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Texas and Textbooks

comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
edited August 2009 in Buddhism Today
Read this. I hope they don't go along with it.

http://buddhism.about.com/b/2009/07/29/texas-and-textbooks.htm?nl=1

Comments

  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited July 2009
    What can one say? Do we have to revisit the 'freedom of speech' or the Scopes trial, or, indeed, the book burnings? I really do wonder at how threatened such 'Christians' feel despite declaring the absolute and universal truth of their beliefs.

    They'll be banning Jefferson next for having redacted the Gospels.

    Dear US friends: are you surprised that some Europeans scoff at US educational standards?
  • KnightofBuddhaKnightofBuddha
    edited July 2009
    Simonthepilgrim wrote: »
    What can one say? Do we have to revisit the 'freedom of speech' or the Scopes trial, or, indeed, the book burnings? I really do wonder at how threatened such 'Christians' feel despite declaring the absolute and universal truth of their beliefs.

    They'll be banning Jefferson next for having redacted the Gospels.

    Dear US friends: are you surprised that some Europeans scoff at US educational standards?

    The irony though is that many mosques and churches are subsidized by European governments. While tax-exempt in the States, religious institutions are not directly subsidized in the same way.

    And it's funny that you mention "free speech" and the Scopes trial made famous by Clarence Darrow. Darrow had no problem with the federal government silencing and intimidating anti-war opinion during the progressive Wilson administration.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2009
    Knight of Buddha wrote: »
    The irony though is that many mosques and churches are subsidized by European governments....................


    Do you mean that churches and mosques in the US are subsidised by European governments?
  • KnightofBuddhaKnightofBuddha
    edited August 2009
    Simonthepilgrim wrote: »


    Do you mean that churches and mosques in the US are subsidised by European governments?

    No, I mean European mosques and churches are to a large extent subsidized by their respective governments. Many of them are on the public dole.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2009
    Knight of Buddha wrote: »
    No, I mean European mosques and churches are to a large extent subsidized by their respective governments. Many of them are on the public dole.


    Not quite exacvt. In the UK, the Church of England is, indeed, the state church, whereas, in France, the state is entirely secular and does not fund any place of worship. I know of no European state where mosques are 'on the public dole'.

    Does it not occur to you that the US system of tax exemption is a form of subsidy as the taxes that they do not pay are, effectively, paid by everyone else?
  • mouthfulofclaymouthfulofclay
    edited August 2009
    comicallyinsane, I wouldn't worry too much. I live here and it probably will not happen. They talk the talk, and this is definitely an interesting state, but there are enough people here from all over the nation and the world that the fundamentalist Christian point of view doesn't completely take over.

    Besides which, I would like to point out: how many students actually read their textbooks? ;-) (That's a joke... really.)
  • KnightofBuddhaKnightofBuddha
    edited August 2009
    Simonthepilgrim wrote: »


    Not quite exacvt. In the UK, the Church of England is, indeed, the state church, whereas, in France, the state is entirely secular and does not fund any place of worship. I know of no European state where mosques are 'on the public dole'.

    Does it not occur to you that the US system of tax exemption is a form of subsidy as the taxes that they do not pay are, effectively, paid by everyone else?

    Au contraire!

    http://europenews.dk/en/node/18151

    Besides which, I would like to point out: how many students actually read their textbooks? ;-) (That's a joke... really.)

    Haha! That was my initial, cynical thought as well.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2009
    Knight of Buddha wrote: »
    Au contraire!

    http://europenews.dk/en/node/18151

    Thank you for the link, KoB. I shall investigate further.It is deeply disappointing that the two homes of separation of church and state, France and the US (http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/72356-Meninos-mosque/), should betray the principle quite so blatantly.

    As Voltaire used to sign off: Écrasons l'infâme
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