I think it is important to note that no one really should ever 'believe' that F=ma with regards to science and it is equally as scary to expect students to 'believe' in any scientific principle.
You never know. There may be some other cool equation that explains force as F=ma+k where k is some measurement that effects force in a some weird circumstance. Then all those people who believed that F=ma would be in a bind. We should teach students that things like F=ma are the best description we have for physical phenomenon at the time and then this whole discussion of belief is moot.
That this new law does not understand this is the scary thing. That this law assumes that belief is a part of science is what is frightening especially because it means we have people making laws who are not only clueless but in such a way that they are actually motivated to take action based on their cluelessness.
No smoking signs by gas stations. No religion in the public square. The government should keep us from being engulfed in flames on earth, and that is pretty much it. -- Jon Stewart, The Daily Show