68 Comments
User's avatar
oraxx's avatar
3hEdited

This is grotesquely unconstitutional. The people putting this forward would go out of their tiny little minds at the mere suggestion children were to read from the Koran. Our secular government cannot choose one religion over another, and the public schools are a subdivision of government. The religious right NEVER stops trying to force their religion into the public schools. What they are too dim to grasp is that it is a tacit admission of just how weak their claims are that they need to force feed them to children before they've reached the age of reason.

OwossoHarpist's avatar

How would they feel if many of the stories that students are required to read are from the Quran, the Jewish version of the Old Testament, the Buddhist Sutras, the Hindu text, and so much more?

There's far more religious writings to look at than just the Bible, you know?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

BLASPHEMY! HERESY! DISHPAN HANDS, even! Of course, the bible is the only acceptable holy book to be incorporated into school curricula, according to those people. Hell of it is, I'll pretty much guarantee you they couldn't NAME another such reference.

Personally, I get a kick out of the Mahabharata, myself, and its central story, the Bhagavad Gita ... but that would be verboten, too.

Sko Hayes's avatar

NOT DISHPAN HANDS!!!!

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Yes, yes, YES! The Horror of the Ages! The Bane of Kitchen Workers EVERYWHERE! DISHPAN HANDS! [Dah, dah, DAAAAAAAAH!!!]

Kukaan Ei Missään's avatar

"the Jewish version of the Old Testament, the Buddhist Sutras, the Hindu text"

You missed out the Confucian analects. This, and your examples, all have a version of the golden rule.

OwossoHarpist's avatar

All predating Christianity by several thousand years.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

The Vedas of India are alleged to have an oral tradition that dates back as much as 1,500 years before the carpenter of Galilee showed up. Obviously not easily confirmed, if confirmable at all, but even the first written records of Rig Veda date to 300 BCE.

NOGODZ20's avatar

What would public schoolkids make of Lot drunkenly impregnating both his previously-virgin daughters?

Boreal's avatar

Christian family values but don't say gay.

wreck's avatar

♫In the name of the family values we must ask whose family♫ - Lou Reed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjUr9URGd_M&list=RDJjUr9URGd_M&start_radio=1

Joe King's avatar

"Teacher, were Moab and Ammon Lot's daughter's brothers or sons?"

Stephen Brady's avatar

They don’t plan to let the kiddies read those nasty bits. Nosiree, Bob!

wreck's avatar

Never mind the bibble. Why is Goldilocks on the mandatory reading list? Do they want to teach the kids that's it's okay to break into somebody's house without a judicial warrant?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

So now Texas thinks it can sneak the bible into its classrooms under the radar, in the form of ancillary commentary on other readings. And they feel as though they need "prayer warriors" to accomplish this subterfuge. One would hope that saying the quiet part out loud would be enough to torpedo this misguided effort. Still, this IS Texas.

I'm glad to hear that Texas citizens are vociferous in their opposition to this action. THEY know it's bogus, even as I suspect those trying to accomplish it know. So let's put a STOP to it.

NOGODZ20's avatar
3hEdited

Sorry I'm late. Hemant published an hour earlier than normal.

Teach chidren both Adam & Eve and Noah's Ark? That could lead to embarrassing questions about the biblical god's competence and decision-making skills.

Old Man Shadow's avatar

True, but teaching kids that modern humanity is the product of 5,000 years of incest would probably explain a lot to the kids about living in Texas.

larry parker's avatar

The same thumbnail as yesterday threw me off.

Stephen Brady's avatar

And why there are 2 creation stories… Poor old Lilith is getting short shrift…

larry parker's avatar

“Noah’s Ark” and “Adam & Eve”

Kids gotta learn about incest and genocide somehow.

Joe King's avatar

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠.

So, explicitly violating the First Amendment, specifically 𝘈𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘷 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘱. They want it to go to SCOTUS so they can get that decision overturned. Next on their list is 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘷 𝘝𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 and 𝘔𝘤𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘷 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥, so they can make public schools explicitly Christian indoctrination factories. To clean up this territorial pissing, we might need a floor scrubber instead of just mops.

NOGODZ20's avatar

This latest maneuver by Christian lawmakers is the camel sticking his nose and head further into the tent.

Die Anyway's avatar

The camel better be careful. The occupant of the tent may decide he likes his privacy more than he likes the camel.

Holytape's avatar

I am sure that the passages they will choose are simple morality tales like Ezekiel 23.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel%2023&version=NIV

Sharon Gibson's avatar

It is time to teach Republicans a history lesson. In husband’s home office he always had a faded thermal copy of the list of multiple faiths and philosophies version of “do unto others what you would want done to you.” We taught our three children this philosophical belief. We never needed a church, school, or youth organization to do that for us. As a matter of fact we would not want them to do that for us.

Virtually every major world religion and numerous philosophical traditions include a version of the Golden Rule. While phrased differently—some as a positive command and others as a negative warning—the core principle of empathetic reciprocity remains constant.

The oldest recorded versions date back nearly 4,000 years, originating in Ancient Egyptian literature. While the phrase "Golden Rule" was not coined until the 17th century, the concept appears in some of humanity’s earliest surviving texts:

- Ancient Egypt (~2040–1650 BCE): "The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant" states: "Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do."

- Vedic India (~3000–600 BCE): The Upanishads note: "Let no man do to another that which would be repugnant to himself."

- Ancient China (~500 BCE): Confucius articulated the negative form in the Analects: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others."

- Ancient Greece (~600–500 BCE): Thales advised avoiding actions you would blame others for, a concept later refined by Socrates and Plato.

There are two primary forms of the rule:

- Positive Form: "Do unto others..." (e.g., Leviticus 19:18 and the New Testament).

- Negative Form (Silver Rule): "Do not do unto others..." This version is historically more common and appears in many ancient codes to prohibit harm.

This is similar to the one we had in our home: https://uufhnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Golden-Rules-Marc-Mullinax-Presentation-8.20.17.pdf

Troublesh00ter's avatar

I've always like the version: That which you would not have done to you, do not do to another. Yes, it's a variation on the "Negative Form." I just think it works better.

My $0.02 worth.

Sharon Gibson's avatar

I like that form.

Bensnewlogin's avatar

Hey Texas. How is your power grid doing?

You don’t need it. you have jesus.

NOGODZ20's avatar

They don't even have Ted Cruz whenever there's an emergency. And yet they keep returning him to the Senate. Very illustrative of the Texan mindset.

John Smith's avatar

Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the GODDAMM FUCKING STUPIDITY!

Boreal's avatar

The bible doesn't even qualify as literature. It's the Dollar General Harlequin equivalent of 'literature.'

Alverant's avatar

If Christianity is so good, why does it need to be forced on children who can't refuse? Why does it need the power of the State to spread?

NOGODZ20's avatar

Even their Jesus never tried to impose his way on Gentiles/nonbelievers. Do xtians think they know better than their own savior?

Len's avatar

Silly question.

Stephen Brady's avatar

Well, that was woke Jeebus… not new and improved rethuglican Jeebus - now with lemon-freshened borax, I presume.

Kukaan Ei Missään's avatar

The omniscient saviour who thought that the Noachic flood was real:

"As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.

And they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away. "

Matthew 24:37-39

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Because it's weak tea, with no leg to stand on, and dependent only on the gullibility of those who have been told that it is a good thing ... but you knew that!

Jill Barrow's avatar

I swear to (choose yr deity)!!! I Promise, we Texans are Not as Stupid as this Maga dumbass Troy Nehls - we Aren't, really we're not!!! White Christian Nationalists have gerrymandered our state so that blue voters never have an opportunity to be elected. I would not be upset if a wide, soul-sucking hole to eternal suffering opened up & swallowed up every lying red politician in the state. We haven't had a decent Governor in decades (Abbott is the scum at the bottom of the pond). We're hopeful for the midterms, but...let's hope we'll have free & fair elections (🤞🏻🤞🏻I'm an optimist, but am on shaky ground) - Jasmine Crockett or James Talarico will shake things up, tho I so wish they weren't running for the same seat.

Bensnewlogin's avatar

Good luck to you. But it is indeed texas.

Jill Barrow's avatar

Sigh ... didn't used to be like this...Ann Richard was the last humane person in the Governor's seat (I'm sooooo old😂).

SeekingReason's avatar

That’s a good way to turn off young people. A great road to atheism.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑠𝑚 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑.

-- Isaac Asimov

Evelyn Summers's avatar

Maybe they could require The Song of Solomon as sex education.