The Texas Freedom Network Education Fund’s newest study of Texas public school Bible courses reveals that many of these classes promote faith beliefs as fact. Such courses clearly veer from the academic to the devotional, violating both Texas law and the U.S. Constitution. The report, Reading, Writing & Religion II: Texas Public School Bible Courses in 2011-12 by Prof. Mark Chancey at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, includes this PowerPoint slide from Dalhart ISD in the Texas Panhandle:
School districts across Texas offer many other examples of Bible courses that have turned public school classrooms into Sunday school classrooms. For example, the only classroom resource listed by Lazbuddie ISD declares in its introduction:
“Don’t worry about scriptures you do not understand. Simply concentrate on what God reveals to you in His Word and trust Him to make the vague things clearer to you as you continue to study.”
From materials used in Eastland ISD:
“The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.”
The same district, Eastland ISD, includes the following worksheet on the Bible’s creation story:
“Elohim [a Hebrew word used for God] created not only the universe, but angels, millions of angels, who do errands for him. Angels always stay angels. We never become angels while we live or when we die. They are created to serve God as messengers. Angles [sic] cannot reproduce with each other because they are, it seems, all males. One of the angels God created was named Lucifer aka Light-bearer, Day Star, Morning Star.”
Brenham ISD’s students need not doubt the divinity and resurrection of Jesus. A PowerPoint slide emphasizes:
“Christ’s resurrection was an event that occurred in time and space – that it was, in reality, historical and not mythological (cf. 2 Pet. 1:16).”
Materials in Ector County ISD even ask students to fill out a table identifying proof that the resurrection happened:
As we have said before, it’s one thing for students to learn that Christians believe many of these things. After all, such claims would be important to know in a course about the cultural and historical influence of the Bible. But public schools simply may not teach faith beliefs as fact and turn their classrooms into tools for evangelizing.
The TFN Education Fund’s new report includes many other examples of serious flaws in Texas public school Bible courses. You can read a short overview of the report here. Read what some Texas courses teach about race, Judaism, creationism, the end times and how they portray the Bible as “one of the most accurate history books in the world.”
The new report is available here. Our previous reports on public school Bible classes are here and here.
Speechless. If GCISD ever tries this, they will have a lawsuit on their hands.
Egad..fb really needs an egad button.
Ok. Obviously crossing the line. If kids want to study religion outside of what is presented by their chuch’s pograms, they can pay for and take a course when they get to college. Their churches should be taking this role, not the Texas public school system.
Who didn’t see this coming?!?
The Bible was written under the influence of the Holy Spirit? Well I guess if I lived in Eastland ISD I would have no choice but to file a lawsuit since we Unitarians don’t believe in spirits, holy or otherwise.
“Angles [sic] cannot reproduce with each other because they are, it seems, all males.”
Oh no…….what if some of them turn out to be (gasp)….gay?? I bet the Eastland author hadn’t considered that angel [sic].
Given the fact that none of the authors of The Bible ever met Jesus (they were repeating what they’d been told!) how is one to know if the alleged resurrection ever occurred?
I love the typos. The fact that our public schools have Bible classes AND that the course materials have typos like “equippes” and “angles” really say a lot about the state of public education in our state.
su-prise, su-prise
How can this stuff happen? It is clearly a violation of the constitution, and we wonder why Texas lags behind in public education. Unreal.
How Talibanic!
So when did we lose the war? I don’t remember when the Constitution was publicly burned. Can somebody clear up for me when that happened?
Outrageous!
When the leg defunded public education last session, I was pissed. Now that I see what they do with the little money that’s left, maybe a starvation diet isn’t such a bad idea.
Report: End times theology, creationism taught in Texas schools
By MYFOXATLANTA STAFF
Yes but Texas is getting such good publicity around the country.
Actually its good this illegal fraud is being brought out into the open.
Keep after it!
The thing to watch out for now is the American Vision and other Dominionists deciding to displace the Dispensationalists and put in place their plot to destroy American schools and replace them with homeschooling, the better to tear down American government from within and create a purely Dominionist state based on Levitican law. You know, like the Taliban did to Afghanistan and Mali? Are you aware this struggle even exists?
Easy answer, if you are unhappy than move to a Socialist state, you people want a Battle and understand that there are those that will Push back and are watching and listening and your posts will be shared with all other Conservative Sites, Blogs and FaceBook Groups.
Oooh, a threat! Bring it, fascist. I will enjoy throwing your entrails to my dogs while you watch. Sic semper tyrannis, bully.