The Christian Right in Texas, which has already partially been successful with interjecting biology with creationism, now has its eye set on social studies. They say that the curriculum does not fully represent the role religion and God have played in the development of the United States. A panel of experts appointed by the state’s board of education has been appointed to reexamine the way history is taught to younger children. These ‘experts’ include a man who claims he is ‘fighting a war for America’s moral soul,’ a man who says Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment for sexual promiscuity and a man who believes there is a ‘fixed moral law derived from God and nature.’
Now, of course Christianity plays a very important part in America’s history, and the development of our country as we know it. It should in no way be removed from our history books, but something tells me these people are going to conveniently ignore all of the negative aspects religion is at fault for, from the treatment of Native Americans up to the treatment of women and homosexuals today. If it’s true, what one of the members of the panel claim, that they could ‘only find one reference to the role of religion in America’s past,’ then something is seriously wrong and their curriculum does indeed need to be revised. But they are also preaching that their schools only teach Republican values, that Christianity is responsible for ‘American exceptionalism’ and, most shockingly, that Lincoln and Washington be removed from the curriculum altogether.
I’m aware that it is near impossible to educate without bias. I grew up in a very liberal town and religious fanatics were always served up with a side of crazy when they came up in social studies. But what these men are proposing is above and beyond what is appropriate for public schools. -Celeste
Via The Guardian Photo courtesy of Texas Scene
