Under God

Texas school board fights Islamic bias with Christian bias

By David Waters

The Texas state board of education, which last May scrubbed "anti-Christian bias" from history textbooks that have yet to be written, voted 7-6 to adopt a resolution Friday to reject "pro-Islamic distortions" in textbooks that are no longer being used.

Remember, this is the government body that opened its May session with a Christian prayer on behalf of "a Christian land governed by Christian principles," a prayer made "in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Does the Texas state board of education have a pro-Christian or anti-Muslim bias? Should we have to worry about the pro- or anti-religious biases of duly elected or appointed public officials?

Apparently, Texas does.

The anti-"pro-Islamic" resolution was written by a conservative Christian (Randy Rives) who isn't on the board and who lost his bid to be elected to the board earlier this year to moderate Republican Bob Craig -- one of three Republicans on the board to vote against the resolution.

The resolution was based on facts the board declined to check for accuracy and about which there is some dispute. For example, the resolution cites one world history textbook as having devoted "120 student text lines to Christian beliefs, practices, and holy writings, but 248 to those of Islam." But, as the Texas Freedom Network pointed out, the resolution ignores entire sections of the textbook devoted to the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Reformation, and other sections that discuss Christianity.

Seems like a textbook case of bias.

"To base the resolution on the research of a few people is kind of risky, if you ask me," Patricia Hardy, a former history teacher and one of three Republicans who voted against the resolution, told The New York Times.

Risky is one word for it.

"Board members rejected numerous opportunities today to pass a resolution that called on publishers to treat all religions with balance and accuracy in their textbooks," TFN president Kathy Miller said in a statement. "It is hard not to conclude that the members who voted for this resolution were solely interested in playing on fear and bigotry in order to pit Christians against Muslims."

Is that what's at work here? Or are we merely talking about the fears and bigotry of seven board members?

By

David Waters

 |  September 24, 2010; 9:46 PM ET  |  Category:  Today's Topic Save & Share:  Send E-mail   Facebook   Twitter   Digg   Yahoo Buzz   Del.icio.us   StumbleUpon   Technorati  
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Comments

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How about getting rid of pro-religion distortions? And, while we're at it: Pastafarians are totally ignored and they've made up a religion that tastes better than all the rest!

Posted by: thebobbob | September 25, 2010 12:03 PM
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Unfortunately Islam is not a religion that can be treated like any of the various Christian religions. There is a powerful and numerous group of Islamic Jihadists that, by fair means or foul (mostly foul) will try to force their sharia onto the rest of us. The Founding Fathers could not have anticipated the battle now going on. Christianity is a religion of freedom while Islam is a religion of tyranny. One thing the Founding Fathers did teach us was to fight tyranny, I'm sure they would be right behind the fight against Islam.

Posted by: shimmeringfalls | September 25, 2010 12:25 PM
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Let us invite everyone else in the world to return the Texans' favor: all history books in the rest of the US and the world should also be rewritten so as to give sufficient credit to the role of Texas in dragging the country and the world back into the Dark Ages. Really, we have not acknowledged the Texans' importance enough! They are truly outstanding pioneers in bigotry, authoritarianism, hatred of science and the liberal arts. Surely their "national" pride can only be tickled by such due recognition. Let history judge...!

Posted by: GiordanoBruno | September 25, 2010 12:39 PM
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Shimmeringfalls, what about the Christian Sharia? Isn't the American Constitution based upon bible? Aren't their violent chapters in the bible? Haven't Christians been guilty of conducting religously motivated violence? Were you also educated in one of these Christian Madrassahs of Texas?

Posted by: yasseryousufi | September 25, 2010 12:51 PM
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Thank you Texas Board of Education, there is a real political agenda against the values that are the foundation of our nation and our states and against our children and their generation. I applaud you for your stand against this political agenda that is like poison in our society, but it has to be ingested before there is any harm and you have keep many from harm. Thanks!

Posted by: cmdel07 | September 25, 2010 1:20 PM
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My experience here in California is that members of minority persuasions have pretty much free reign in how their religions are portrayed while the Christian views are constrained by administrators concerned about 1st Amendment issues.

There is no balanced presentation and perhaps can never be when teaching religion in public schools. Not teaching about them at all ignores a great deal of history. Perhaps they should allow advocates of all religions teach their perspective and then have a donnybrook on the schoolyard act as a recreation of history in how these matters were settled.

Posted by: edbyronadams | September 25, 2010 2:34 PM
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The Constitution of the United States of America has no connection with the Bible. In fact, in the body of it there is a paragraph that states in words to this effect, "There shall be no test of religion for any federal office, appointed or elected."

Posted by: joe_allen_doty | September 25, 2010 2:36 PM
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What?? Christians using deceptive arguments, stretching the truth and resorting to outright lies??? It's entirely unheard of.

Posted by: johnnormansp | September 25, 2010 3:08 PM
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Living in the UK where religion is no longer mentioned in schools, I always enjoy reading about life in Texas.

Kathryn

Posted by: KathrynCoolter | September 25, 2010 3:41 PM
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In the UK the cause of the Thirty Years War must have been purely territorial.

Posted by: edbyronadams | September 25, 2010 5:46 PM
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thebobbob wrote "Pastafarians are totally ignored and they've made up a religion that tastes better than all the rest!"

First of all, there is no made up about it. The Flying Spaghetti Monster "handed" down the fundamental food group with her noodley appendages. Low-Carb-free dieters will pay the ultimate price.

Second, I must ask what pastafarian sect thebobbob belongs to? I'm a Carbonarian myself?

Posted by: mbeck1 | September 25, 2010 6:16 PM
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Waters gives an example of "Texas" bigotry below:
"For example, the resolution cites one world history textbook as having devoted "120 student text lines to Christian beliefs, practices, and holy writings, but 248 to those of Islam."

If you think this is bigotry then you should read some of the history books taught in Muslim dominated societies. Their books describe the Christians and Jews as najis (unclean and defiled) like a pig or a dog that should be avoided and humiliated. Furthermore they teach that those infidels living among them need to be impoverished by overtaxing them and discriminating against them in education, jobs and places of residence. The manual they use is the so-called Omar Pact, inspired by their prophet and penned by his successor Omar.It is cited below.
http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-kills-pact-of-umar.htm

Posted by: abrahamhab1 | September 25, 2010 7:33 PM
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Palinistas have taken over the texas school board. The dimwits are trying to pollute the all education here. Afriend of mine whose son still goes to public schools here once went to the class room to volunteer his time to give lecture on science and prepared a PPTX and delivered a synopsis of cosmology and told the kids that there is no room for god in scientific explanation. That left thr teacher's mouth agape.

Thank GOD my kids already graduated from the high schools.

Posted by: Secular | September 25, 2010 7:47 PM
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It shouldn't be about what members on a school board "think"... it should be the TRUTH.

The truth of the matter is...
There is a practical working definition of religion as compared to politics. Religious practices are done by those who follow that religion and are motivated for achieving paradise and avoiding hell. Outsiders are not involved in those religious acts. If it is about going to heaven and avoiding hell, then it is religious. However, if the religion makes a demand on those outside of its own group, then that demand is political... like Islam does.

Most people think that the Koran is a religious text. Instead, 64% of the text (by word count) is about non-Muslims, who are called Kafirs. The Koran is fixated on Kafirs and makes many demands on them. Not the least is that Kafirs submit to the rule of Islamic Sharia law. Ultimately Sharia law is the pure expression of Islamic politics and it completely contradicts our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Under Sharia there is no freedom of speech, wives may be beaten and apostates murdered.

Mohammed had little success with Islam until he transformed it into a political system. He preached the religion of Islam in Mecca for 13 years and made about 150 converts. He left Mecca and moved to Medina. In Medina he turned to politics and jihad. In the last 9 years of his life, Mohammed was involved in an event of violence on the average of every 6 weeks. The political method persuaded every Arab to convert to Islam. The religion did not succeed; it was politics that made Islam powerful.

While Christianity has had it's violent turbulent past, Islam has not outgrown it's violent and barbaric beginnings.

So by definition, contrasting Christianity and Muslims is RIDICULOUS. We are a country based on Christian values and beliefs. Moses sits atop our Supreme Court and the 10 commandments adorn the doors of the building.

It's time to STOP appeasing *ANY* Muslims on our country for the simple FACT that Islam and the Constitution of the United States of America CANNOT co-exist.

Wake up people and smell the jihad.

Posted by: LastBastionOfBalance | September 25, 2010 11:51 PM
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The Texas school board has sent a bold, clear, uncompromising message to everyone who might have the audacity to send their children to school and expect an objective textbook:

"Our violent, oppressive, primitive Bronze Age set of superstitions is better than THEIR violent, oppressive, primitive set of superstitions from the Middle Ages. And let NO ONE suggest otherwise!"

Posted by: TriCorneredHead | September 26, 2010 1:19 AM
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mbeck1:

thebobbob wrote "Pastafarians are totally ignored and they've made up a religion that tastes better than all the rest!"

First of all, there is no made up about it. The Flying Spaghetti Monster "handed" down the fundamental food group with her noodley appendages.
___________________________
Of course. I remain flabbergasted at much of humanity's denial of the obvious, with signs everywhere, eg., ads for pasta sauce, Italian restaurants, macaroni salad, and the FSM, Itself, appearing in visions.

Yet, if I'm correct, there is no recognition either in Texas or anywhere else of the FSM. It seems to me that we cannot continue to delay the awakening of humanity to the great gluten truth of things. Without a Pastafarian Congressional lobby, we who have seen Its noodly appendages will go on alone to the AfterSauce.

Posted by: FarnazMansouri2 | September 26, 2010 6:38 AM
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"Christianity is a religion of freedom...."

Oh really?!

Tell that to all of the Native North/South Americans, Australian Aborigines, Asian colonies, African slaves, African colonies, etc., all who died, were raped, imprisoned, enslaved, etc., all in the name of the Christian god.

Posted by: rush_n_crush | September 26, 2010 8:43 AM
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Unfortunately the Texas form of Christianity is not a religion that can be treated like any of the various other Christian religions. There is a powerful and numerous group of Glenn Beck Christians that, by fair means or foul (mostly foul) will try to force their "Christian" sharia onto the rest of us.

Posted by: areyousaying | September 26, 2010 9:01 AM
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Texans used to be able to make fun of Kansans for the antics of Kansas school boards. Sadly, those days are over.

Bill Smith
Austin, Texas

Posted by: billsmithaustin | September 26, 2010 4:29 PM
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Don't pick on the Texas school board for being a bunch of ignorant bible pounders.

They're writing Thomas Jefferson out of their history books. Why? They must have actually read the endless things he had to say regarding their silly religion, and religion in general.

They're not ignorant of the real Thomas Jefferson.

They are a bunch of idiotic religious fanatics, just not ignorant of what they believe are their real interests -- the establishment of an unquestioned southern christian white theocracy.

Posted by: eezmamata | September 26, 2010 7:15 PM
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Just when you think you've heard or seen everything.
I might have forgiven Alabama or Arkansas which may be behind a few years fuguratively speaking, but I am confounded with where this is coming from.
Did W going back to his homestate have something to do with this?
Is this the tip of the iceberg for USA and its islamophobia can no longer be blamed on a few wackos?
The Texas legal bodies need to tackle this issue forcefully

Posted by: Kingofkings1 | September 26, 2010 8:37 PM
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I know some teenagers will be happy when Texas get rid of Algebra, Algorithms, and chemistry (all Arabic words). Getting rid of the zero will prove more difficult.
The use of Roman numerals in place of Arabic numerals may meet some resistance. But in Texas, who knows?
Anyone interested in the Abascus business may see their business bloom

Posted by: Kingofkings1 | September 27, 2010 4:17 PM
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After living in Texas for just over 25 years, I hope to be leaving soon. Never have I been to such a place with so much arrogance, hypocrisy and ignorance. And, that includes Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

Posted by: NorthDallasForty | September 28, 2010 10:40 AM
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In simple words all KKK members came from south, but NOT all people from south were KKK members. Much of arrogance, hypocrisy, ignorance and intolerance is not necessarily belongs a geographical location but it does base on some past practices and history.

Posted by: waris1 | September 28, 2010 8:52 PM
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LastBastionOfBeingWrong, the Ten Commandments, along with the rest of the Old Testament, are accepted by Muslims, as well as Jews and Christians. Moses is joined by many others in the sculptures of the Supreme Court, including Hammurabi, Solomon, Solon, Draco, Confucius, Charlemagne, and Mohammad.

As for Sharia, no one is proposing it for America. However, you seem to be advocating a Christian version of it.

Posted by: GregCleveland | September 29, 2010 1:35 PM
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We should rather teach people what actually happened in history and let them learn from it by forming their own opinion. Education should be free of indoctrination.

It is not necessary to elevate one religion above another. If EVERYBODY would live up to that the world would be a better place I believe.

Of course, the people who want to enforce their religion on others should be stopped, and that includes the religious extremists of ALL religions (and NOT only those of the islamic faith).

Posted by: ConcernedDutchman89 | October 6, 2010 1:21 PM
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