave of objectionable material, and I'd have a tough time disagreeing with that assessment of the Crusaders.

History isn't science - there's always going to be interpretation and cultural filtering. The board of education should be looking for a balanced textbook for their students, not necessarily one that just reaffirms their values.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by GlennD

I would like to think that a majority of Texans, even if they are Christian, see the Crusaders as "invaders" and "violent attackers". That was the only example that the article gave of objectionable material, and I'd have a tough time disagreeing with that assessment of the Crusaders.

History isn't science - there's always going to be interpretation and cultural filtering. The board of education should be looking for a balanced textbook for their students, not necessarily one that just reaffirms their values.

We're dealing kids here who need to be instilled with the best and right values. Well In texas these kids are Christian (thank God) so the government must really focus on that.

Oh yeah and the crusaders actually started out defending pilgrims who only wanted to be able to pray and travel to Jerusalem without being robbed and murdered by bandit tribes all the time.

[GlennD]

We're dealing with kids who need to be instilled with the best and right values.....by their parents. The goverment has no defined power to attempt to instill values, as far as I know.

[WT Sharpe]

These people are intent on pushing alternative views of history and science on children that would stand no chance of being taught in first-rate universities.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by GlennD

We're dealing with kids who need to be instilled with the best and right values.....by their parents. The goverment has no defined power to attempt to instill values, as far as I know.

No but the government can properly support the will of the people.... and in this case the people don't want their kids growing believing in Islam.

The people exist within a state, the state within a nation, the nation under God. Check out the state constitutions, God is referenced in loads of places.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

These people are intent on pushing alternative views of history and science on children that would stand no chance of being taught in first-rate universities.

Gee that sounds a little condescending. Oh and whats the alternative view?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by terrazoids

Gee that sounds a little condescending. Oh and whats the alternative view?

If you look at the history of this situation in Texas there have been multiple attempts to prevent teaching of the theory of evolution and to force teaching of creationism/religion and in forcing the text books to do the same.

[GeoffC]

I thought we were all one World, all descended from a few escapees from Africa ....

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by kennyc

If you look at the history of this situation in Texas there have been multiple attempts to prevent teaching of the theory of evolution and to force teaching of creationism/religion and in forcing the text books to do the same.

Well don't you think that if you had to choose between the two religion definitely wins out. I mean you could have a person who knows loads about evolution but doesn't know whats right from wrong. Teaching only evolution could lead to a nation of social Darwinists! And sometimes hearing about kids these days, I'm scared that where we're going....

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

I thought we were all one World, all descended from a few escapees from Africa ....

That's what is believed, in fact a few as 600 breeding pairs based on DNA analysis. We just barely hung in by the skin of our teeth.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by kennyc

That's what is believed, in fact a few as 600 breeding pairs based on DNA analysis. We just barely hung in by the skin of our teeth.

Got to break to you... Actually we're all just descended from just one pair. Says so right in the Bible.