Religious Liberty, Public Schools, School-aged Pagan Children
No Frames
Pagans have experienced continual deprivations of civil rights in the practice
of our faith since the 4th century of the common era, when Pagans were forbidden
by law to teach throughout the Roman Empire. Today in America, separation of
church and state are being eroded, due to the
increasingly successful efforts of the Radical Religious Right to use
public education as a propaganda tool.
The Bush Administration is now filling the courts with appellate
court judges appointed for a lifetime; this will make our struggle for
legal equality all the more costly and difficult.
The papers, articles, cases, and regulations published here are
for informational purposes and do not constitute legal advice, nor is CUUPS-TwinCities, the Pagan Institute, or Christa Landon responsible for any
consequences you may experience as you act to preserve or extend your religious
freedom.
This page will include NEWS and NEW RESOURCES. The most recent will appear at the top. As new material fills the page, older materials will then be archived
here.
Attorneys, scholars, and others are invited to contribute their materials. Please comtact the Editor.
Press releases appear with a white
background.
Consider the source.
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Below you'll find
> Pluralism Project releases new Golden Rule Curriculum
> "Dang Heathens!" And other outrageous things being said in our public schools
> Just the Facts: Religion and the Law in Public Schools from Americans
United
abstract: Public schools need not be
"religion-free" zones. Here is a rundown of what can and
cannot take place in public schools when it comes
to religion.
> Bush Administration Distorts Sex Education in public Schools
> A Parent's
Guide to Religion in Public Schools
> Paganism being taught in Public Schools Fantasy and Fear Mongering
> Wicca Article by Middle School Student Sparks Outcry
> After 73 days, Native American student allowed to go back to class
> Leave my child out of your evangelism
> High School Diversity Day Features Wicca, Dispells ignorance and
prejudice!
> Back to School with the Radical Right
> School Prayer
> Creationism
> Textbook
Controversies
> Mandated "In God
We Trust" Signs in Public Schools
> Bible Studies in
Public Schools
> Abstinence
Only Sexual Education
> Anti-Gay
Propaganda; Attacks on Gay Student Protections
> Censorship
> "Awesome God" Banned
From School Talent Show
> Bush Administration Distorts Sex Education in Public Schools
> No Child Left Unrecruited and what you can do about it!
> Resources to
help you obtain Conscientious Objector Status
> Teaching About
Religion in Public Schools
> Teaching About
Religion: a press release and a Pagan commentary
> School Loses Prayer Appeal
> Wiccan teen needs help in discrimination case
> Pagan
Child Insulted by CA Ed Secretary
> Wiccan
Teen Forced to attend church services, denied books
> Efforts
to "Christianize" Alabama Public Schools Meet Resistance
> School
Children to Be Fingerprinted
> Christians Seeking Use of
Public School System for Evangelization
> Teacher-led
Prayer
> Evolution
and Creationism in the Public Schools
> Teaching ABOUT Religion in
Public Schools
> Allies, Resources, and
Links
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Golden Rule Curriculum
Harvard University's Pluralism Project announced a new addition to their Online Interfaith Resources: the Golden Rule Curriculum. Developed by the Scarboro Missions of Canada as part of their interfaith dialogue outreach, this curriculum is a tool intended "primarily for high school juniors and seniors (ages 16 to 18) to demonstrate that the Golden Rule is more than a behavioral guide for small children." It contains exercises and resources that focus on the Golden Rule throughout various cultures and faith traditions in order to engage students in discussions on ethical principles and moral behavior.
For more information see:
http://www.pluralism.org/research/profiles/display.php?profile=74171
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Texas School District Official:
'Take That You Dang Heathens'
May 18, 2007
L.V. “Butch” Foreman, a member of the Ector County school board in Odessa, Texas, has three words for parents who say the district’s Bible course crosses the line from teaching about the Bible to promoting sectarian beliefs: “kiss my butt.” Said Foreman:
“If they don’t have children in the class, they can kiss my butt,” Foreman said. “They’re just looking to impose their beliefs and their views on everybody, and we don’t put up with that crap out here.”
If the plaintiffs did have children enrolled in the classes, then Foreman said he would tell the students to drop the class and take another course since it’s an elective.
On Wednesday, the parents – represented by attorneys with People For the American Way Foundation, the ACLU, the ACLU of Texas, and the law firm of Jenner & Block – filed a lawsuit against the school district, charging that this particular Bible course violates their religious liberty. Odessa schools are using a controversial course based on the program promoted by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBSPS) – a private group backed by religious-right activists including Jesse Helms, Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, the Eagle Forum, and even Chuck Norris. The NCBCPS curriculum fails to present the Bible in an objective manner, a requirement for any public school course about the Bible. Instead, it presents the Bible as history, and also from a particular sectarian perspective.
After the board voted to adopt the NCBCPS curriculum – and create a course that the Texas ACLU’s Lisa Graybill called “basically a Sunday School class within the walls of a public school” – the district’s curriculum director exclaimed in an e-mail,
YES, WE ARE USING NCBCPS :) :) :)! HA! Take that you dang heathens!
Source:
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/08
/farright_scarbo.html?tr=y&auid=2992347
Used with permission.
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Press release from People for the American Way
"Dang Heathens!"
Believe it or not, that "dang heathens" quote is from a Texas school official crowing about choosing a Bible course that violates the First Amendment -- it promotes Christian fundamentalism in public schools. In a lawsuit recently filed in federal court, PFAWF lawyers are representing eight parents who want to stop it.
In Odessa, Texas, the county school board is using a curriculum created by the right-wing National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBCPS). On the organization's Web site, a NCBCPS board member suggests contacting NCBCPS as the "first step to get God back into your public school."
There is a right way to teach about the Bible in public schools, but this isn't it. The Bible can't be used in public schools to promote religion in general, or to promote one religion over others. In Odessa, students have been required to give "true" or "false" answers to statements involving matters of religious faith, including Jesus' resurrection.
I wish I could tell you that what is happening in Odessa is an isolated case. But it's not.
In 2000, People For the American Way Foundation's expose of "Bible History"-teaching in Florida public high schools documented stunning material in exams and lesson plans, including:
Q.Why is it hard for a non-Christian to understand things about God?
Q. Who, according to Jesus, is the father of the Jews? A. The Devil
In response to our report, the state of Florida put an end to those classes. But unconstitutional courses are still being promoted all over the country.
Back in Texas, the legislature this year considered a bill to require all school districts to offer high school elective courses about the Bible. The original bill promoted one religious view of the Bible and included no requirements for teacher training. It was a recipe for disaster. The Texas office of our affiliate, People For the American Way, and PFAW's legal team, presented important analysis and testimony to the state legislature about the bill's constitutional failings, and the bill was substantially amended to provide vital protections.
But even impressive victories like these don't stop the Religious Right groups that are relentless about using public schools to promote their brand of religion. They're bringing the movement's money and legal firepower to Odessa.
This is one case we can ill-afford to lose. If you care about the First Amendment, join with us now. If you want to protect America’s children from religious indoctrination at the taxpayer's expense, help make sure these Odessa parents prevail. If you know it's the right thing to do, do it today.
Protect the separation between church and state with a tax-deductible donation of $30, $45, $75 or any amount you can afford.
People For the American Way Foundation has a 25-year tradition of protecting the separation of church and state. As a father, I feel strongly about protecting parents' rights to raise their children as they think is best. Please do whatever you can to help.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ralph G. Neas
President, People For the American Way Foundation
P.S. Religious teaching belongs at home or in houses of worship. Not in the public schools. And not at the taxpayers' expense. Help defend religious liberty and the separation of church and state. Help us WIN in Odessa.
To contact us online, please use the web form at:
http://www.pfaw.org/go/contact_us/
http://www.kintera.org/site/lookup.asp?c=feIJKQMEF&b=2838285 |
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A Parent's
Guide to Religion in the Public Schools
The Clinton
administration's 2000, "A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public
Schools", that was distributed to all public schools in America, has been
revised by the Bush administration in 2003 and similarly distributed to
all public schools.
It is available at:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org./PDF/parentsguidereligion.PDF
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Bush Administration Distorts Sex Education in public Schools
BIRDS AND BEES 101 -- it gives examples of
lies and scientific inaccuracies being taught to our teens by Bush's
federally-funded abstinence-only program -- and to act to correct the
situation. http://www.naral.org
In the meantime, consider
enrolling your child in the Unitarian
Universalist sex education program, Our Whole Lives (OWL) for accurate
information, a positive attitude about sexuality, and support for
diversity.
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Paganism being taught in Public Schools?
Fantasy and Fear Mongering
This press release represents the fear-mongering that is commonplace among
the Religious Right. If ANYONE knows of a public school that is
actually doing this, please write me.
Homeschoolers, how are YOU teaching your religion? Please share with
other Pagan parents by sending descriptions to the Editor.
Media Syndicate Press Release
http://www.mediasyndicate.com/modules.php?
op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=
1463
Pagan Religions Taught In Public Schools
Posted by: jturtel on Jul 27, 2005 - 12:00 AM
We are supposed to have separation of church and state in our public
schools. Christianity is not allowed in our classrooms. Yet school
authorities are promoting pagan rituals and religions in public-school
classrooms across the country under the guise of multiculturalism classes.
In classrooms throughout the country, Judeo-Christian beliefs are often
cast aside or ridiculed. Multiculturalism studies, environmental
propaganda, and Save-the-Earth classes now indoctrinate children with
New-Age religious beliefs, often without parents' knowledge. Public
schools sometimes try to sneak offensive pagan or new-age religions into
their curriculum without parents' knowledge under the guise of
multiculturalism studies.
In January, 2003, a group of parents sued a Sacramento Unified School
District because certain teachers at their local elementary school were
aggressively, and secretly, teaching anthroposophy, a religion that
combines traditional Western religion with astrology and New Age religion.
Pacific Justice Institute lawyers representing the parents indicated that
many other public schools in California are now adding New Age and Eastern
religions, including Islam, to their curricula.
Below is only a small sample of the flood of "spiritual" sessions taking
place in classrooms throughout the country (examples are from Berit Kjos's
book, "Brave New Schools"):
1. Altered states of consciousness: Teaching students to alter their
consciousness through centering exercises, guided imagery, and
visualizations has become standard practice in self-esteem, multicultural,
and arts programs. They often encourage contact with spirit guides.
2. Dreams and visions: After studying a pagan myth, students are often
asked to imagine or visualize a dream or vision, then describe it in a
journal or lesson assignment.
3. Astrology: Countless teachers across the country require students to
document their daily horoscopes. Others help students discover their
powers and personalities through Aztec calendars and Chinese.
4. Other forms of divination: Through palmistry, I Ching, tarot cards and
horoscopes, students learn to experience other cultures and tap into
secret sources of wisdom. Students in Texas were told to create a vision
in their minds and "describe in your best soothsayer tones the details of
your vision."
5. Spiritism: While pagan myths and crafts show students how to contact
ancestral, nature, and other spirits, classroom rituals actually invoke
their presence. California third-graders had to alter their consciousness
through guided imagery, invoke or "see" their personal animal spirits,
write about their experience . . . and create their own magical medicine
shields to represent their spirit helper.
6. Magic, spells, and sorcery: Many parents consider magic and
spell-casting too bizarre and alien to pose a threat, yet gullible
students from coast to coast are learning the ancient formulas and occult
techniques.
Parents, is this what you want your children taught in public schools, the
same public schools that are now forbidden from teaching kids the Ten
Commandments?
Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of "Public Schools,
Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."
Contact Information:
http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
Email: lbooksusa@aol.com, Phone: 718-447-7348. |
Wicca article by Middle School Student sparks outcry/
comments from American Family Assn. of Michigan
Friday, March 11, 2005
THE SAGINAW NEWS
MIDLAND -- Central Middle School administrators are promising more
oversight of a student publication in the face of hubbub over an article
about Wicca.
The article about the ancient religion was in a recent 10-page issue of
the Cavalier Chronicle newsletter, which goes to about 600 sixth-,
seventh- and eighth-graders at the school.
Several community members obtained the document, which isn't sent outside
the school, and objected to the article, school officials said.
Wicca is a Celtic pagan religion that includes the practice of witchcraft,
using spells for protection and love with the pledge of causing no harm.
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May 15, 2003
Aroniakeha Elijah, a 17 year-old junior at Salmon
River High School near Plattsburgh, New York, was finally allowed to
return to regular classes today. A decision by school officials to allow
his return ended a 73 day period in which they
confined him to a windowless room for wearing a red headband which
signified a rite of passage within his traditional Iroquois religion.
The action was taken after Becket Fund attorney Derek Gaubatz and New York
attorney Robert Greene met with school officials regarding Aroniakeha's
constitutional rights to freely practice his religion.
Earlier this year, when Elijah wore his head-cloth to
school, officials regarded it as a violation of their "no bandana" rule,
and he was ordered to remove it. When he refused, on grounds that he
considered wearing it his religious duty, the school segregated him from
other students in a room known as "the box." For
more than three months, he received no instruction, homework, or any
education. An accomplished athlete and member of the cross country and
lacrosse teams, Elijah was suspended for the entire season, jeopardizing
any future possibility of college athletic scholarships.
On May 14, 2003, Becket Fund attorney Derek Gaubatz
and New York attorney Robert Greene, with whom The Becket Fund had worked
previously in Pine Hill Zendo Inc. v. Town of Bedford Zoning Board of
Appeals , met with the school board president, the superintendent, the
school principal and their attorney. A settlement was quickly worked out
in which school officials agreed to allow Elijah to return to his regular
classes, receive tutoring to help him make up the three months' work, and
wear his red head cloth.
Gaubatz said, "It's a sad day in America when a
school sends one of its students into solitary confinement for three and a
half months simply for asserting his constitutional rights. But we welcome
the school district's decision, in response to our request, to take the
first step toward correcting this injustice by allowing Aroniakeha to
return to class while wearing his religious headband." Elijah was
supported throughout his ordeal by his family, including his grandfather,
Jake Swamp, an Iroquois chief.
http://www.becketfund.org/index.php/article/89.html
The recent Supreme Court ruling on RLUIPA may prevent such measures from
being taken if the future. |
Students Try to Uncover Diversity
Diversity Day 2005 Comes to Stonington High School
By Heather Peurano
Times Staff Writer -- Used with permission.
Stonington -- Stonington High School students looked for diversity among a
seemingly homogeneous population this month, themselves.
The event, "Diversity Day 2005 Uncovering Diversity," sponsored by the
Multiculturalism and Diversity class, is a one-semester elective focusing
on topics such as racism, disabilities awareness and hate crimes.
The diversity fair was a culmination of several weeks of work for the
students, who worked in groups to research and create presentations on
various diversity topics.
Senior Mallory Harrold, 18, of Pawcatuck, and junior Alex Brast, 17, of
Stonington, created a diversity scavenger hunt to get the students started
on the quest to find diversity within their ranks. The pair also conducted
a survey of students' perception of the school's diversity and planned to
conduct the same survey at Fitch High School and New London High School
and then collate and compare the results of the three schools.
Some students invited guest speakers to help man their booths and answer
questions. Guest presenters included representatives of the Gay, Lesbian,
Straight Education Network, Food Not Bombs and Fidelco Guide Dog
Foundation.
One
of the most popular booths appeared to be "diSPELLing Myths" which focused
on world religions. Senior* Rachel Warner, 18, of Mystic manned the table, sharing her
experiences with Wicca, a form of witchcraft. She said she was pleasantly
surprised with the response she'd received from the students.
Overall it's been a lot better than I thought it would be," Warner said,
adding that questions ranged from "What is it?" to "Is it evil?" and "What
do you do during a ritual?"
In addition to sharing information, Warner brought in items found on a
Wiccan altar.
"Most of them have been good," she said of the responses. "I've gotten a
few people who've given me a weird look and won't come near it."
One
of her partners in the project, senior Zachary Binkowski, 17, of
Pawcatuck, manned the center of the table, sitting behind a statue of
Buddha. Students were invited to touch the Buddha's stomach for luck,
which prompted requests for candy and opened the door for questions on the
religion.
Binkowski had planned on hosting a presentation on yoga and meditation but
joined with Warner after his guest speaker cancelled.
The confirmed catholic said he was not trying to convert anyone to another
religion and did not think students feared he was. Rather, he said, the
project was about learning about different cultures and comparing them to
our own.
"The theme of this is uncovering diversity, looking beyond the obvious,"
he said, adding that sometimes one can also find similarities when looking
beyond obvious differences.
"I've learned that people that follow these other religions are not that
different from ourselves," he said.
Senior Brett Pierson, 17, and junior Lauren Lensis, 17, both of Pawcatuck,
focused on hate crimes, inviting students to watch part excerpts of the
movie "The Laramie Project," which was playing on a television at their
station. The movie focuses on the murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard,
who was killed in Laramie, Wyo. in 1998.
The students passed out copies of a brochure they had created defining
hate crimes and hate crime laws.
The two said they were not overly concerned with overt violence towards
homosexuals at the school and were focusing on awareness of other forms of
prejudice and abuse.
"The vocabulary they use, slang, a lot of the stuff is very prejudiced,"
Pierson said.
Lensis clarified by saying often students would say "that's gay" when what
they really mean is "that's stupid," something that's not very
complimentary to homosexuals.
Pierson said he thought the school's homosexual students were treated
differently by some of their classmates.
"Mostly guys try to stay away from them, make fun of them," he said.
This is Richard Walter's first year teaching the class. The history
teacher said the hardest part was deciding what topics to cover during the
half-year course.
Walter said if he taught the class again he would consider inviting other
classes to participate in the Diversity Fair to make it larger,
potentially filling the entire gym with presenters.
He said he also would like to increase the scope of the course.
"It'd be nice to see it somehow integrated into all of the curriculum," he
said.
Almost all of the school's students attended the fair, with classes visiting in 40-minute blocks.
Walter said a few teachers had tests that could not be rescheduled, so
their students did not attend.
While most of the students did visit the booths,
a few did stand in the center of the gymnasium talking about social
activities and sports.
While disappointed at their lack of interest, Walter said he didn't want
to force the students to learn about diversity.
"You given them the opportunity and then they have a choice to make," he
said.
Other topics covered included hazing, origami, resisting war, bullying and
"Different Fabrics, Different People," focusing on cultural differences in
attire. In addition to the hate crimes booth, there were two presentations
focusing on aspects of sexual orientation. There were also two
presentations about disabilities awareness, one focusing on deafness, the
other on blindness.
Freshman Heather Turner, 15, of Stonington, toured the booths, stopping to
learn more about Seeing Eye dogs.
"It's really neat," she said of the fair, adding that she was thinking of
taking the class.
Her favorite, she said, was Warner's presentation on Wicca, which she said
she knew a little about before the fair.
"I think it's really great that we're doing something like this," she
said.
originally published in the
Stonington Times on June 3, 2005. http://stoningtontimes.shorepublishing.com/
[Note:
Rachel Warner (age 18) did this towards the end of her senior year, when
her classmates were more mature and if there was trouble, it would soon
end.
Pagan Institute does NOT advise high school students to come out of the
broom closet at school without seriously thinking over the possible
consequences. We recommend discussing it with parents, and considering the
possible impact on other siblings in the school. The experience of
Pagan youth coming out of the broom closet in high school has been very
mixed. Problems ARE being tracked;
please send first-hand reports.]
Still, this event was wonderful news and the students and their teachers
and administrators, as well as the newspaper are to be commended.] |
A guest column by Elizabeth
Markley
Posted on Wed, Jun. 08, 2005
Leave my child out
of your evangelism!
Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. The fact that we are free to say what we wish
without facing criminal charges shows true democracy in action. But at
what point does freedom of speech become harassment?
There are individuals who go door-to-door in a
desperate attempt to convert others to their faith. Those
of us who are not interested in this face-to-face equivalent of spam
either refuse to answer the door or blindly take the pamphlet that is
handed to us, knowing that we will be throwing it in the trash.
I am a Pagan, so their conversion attempts are
annoying, to say the least. Luckily for me, because of my honesty and
courtesy toward them, there is usually no problem.
Then they decided to prey upon my child. Now I
realize that all they were doing was simply sharing their faith with
my child, but the fact is that she is a minor, and children do not
realize that they can tell such individuals to leave them alone.
So out of social fear, my daughter complied with every request they
made. She was next door at her friend's house when they not only
pressured her to join in on a prayer,
but also told her to fill out a form that they handed to her.
That is when I stepped outside to see why my
daughter had not come home yet. When I saw that she was filling
out some form I told her to stop writing and asked her what she was
filling out.
She said that she did not know, but that this man
(pointing to him) told her to fill it out. That is when I asked the
man what he had given to my child.
He insisted that it was simply a statement of
faith and nothing to worry about. I informed him that since
I am her mother, he had no right to ask my child to provide personal
information. He said that she could
just put down her name, if that's all she wanted to do. Didn't I make
it clear that without my consent he could not ask her to fill out
anything?
While I support their freedom of speech and their
right to practice their religion, how do those rights extend to a
right to pry private information out of a minor?
I can't help but wonder how the neighborhood
would react if I were a Satanist and went around telling children
about the joys of worshipping Satan. Surely I would be put in jail. So
tell me, why is it that they can get away with it day after day? When
are these people going to realize that what they believe does not void
all laws that pertain to minors?
Elizabeth Markley is
a resident of Fort Wayne.
Used with permission.
Originally published at
www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/11844508.htm
accessed 6/9/05
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By Liam Anderson, Pagan Institute
Report Youth News Reporter
When her high school
banned her from singing "Awesome God" at her elementary school,
eight-year-old Olivia Turton and her
mother sued the school, citing that their first-amendment-rights had
been infringed upon by the school's censorship.
The girl's mother, Maryann Turton, protested the school's May 10th decision at a school board meeting that same evening, but was
told three days later by superintendent Joyce Brennan that the song was inappropriate for the school-funded
talent show due to it's religious lyrics,
particularly the phrase, "Our God is an awesome God/ He reigns from
heaven above/ with wisdom, pow'r and
love." Ms. Turton, hardly put off by
the school's decision, hired lawyer Demetrios K. Stratis, and, with the support of
Christian legal group, the Alliance Defense Fund, filed a lawsuit
against the school.
The decision to hear
the case was made by U.S. District Judge, Stanley Chesler, who agreed to preside over
the lawsuit, only hours before Turton was scheduled to sing.
However, the girl and
her family may be fighting a losing battle. In a number of
cases, including Tinker v. Des Moines Independent
Community School District and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court has ruled that schools have a
right to censor any school-funded production.
[One Christian complained that "the school
allowed a
recitation from
Macbeth, with
witches and
killing
animals," as if that were an equivalent
form of Pagan worship! ed, cl] |
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"For the past 30, 35 years, we as a
nation have abandoned God. And in one case, the Supreme
Court yesterday says you can't have a picture of Jesus, you
can't have the Ten Commandments, you can't pray in schools,
you can't read the Bible. And the Supreme Court continuously
takes its fingers and sticks them in the eye of Almighty
God."
-- Televangelist Pat Robertson, 700 Club, 5-3-95
The Religious Right axiom that "God has been kicked out of the
public schools" is simply not true. Individual students are
free to pray and share their faith with others in the same
voluntary, non-disruptive manner that they may engage in other
speech at school. The Supreme Court has consistently held that
the government may not sponsor or endorse religious exercises
or activities. Similarly, "captive audience" prayer by
students or teachers is not permitted during classes or over
school intercoms where students have no choice but to attend.
But the courts have clearly protected the rights of students
to engage in religious speech voluntarily, subject to the same
sort of time, place and manner restrictions commonly applied
to all other forms of student expression. Nevertheless, the
Religious Right has been trying to return organized religious
observances to schools since the Supreme Court banned
organized, school-sponsored prayer almost 40 years ago.
With the legal and organizing assistance of prominent
Religious Right legal groups, such as Pat Robertson's American
Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and the American Family
Association (AFA), to name just two, schools must increasingly
contend with lawsuits brought by those asserting that schools
are infringing on their religious rights. In fact, more than
100 firms specializing in cases dealing with religion now
exist nationwide.
Ever-prepared for opportunities to undermine the separation of
church and state, Religious Right organizations and their
political allies used the period of mourning and reflection
that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks to promote
their long-held agenda. Public schools across the country were
bombarded with requests for school prayer, Bible curricula and
the posting of the Ten Commandments or the national motto, "In
God We Trust." Many say they saw an opportunity to push for
their cause in the changed political climate. "Surely, Sept.
11 helps our case," said Rep. Randal Mangham, a George state
legislator who suggested that the Georgia General Assembly
revisit its law mandating a moment of silence in schools to
explicitly include prayer. Mangham said he'd been considering
his legislation for a while. Religious Right and political
groups also sensed a change. Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for
the American Center for Law and Justice, applauded the changed
mood. "There's more religious expression going on in our
public schools than at any time in history. This is going to
change the tone of public schools in America." |
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The Supreme Court last made a major
ruling on teaching creationism in public school in
1987. The landmark case Edwards v. Aguillard struck
down a 1981 Louisiana law requiring that any public
school teaching evolution must grant equal time to
"creation science" on the grounds that the latter
advanced a religious doctrine. The Court also stated
that teaching "a variety of scientific theories" about
human origins might be valid "with the clear secular
intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science
instruction." Most creationist efforts since 1987 have
attempted to exploit this language.
This new breed of creationist activism now dominates
the movement, and has adopted the moniker "intelligent
design" (ID). The main methods of injecting the
ID/creationist agenda into public school curricula are
via textbook disclaimers and the language of state
science standards. The purpose of these efforts is to delegitimize evolution and minimize its profile in
science education. There is also a growing movement to
insert intelligent design into science curricula via
books and lectures. Intelligent design groups do not
concentrate their energy on producing scientific
research, but on providing tactical and legal advice
on introducing the topic into science classes via
clubs, speakers and supplementary texts.
But some old-line creationists, represented by groups
such as Answers in Genesis and the Institute for
Creation Research, refuse to cloak their language by
simply advocating "intelligent design." Religious
Right groups like Focus on the Family (FOF) are also
playing a central role, working directly and through
state affiliates to challenge the teaching of
evolution. In October 2001, Focus on the Family urged
California students to write to the U.S. Justice
Department and describe "how you and your faith were
offended by evolution being taught as fact." If there
was any doubt of FOF's intention, the piece is titled,
"Californians Have Chance to Fight Evolution in
Schools."
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In the 2001-02
school year, the battleground over science instruction
shifted to Ohio from Kansas, which had drawn national
attention when its state school board eliminated
evolution from the state's science standards in 1999.
The Kansas board eventually reversed it decision, but
evolution opponents saw an opportunity in Ohio to take
their Kansas success one step further. A state law
signed in 2001 requires the state school board to
adopt academic content standards in six areas,
including science. A group called Science Excellence
for All Ohioans (SEAO) is leading the effort to insert
intelligent design creationism into the standards.
SEAO is a project of the American Family Association
of Ohio and is also affiliated with the Intelligent
Design Network.
As in Kansas, the proceedings have turned into a
showcase for the "intelligent design" movement.
Speakers and lawyers from ID think tanks like the
Discovery Institute and the Intelligent Design Network
have appeared before state meetings and made the issue
a statewide media-driven controversy. National and
state groups are working together on the issue. The
local Religious Right group Citizens for Community
Values worked with the Discovery Institute and Focus
on the Family to broadcast the anti-evolution video
"Icons of Evolution" on a number of Ohio television
stations. Other state-level Religious Right groups
like the Ohio Roundtable and the Eagle Forum of Ohio
are getting into the act, hosting intelligent design
speakers and supporting SEAO's push to change the
science standards.
After an extended period of public input and revision,
the state board of education is scheduled to consider
draft standards during Fall 2002 and, according to
Ohio law, must adopt science standards in December
2002. The political fight is likely to intensify as
the final vote approaches.
Hawaii and Nebraska also saw similar attacks involving
science standards over the 2001-02 school year. In
both cases, creationists failed to either add
creationism or de-emphasize evolution in state policy,
but it's clear that such efforts are the most active
front in the battle for objective science education
free of religious influence. |
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In April 2002,
the Cobb County, Georgia Board of Education decided to
draft a disclaimer regarding the teaching of evolution
to be inserted in science textbooks in response to a
petition effort that gained support via local Bible
study classes. Modeled on a successful effort in
Alabama, anti-evolution forces won a disclaimer to be
inserted in biology textbooks in Fall 2002 reading:
"This textbook contains material on evolution.
Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the
origin of living things. This material should be
approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and
critically considered."
One parent who requested board action was not
satisfied with the decision, saying she wanted an
elective science course exploring the controversy and
wanted the insert to more clearly define alternative
explanations. Another parent was more blunt, saying,
"We believe the Bible is correct in that God created
man. I don't expect the public school system to teach
only creationism, but I think it should be given its
fair share." In August 2002, the American Civil
Liberties Union of Georgia filed a federal lawsuit
against the district asking for the disclaimer's
removal.
Since then, the school board voted unanimously to
consider changing district policy relating to science
and evolution education. The proposed policy states,
in part, that "discussion of disputed views of
academic subjects is a necessary element of providing
a balanced education, including the study of the
origin of the species." The board chair said it was
not clear if the proposed language would allow
creationism to be discussed. The Cobb County board
will spend 30 days reviewing the proposed policy
change and vote on the matter at the end of September. |
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In June 2002,
the Annville-Cleona, Pennsylvania School Board
rejected a series of reading texts because of
objections that it contained the theory of evolution
in some stories and "radical environmentalism" in
others. School board member Kathy Horst said she would
like to see the Pennsylvania School Board Association
consider creationism as an issue for its legislative
platform. "I want to see that the theory of
intelligent design be taught in our classrooms, as
well as evolution" said Horst."
The Greensburg Salem, Pennsylvania school district is
considering a proposal to teach "creation science"
alongside evolution in its high school science
classes. A recent graduate who is currently a student
at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University requested the
change. The school board had considered adding
"creation science" to an advanced biology curriculum
in 1999, but rejected the proposal on a 5-4 vote. The
science department is conducting an initial review of
the proposal, but a final decision will be made by the
school board.
In Joes, Colorado the Liberty J-4 School District
voted 5-0 to reverse an earlier unanimous decision to
include creationism in science classes. In Columbus,
IN the district is yet to decide how to act on a
request to add a "creation science" elective class. |
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In 2001, the ID
creationist leader Phillip Johnson helped craft
language for an anti-evolution resolution to be
inserted in a federal education reform bill in an
attempt to give local anti-evolution activists another
tool. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) sponsored the language
in a non-binding "sense of the Senate" resolution. The
resolution declared that, "where biological evolution
is taught, the curriculum should help students to
understand why this subject generates so much
continuing controversy, and should prepare the
students to be informed participants in public
discussions regarding the subject." Though Sen.
Santorum claimed that the amendment did not "not try
to dictate curriculum to anybody," more than 80
science groups decried the anti-evolution agenda
behind the resolution. The Santorum language was
removed from the final version of the education bill,
and a compromise version with less strident
anti-evolution language was instead included in the
conference report that accompanied the bill.
Some have sought to give the Santorum language the
force of law despite the fact that the language was
part of a non-binding resolution and was relegated to
a report that was not officially part of the final
legislation. Reps. John A. Boehner and Steve Chabot,
both Ohio Republicans, invoked the Santorum language
in a letter to the Ohio school board suggesting that
references to ID should be included in the state's
science standards. In Georgia, the Santorum language
was the basis for an anti-evolution bill that
eventually died in committee. Anti-evolution bills
were also introduced, but ultimately failed to
progress, in state legislatures in Ohio, Washington
and Mississippi. |
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The Right has long looked to public
school textbooks as a way of promoting its political
agenda. Current right-wing strategies to influence
textbook development have their origins in the 1960s,
when Texas-based activists Mel and Norma Gabler first
led a nationwide effort to purge public school texts
of what they viewed as the "mental child abuse" of
liberal ideas. The Gablers were among the first to
recognize just how influential textbooks can be. As
they put it, "Textbooks mold nations because they
determine how a nation votes, what it becomes, and
where it goes."
The Right is particularly vigilant regarding what it
sees as liberal bias, such as the promotion of
evolution over creationism, the environment over
capitalism, or anti-Christian ideology in textbooks.
In recent months, the Religious Right has tried to
take advantage of anxiety after the September 11
terrorist attacks to promote Christianity in public
schools. In 2002, two right-wing groups, California's
Pacific Justice Institute and the Michigan-based
Thomas More Center for Law and Justice, have taken
legal action against California school districts for
using a textbook they view as "pro-Islamic,
anti-Christian propaganda." According to a press
release from the Pacific Justice Institute, Houghton
Mifflin's Across the Centuries "puts the history of
the Islamic faith in a purely positive light, while
depicting Christians in a negative light." For its
part, Houghton Mifflin denies pro-Muslim bias in its
books: "[T]hese textbooks praise many cultures for
their contributions to civilization. In turn, the
textbooks also include the negative aspects of each
culture, including instances of Muslim religious
intolerance, military aggression and murder." |
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In no other
place is the Right's influence on textbooks so
profound as it is in Texas. The Lone Star State is the
country's second largest purchaser of public school
textbooks. As a result, publishers often go out of
their way to gain acceptance for their books in Texas.
Publisher efforts to cater to conservative tastes in
Texas have a national impact - a fact not lost on the
state's right wing. As the field director of
ultraconservative Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy
puts it, "The bottom line is that Texas and California
are the biggest buyers of textbooks in the country,
and what we adopt is what the rest of the country
gets."
Public school textbooks in Texas must be approved by
the elected State Board of Education, which holds
public hearings annually to review texts before they
are purchased by the state. Until recently, this body,
which has a majority of Religious Right allies, had
considerable latitude in rejecting texts that it
deemed inappropriate. This led to widespread abuses.
In one instance, a health text drew criticism from the
Board because it contained line drawings of a female
breast used to demonstrate self-exams. Meanwhile, some
Board members complained that textbooks described
slavery in an overly negative way. The rules for
textbook adoption changed in 1995 when the Texas
Senate, fearing that the right wing was using the
process to promote ideology, limited the Board's
rejection authority to texts that contained factual
errors.
However, the Right has found ways around the new
adoption rules. In recent years, right-wing board
members and groups have shown a remarkable ability to
expand the definition of the term "factual" to justify
rejection of texts they find unpalatable. According to
the right-wing Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF),
"Part of it is your definition of fact. If by facts we
want to say the only thing that counts is two plus two
equals four, then we did more than [check facts]. But
a factual check means more than that." Oftentimes, it
means screening texts for perceived liberal bias.
Right-wing groups currently conduct two separate
outside reviews of textbooks prior to the Board's
annual public hearings - one from the Texas Public
Policy Foundation and a second by a coalition called
the Working Partnership for Textbook Reviews. The
latter group is composed of such ultraconservative
mainstays as Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, the
Gabler Group, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and
Concerned Women for America. These organizations bring
considerable resources to bear in their attempts to
influence the process. For example, TPPF, which has a
team of 16 reviewers, plans to spend at least $100,000
in 2002 to examine textbooks. Thus far, these
investments have paid off.
In 2001, the Board reviewed public school science
textbooks. Pressed by right-wing groups, it initially
rejected two environmental science texts, Creating
a Sustainable Future and How the World Works
and Your Place in It. TPPF argued that these
volumes were "full of vitriol against Western
civilization." One witness testifying before the Board
urged members to reject these titles because they made
"discriminatory comments about Christianity and
property ownership.. The publishers believe that, if
we were pagan serfs of the king working with our hands
and told when to procreate, that would be utopia." At
the urging of TPPF, the publisher of How the World
Works made revisions to the text so as to portray
industry in a kinder light. The Board approved the
revised text.
Meanwhile, an environmental textbook financed in part
by mining companies won Board approval. It is not
entirely surprising that this title received a warm
reception from the Board, given the connections of
some of its members. Grace Shore, the Board's
chairwoman, is co-owner of a Texas-based energy
services company. As Shore put it, "The oil and gas
industry should be consulted. We always get a raw
deal."
The Board is currently examining social studies texts,
a process scheduled for completion by November 2002.
In July, the Board rejected a textbook entitled Out
of Many: A History of the American People. Again,
it appears as though the Board based its decision on
ideological - rather than factual - grounds.
Chairwoman Shore expressed her distaste for the book
in this way: "It said that there were approximately
50,000 prostitutes west of the Mississippi in this
timeframe. I don't know where they got their
information, but the way it was written it made it
sound like there were none east of the Mississippi,
they were all west of the Mississippi. And then I
thought it was just demeaning of women in the West.it
made it sound like they were all prostitutes."
In recent years, some publishers
have begun to exercise self-censorship,
altering material that might be deemed offensive by a
few very active right-wing groups in Texas. This year, the cover
photo of a proposed high school economics textbook
features several male sculptures from the front of the
New York Stock Exchange building. The publisher drew
in loincloths to cover up the normally naked statues,
rather than risk a potential approval challenge.
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