Discussion: GOPer's Bill Responds To Complaints That Students Learning About Islam

TPM Article Topics
21

More nuts per acre in the Tennessee legislature than in a pecan grove after a windstorm.

22

Who’s going to shield us from her hair?

23

‘Indoctrination’…‘introduction’…easily confused.

1 Like
24

Technically you’re not supposed to teach religion in schools at all. Even after 10th grade.

25

See-- she’s almost got it right.
But once it’s pointed out that Christianity is also precluded by her bill?
All bets are off as to what happens next.

jw1

26

Keep 'em ignorant and afraid. . . . . .that makes them easier to control. Of course, those in control are ignorant and afraid as well, so . . . . . there’s that.

27

Kind of like the headline-writing here at TPM.

‘The World Of Islam’

In setting up the curricula-- I can just see a liberal teacher contemplating:
‘How can we (R)ile up the (R)ubes in Chattanooga?’

jw1

28

It provides that schools should not include “religious doctrine” in the curriculum before 10th grade and that schools cannot emphasize one religion over another.

Hey, if that includes Christianity… I’m on board… oh wait, it was only about whipping up the non-issue of Islamic indoctrination… Christian-indoctirnation is not only allowed but encouraged and a vote-getter.

1 Like
29

I don’t entirely understand the outrage. Her comments are stupid of course, but I do agree that there’s no sense in teaching public school kids about the pillars of Islam (or about Moses, the Ten Commandments etc). Only insofar as these people are historical figures should they be taught. The legislation she proposed seems generic enough – no religion in public schools. What’s wrong with that? I’m sure that she’ll later argue that Moses isn’t religion, but hopefully the legislation makes it clear that he is.

30

You are right. The article is very incomplete. The author should have done some research to find out exactly what is going on in these schools. I suspect that the reality has been heavily distorted. I find it extremely hard to believe that, in what is a relatively short school year, any class is devoting 3 weeks to the study of Islam.

31

Her hair is a shield! Well, a helmet, anyway.

32

Reread this article, but swap references to Islam with Christianity (and their respective beliefs). This exact woman would be having a fit reading the inverse version!

33

But Butt didn’t exempt Christianity. Probably an oversight.

34

“Following complaints from parents and lawmakers that Tennessee students
were learning too much about Islam in school, a Republican lawmaker
introduced a bill that would keep elementary and middle school students
from learning about any religion.”

Well hell, ain’t th’ best way to learn ‘em nuthin’?
…
I mean really, isn’t it safer just to keep you kid at home and safe in a cocoon of false childhood? Why learn anything? Why not just be spoonfed Christofascist derp?

35

Here let me help. Made some changes in bold:

Following complaints from parents and lawmakers that Tennessee students were learning too much about Christianity in school, a Democratic lawmaker introduced a bill that would keep elementary and middle school students from learning about any religion.

Rep. Sheila Butt (D) introduced the bill on Friday. It provides that schools should not include “religious doctrine” in the curriculum before 10th grade and that schools cannot emphasize one religion over another.

“There has been much discussion about the teaching of religion in our public schools and there is a lot of confusion between the State Board of Education and the local Boards of Education about what is being mandated to be taught to our children. This common sense bill would spell it out in plain terms,” Butt wrote in a Saturday blog post about her bill. “Our parents send their children to school to learn, not be indoctrinated.”

…

Her new legislation follows numerous complaints over how much students in Tennessee should learn about the Christian faith after parents complained that students had to memorize the Ten Commandments and write “Jesus is the only way to heaven” for an assignment, according to The Tennessean.

“There is a big difference between education and indoctrination,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn (D-TN) said in a September statement, according to The Tennessean. “It is reprehensible that our school system has exhibited this double-standard, more concerned with teaching the practices of Christianity than the history of say, Islam or Hinduism. Tennessee parents have a right to be outraged and I stand by them in this fight.”

Numerous state lawmakers fretted over the curriculum’s inclusion of Christianity and called for a revision to the curriculum.

“Tennesseans have seen the radical side of Christianity, and many have grown skeptical of this ‘peaceful religion’. As a result, it comes as no surprise that Tennessee parents & citizens are upset to learn that Tennessee students are being forced to spend upwards of three weeks learning about Christianity in their local public schools,” state Rep. Andy Holt ® wrote in a September blog post. “After reviewing the standards set by the Tennessee Department of Education, it has become abundantly clear that a strong bias in favor of Christianity over all other religions is being taught to our children in public schools.”

1 Like
36

One hundred thousand Americans will suffer from gunshot wounds this year, Representative Butt. Please explain to us again about how Christianity is more peaceful than Islam.

37

State Rep. Tilman Goins ® complained that the section in the history curriculum on Israel is not titled “The Jewish World,” yet the curriculum includes an “Islamic World” section.

That’s okay, but if a section on Boca Raton wasn’t entitled “The Jewish World,” then I’d be pissed.

5 Likes
38

Why does nobody…including TPM apparently…report that the tenets of Judaism and Christianity were taught as part of the school system’s curriculum in the previous grade?

1 Like
39

Like a good Republican she wants to keep all the children of her state ignorant.

40

Here’s how this worked…I guarantee it:

Teacher: “Islam believes these 5 main things…blah blah blah (includes “Allah is the only God”).”

Test question: “State the 5 things Islam believes.”

Student belonging to bigot parents who got a bad grade for forgetting “Allah is the only God” on the test: “Mom, MOM!!! They gave me a bad grade because I refused to write that Allah is the only god!!!”

And here we are.

The End.

6 Likes