Separation of Church and State! Separation of Church and State!
Maryland Textbooks on Islamic Teachings Dumbed Down
A textbook monitoring group said that Maryland middle and high school students will be required to read about Islamic teachings that have been dumbed down and are products of political correctness.
According to the New York Examiner, a new report issued by the American Textbook Council said that administrators who approved books for use in the Montgomery County school district caved into pressure by pro-Islamic groups seeking to present a less violent interpretation of Islam.
Gilbert Sewall, director of the council, stated that, for example, the definition of jihad has gone through “amazing cultural reorchestration” in textbooks, losing any connotation of violence, the Examiner wrote.
Other terms, such as sharia law, have been adjusted or removed from lessons to avoid what he called “inconvenient truths.”
Montgomery County Public Schools defended the decision to use the books, saying in a statement that all texts used by teachers had been properly vetted and were appropriate for classroom uses.
Hello? Anybody on the left wanna complain about this? Didn’t think so. We all know ’separation of church and state’ is code for ‘remove all Christian elements from school’.
June 8, 2008 at 4:31 pm |
I think if Obama gets into the White House he will push the teaching of Islam! We better stand up for our children and fight or they will be converted into muslims by these far left nuts like Obama! First step, do not vote for Obama!
http://goodtimepolitics.com/2008/06/08/lets-protect-our-children-from-islamic-teachings-and-barack-obama-rulings/
June 8, 2008 at 9:25 pm |
Yup. Several of his associates are friendly with Farrakhan too. Either the left is extremely blind or they are in cahoots with this plan of his.
June 22, 2008 at 5:43 pm |
Really, you guys have to stop this. The left is neither blind nor in cahoots. You lot, however, are starting to worry me. Grand conspiracy theories about a vast plan to convert the USA to Islam? There is medication available for this kind of delusional thinking now, if your HMO is agreeable.
Cheers
Elroy
June 22, 2008 at 9:05 pm |
I’m not sure how you can see it as delusional while your head is buried in the sand.
You’d have to be blind, ignorant or in cahoots not to see the bias with the ACLU. Any sign of a cross or christianity and the ACLU is there to get rid of it. But Islamic materials are popping up and no sign of the ACLU to stop them? Are you that blind? We’ve stopped calling it ‘Christmas Break’ and ‘Easter Break’ and changed it to ‘Winter Holiday’ or some crap like that. You can’t have them teaching about Christianity, but Islam is ok?
How is this NOT a violation of the Church and State that the left screams about so much?
June 23, 2008 at 1:51 am |
OK, three things. One, what is your problem with these books? Is it that they are politically correct? Would you rather they were more hard core? It can’t be that kids are learning about Islam, can it? Gee! Imagine that! They might not swallow any more Republican propaganda! That’ll never do! Comparative Religion is really important. What you people have against knowledge I’ll never know.
Two. There is no VLWC to convert the USA ti Islam. Harvard will not become a Madrassa. The Capitol will not become a mosque. This is nutty stuff. Stop and desist lest the world and your countrymen take you even less seriously than they already do.
Three. You are obviously unclear about the role of the ACLU.
‘The ACLU defends students’ free speech rights in the public schools and defends students’ rights to pray in the schools. Additionally, whenever a teacher allows children to choose their own topics for an assignment (such as which book to read, which song to sing, or which topic to study for a presentation), students may choose religious themes – and the ACLU has protected their right to do so. Schools may also offer courses about religion or about the Bible or other religious works.
Public schools themselves should not, however, be in the business of promoting particular religious beliefs or religious activities. While it is permissible for public schools to teach about religion, it is not permissible to promote particular religious beliefs. While public schools should not be leading children in prayers or religious ceremonies, they should be respectful of the religious beliefs of students. Further, public schools should protect children from being coerced by others to accept religious (or anti-religious) beliefs. Public schools should seek to create an environment conducive to learning by all students and not act as vehicles proselytizing for religious or anti-religious beliefs.
The ACLU believes that the religious education of children should be directed primarily by parents, families, and religious communities – and not the public schools.’
http://www.aclu.org/religion/schools/index.html
http://www.aclu.org/religion/gen/27282res20061103.html
Get with the program, daddy-o!
Cheers
Elroy
June 23, 2008 at 5:36 pm |
“Get with the program, daddy-o!”
When you can actually address the issue, then I will.
“How is this NOT a violation of the Church and State that the left screams about so much?”
Well? All you did is have a nice pretty love fest with the keyboard praising the ACLU. But you didn’t address how this religious stuff is being allowed. Teachers can’t even have a Bible on the desk without people having a fit. And you don’t even have to open it or read from it! Just the mere presence is bad. But you can put Islamic stuff in the books to teach. And yet you cannot see the difference? In case you haven’t noticed, I am asking for equal rights between the two. Either both can or both can’t! Not one or the other! It is fair no matter how you slice and dice it.
June 24, 2008 at 2:37 pm |
My intention in posting a few links from the ACLU website was thatI had hoped you might have yerself a wee poke around there and see for yourself what they are on about, but as you interpreted this as some sort of intellectual dishonesty (Oh, that road to hell! So paved with good intentions!) I suppose I’d better spell it out.
Really, this is not hard. The ACLU, quite rightly, distinguishes between teaching religion and teaching ABOUT religion. There. The students can be taught how a belief system functions, of the contents of its primary texts etc, in the same manner as anything else, but what they CAN’T be taught is that any is the one true religion. The state, in keeping with 1st Amendment, must remain neutral and avoid THIS kind of thing:
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/teacher-accused-of-burning-cross-on-kids/20080620150209990001
But again, I don’t understand your gripe. Are you upest that student are being taught ABOUT Islam with a watered-down text? Or that they are being taught ABOUT Islam at all?
Cheers
Elroy