“Your government is moving each day closer to a theocracy, where a narrow and hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism will rule.”
A new high school textbook titled “The Bible and Its Influence” is
beginning to make its way into public schools. The books purports to be
an objective look at the influence the bible on society throughout
history. Barry Lynn of Americans United for the Separation of Church
and
State said the book sanitized the effect of religion throughout
history, by minimizing Christian support for slavery and Christian
anti-Semitism. “To teach religion objectively, you really have to
teach the good, the bad and the ugly and this book only teaches the
good,” he said.
Meanwhile, fundamentalist Christian leaders are unhappy with the
book because it doesn’t present the Bible as the literal word of God
and divine Truth.
This is not the only instance of the Bible being taught in schools.
A North Carolina group called the National Council on Bible Curriculum
in the Public Schools has a Bible course now being used in 316 school
districts in 37 states. And in schools across the country, there are
many “unofficial” Bible studies and school prayers going on.
While this textbook might be a more “Constitution friendly” way to
start teaching the Bible in public schools, make no mistake about it:
theocratic fundamentalist Christians are working overtime to force
their narrow and hateful brand of Christianity into the schools. Just
look at their continued attempts to teach “intelligent design” in
science classes. And this new textbook is potentially the
“fundamentalist-lite” version of what’s to come.