Athena
March 12th, 2008, 10:23 PM
The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed a bill (http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_067125346.html) that says that a student can receive a passing grade in an Earth Science class if they say that the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the Earth an hour ago, and then planted false memories into every single living creature on Earth to make it seem like they’ve been around longer.
Of course, that’s not the intent of the bill. The intent is that a student can say the Earth is 6000 years old and still get a passing grade. The bill itself says that a student cannot be graded down if they say that what they are being taught interferes with their religious beliefs.
Specifically, the bill states:
A school district shall treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student’s voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject.
It’s the "otherwise permissible subject" phrase that’s sticky. That can easily be interpreted as meaning tests, besides just normal classroom discussion.
For a long time, I have been disquieted by the fact that many people want to give patently ridiculous ideas as much standing as reality. One problem with this is that once you open the door to fantasy, any and all flavors of it can walk on through, as in the example above. But it also elevates fantasy to the same level as reality, and that is simply wrong.
Link (http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/03/09/oklahoma-one-step-from-doom/)
_____________
Fuck. That. Shit. Man.
If you want to subscribe to lunacy, that's your gig. I'm not here to stop your delusional ass. But we're not paying billions annually so that kids can hold onto the same ridiculous dogma they'd be otherwise taught at home. School is for learning. If you want to opt out, that's fine, but you don't receive the fucking credit.
Sometimes I think we should have let the fucking South secede.
Rights don't apply in school like they do everywhere else. We're able to tell kids how to dress and style their hair, what they can be in possession of, how they can dance...I don't think it's too unreasonable to be able to determine reasonable passing criteria. As in, even if you don't *believe* what the teacher told you, at least prove that you're capable of parroting it back. Is that so fucking much to ask???
This is nothing but sick anti-political correctness. Why must we go back and forth like this? Why can't it be like, "Hey, you don't be loony and we won't either. Coo?" "Coo."
It works for me...
Of course, that’s not the intent of the bill. The intent is that a student can say the Earth is 6000 years old and still get a passing grade. The bill itself says that a student cannot be graded down if they say that what they are being taught interferes with their religious beliefs.
Specifically, the bill states:
A school district shall treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student’s voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject.
It’s the "otherwise permissible subject" phrase that’s sticky. That can easily be interpreted as meaning tests, besides just normal classroom discussion.
For a long time, I have been disquieted by the fact that many people want to give patently ridiculous ideas as much standing as reality. One problem with this is that once you open the door to fantasy, any and all flavors of it can walk on through, as in the example above. But it also elevates fantasy to the same level as reality, and that is simply wrong.
Link (http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/03/09/oklahoma-one-step-from-doom/)
_____________
Fuck. That. Shit. Man.
If you want to subscribe to lunacy, that's your gig. I'm not here to stop your delusional ass. But we're not paying billions annually so that kids can hold onto the same ridiculous dogma they'd be otherwise taught at home. School is for learning. If you want to opt out, that's fine, but you don't receive the fucking credit.
Sometimes I think we should have let the fucking South secede.
Rights don't apply in school like they do everywhere else. We're able to tell kids how to dress and style their hair, what they can be in possession of, how they can dance...I don't think it's too unreasonable to be able to determine reasonable passing criteria. As in, even if you don't *believe* what the teacher told you, at least prove that you're capable of parroting it back. Is that so fucking much to ask???
This is nothing but sick anti-political correctness. Why must we go back and forth like this? Why can't it be like, "Hey, you don't be loony and we won't either. Coo?" "Coo."
It works for me...