If you’re a regular visitor to TFN Insider, you know that sound science is under siege in Texas. We have one of the highest teen birthrates in the country, but extremists demand that public schools teach abstinence-only in sexuality education classes. Creationists on the State Board of Education are trying to dumb down the public school science curriculum by attacking evolution. And zealots want to ban embryonic stem cell research that gives hope to families struggling with serious medical conditions like cancer and Parkinston’s disease.
Have you had enough?
You can stand up for science and fight back against the religious right’s extremism by attending the Texas Freedom Network’s Legislative Lobby Day on March 10 in Austin.
Before lobby teams head over to the Capitol, we will provide four break-out sessions on critical issues:
- sexuality education
- stem cell research
- evolution, the public school science curriuclum, and the State Board of Education
- youth advocacy and sex ed (a specially designed track for youth advocates under 24 years of age and others interested in mobilizing youth on this issue)
We have many wonderful allies, but TFN remains the only broad-based organization specifically devoted to fighting the religious right in Texas — and we need your help to win this important fight against extremism.
Lobby Day beings at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10, at the First United Methodist Church Family Life Center. The center is located at 1300 Lavaca Street near the Capitol in Austin.
It is good to see the United Methodist Church standing fast against this assorted idiocy. I wish the church in Austin and the other mainstream churches (even the Catholic Church on the evolution issue) would stand up publicly and speak out more vocally against the Religious Right and its minions.
Secretly, the Religious Right and the Christian fundamentalists fear this more than anything else because of the vast amounts of money, real property, education, and power centered in those churches. Most of the members of Congress are members of these mainline denominations. If I recall correctly, most of our business leaders in small and big businesses tend to be members of these churches. Like the extraordinarily wealthy Catholic Church, these churches have awesome accumulated wealth because of their long histories.
I would like to see the mainline churches here in the United States band together as a single, dedicated, monolithic front in vocal opposition to the Religious Right and the Christian fundamentalists by doing the following:
1) Boldly break in the public mind the longstanding Religious Right/Christian fundamentalist LIE AND DECEIT where they try to insinuate that all Christians everywhere are 100 percent and monolithically behind their issues, plans, and schemes. WRONG!!!!
2) Make their worst nightmare come true. Band together with the general news media and others to shout them down, expose them, and tear their petty little worldview into so many tiny shreds that the only option left will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Maybe we could start a movement—right here—right now.
Just to clarify: TFN is renting space at the Family Life Center. The church itself is complying with legal limits involving 501(c)(3) nonprofits and lobbying activities.
Are you sure about that TFN? I would think that a church renting out a space for political purposes would still be walking a mighty fine line. Have you checked this out with the folks at Americans United and your legal counsel? I would avoid making untoward assumptions here? Good luck.
Something very critical needs to be understood here about TFN. I have attended several of their ‘seminars’ and read a number of their works. I thought they might be an organization that I would be interested in funding and supporting. I have to sadly say that the only thing I have found is biased, UN-factual, emotionally charged mud slinging. I listned to a speaker, a TFN leader, give a presentation that was so full of misinformation my stomach turned. I understand that truth is an elusive quarry however, do not represent theories as facts. This goes for everything that TFN stands for. (Count the fossils, even Darwin said that there weren’t enough fossils to prove his ‘Theory” yet…) And to generalize groups together is as bigoted as you can be. TFN’s comments and presentations on sex ed are laughable. They take a few off the cuff remarks from football coaches who are teaching sex ed out in the boon docks because the school can’t afford a designated health teacher, and post these remarks as the “Fortified” position of ALL abstinence groups in the state of Texas. In a recent survey done in Austin, the blue dot in the red state, researchers found that 80 percent of teens AND parents DID NOT view abstinence as a religious agenda but merely as the Healthiest choice. This research will be released soon at an upcoming press release.
Please check the facts fellow texans and don’t take everything TFN says as fact. They are as emotionally tied to their stance as the emotional right wingers that slander and attack. It is a sad day for my fellow democrats that we are represented thus.
“Something very critical needs to be understood here about TFN. I have attended several of their ’seminars’ and read a number of their works. I thought they might be an organization that I would be interested in funding and supporting.”
I find that last statement hard to believe.
“I have to sadly say that the only thing I have found is biased, UN-factual, emotionally charged mud slinging. I listned to a speaker, a TFN leader, give a presentation that was so full of misinformation my stomach turned. I understand that truth is an elusive quarry however, do not represent theories as facts. This goes for everything that TFN stands for. (Count the fossils, even Darwin said that there weren’t enough fossils to prove his ‘Theory” yet…)”
Please do not represent yourself as an ordinary, informed, mild-mannered, average guy on the street who is trying to be honest and objective about evolution and sex education. Your pre-existing biases are obvious no matter how you might try to disguise them.
And to generalize groups together is as bigoted as you can be. TFN’s comments and presentations on sex ed are laughable. They take a few off the cuff remarks from football coaches who are teaching sex ed out in the boon docks because the school can’t afford a designated health teacher, and post these remarks as the “Fortified” position of ALL abstinence groups in the state of Texas. In a recent survey done in Austin, the blue dot in the red state, researchers found that 80 percent of teens AND parents DID NOT view abstinence as a religious agenda but merely as the Healthiest choice. This research will be released soon at an upcoming press release.
Is this research that will soon be released by the “ordinary, objective guy on the street’s” right-wing extremist political action sodality?
“Please check the facts fellow texans and don’t take everything TFN says as fact. They are as emotionally tied to their stance as the emotional right wingers that slander and attack. It is a sad day for my fellow democrats that we are represented thus.”
Democrats? Surely you jest. I agree Texans. Go out and do your own research. Check out the facts themselves. However, I would suggest that you make it really objective. Avoid literature from both left wing extremist organizations and right-wing extremist organizations. Then see if the TFN report squares with the truth. I bet you will not be disappointed.
“I have to sadly say that the only thing I have found is biased, UN-factual, emotionally charged mud slinging.”
Like what, exactly? Got any facts to support your claims? I doubt it.
“Count the fossils, even Darwin said that there weren’t enough fossils to prove his ‘Theory” yet…)”
Don’t even try to pretend you are interested in Darwin or have an open mind about evolution. FYI, genius, Darwin died a long time ago, and the evidence for evolution has grown enormously since then, and it will continue to grow. Also, don’t try to cast doubt by putting quotation marks around the word theory. Do you realize that scientists use that word differently than you might in everyday conversation? Evolution isn’t “just a theory.”
See this: http://teachthemscience.org/scientifictheory
“Please check the facts”
I agree. You should do that yourself. All you’ve done is spread lies and misinformation.
The study was legitimate, you didn’t like the results, so you’re whining about it.
Can we really fight the right from within a church? Did you see the horrible Texas sex ed stats? These kids only hear abstinence. They are told that girls are like crock pots, and boys are like microwaves when they should be teaching them about stds and condoms. Its just plain sad that these kids are paying the price for the school boards ignorance. A few years earlier it was different.
Charles, Crock pot and Ben,
I didn’t want abstinence taught to my children because of the reasons you three have spit out. I listened to an anti abstinence, sex ed presentation by a staff member of TFN and was really quite surprised by the venom and decided to see if these “Abstinence people” are really as busy at demon worship and bible slinging as this presenter would have me believe. (It sounds like I am exaggerating but I’m not) So I checked out the other side of the fence and I will tell you now, having sat through presentations from both sides of sex education, abstinence is the way to go here in Austin. Now really, parents are 100% responsible for their teen’s knowledge but if parents aren’t doing their job then this is the best attempt.
The church is merely a political icon to throw up on your website for agenda purposes. Leave it out. Notice that Planned parenthood and TFN are church “supported” and have pastors on their board of directors. (All information for ‘some guy on the street” to find online) But if there is a church backing abstinence it freaks everyone out! Hilarious!
What is hilarious is that I used to blindly “Believe” in evolution until one day I realized once again I was being encouraged by everyone in education and politics to “Believe” in a theory. So I checked the other side of it. The only place this search has left me is realizing that now I don’t know where we came from but unwilling to ignore fundamental biological facts compounded by chemistry facts with which a middle school student could prove evolution, the theory we teach as fact, could not possibly create and develop life.
(Charles)
“Please do not represent yourself as an ordinary, informed, mild-mannered, average guy on the street who is trying to be honest and objective about evolution and sex education.”
You confuse me charles, I guess you want me to become the raging, emotional, un objective creature from the depths of total darkness where the right wingers live and make there decisions blindly in that void?
I am realizing that the concept of debate is widely lost on a large percentage of Americans. I am not mild mannered but I know how to have a DISCUSSION without calling names and apparently getting my panties in a bunch.
(Ben)
“The study was legitimate, you didn’t like the results, so you’re whining about it.”
I never said anything about the study……. It was legitimate….. Where was the whining?
I just want to end with this. The world is full of people full of hot air. (The cause of global warming) Words are only as good as the actions that back them. I see abstinence people and comprehensive people this way: Planned parenthood spends thousands of dollars attacking abstinence.. (Isn’t that money meant for the teens they claim to care so much about?) I haven’t seen an add campaign from an abstinence group wasting money….
You, Charles, Ben, and crockpot will never change my mind and I will never change yours on this forum but in real life it is actions that separate us from the monkeys we once were. peace
“abstinence is the way to go here in Austin.”
Got any evidence to support this?
“The church is merely a political icon to throw up on your website for agenda purposes.”
Got any evidence to support this?
“evolution, the theory we teach as fact, could not possibly create and develop life”
Got any evidence to support this?
“it is actions that separate us from the monkeys we once were”
This reveals how deeply ignorant you are.
Ms. Jack. If you are indeed a person who was not dealing in some form of willful duplicity, then I most humbly apologize for any pain or upset that we may have caused you.
I have been posting about religious issues, evolution, and creation science for about 10 years now on assorted websites and blogs. Much as I dislike having to say it, many Christian fundamentalists have been caught dealing in obvious lies and deceit—especially members of the creation science crowd. This deceit ranges from phoney “diploma mill” college degrees from nonaccredited educational institutions to potential perjury in federal court cases. If you will read the text of the Kitzmiller vs. Dover decision by Judge Jones (available on the Internet), you will note that this conservative Repubican federal judge was more than merciful (dare we say merciful like Jesus) for not bringing federal perjury charges against parts of the intelligent design side in that case. Judge Jones makes that crystal clear in the wording of his written decision. For those of us who have seen these kind of lies and deceit from supposed Christians for years now, it makes us perhaps overly cautious when we see messages worded in certain kinds of ways.
Abstinence-only sexuality education does not work in Texas because high schools students are not abstinent in Texas. Well over 60% engage in sexual activity while in high school. Since they do not receive an adequate sexuality education from either parents or schools, tragedy results. See http://www.texscience.org/health.php or the new TFN report for the details.
It always amazes me that religious right radicals just ignore reality on every subject, whether it is sexuality education, evolution, medicine, global climate change–you name it. They are immune to reason, evidence, critical thinking, etc.
Charles. THank you for clarifying. No apology needed as no pain or upset occured. I completely understand your comment: “Much as I dislike having to say it, many Christian fundamentalists have been caught dealing in obvious lies and deceit—especially members of the creation science crowd.”
I have seen this played out before in my own personal life by others. I was posting a strong comment about TFN because of personal experiences I have had with them. Poor experiences. Of course I probably caught them on a bad day just like the days they catch the abstinence people on….. Thanks for your link to the Kitzmiller vs. Dover case. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have no agenda other than to encourage facts to be sought after and for people to realize both sides of the argument and meet somewhere in the middle where the initial objective will finally be met…… I know, dreams…..