So apparently, Colorado Senator,
Dave Schultheis:
In 2009, he created controversy by stating he hoped babies born from mothers with HIV were born with severe cases of AIDS to punish the mothers.
decided he wanted to get religion in school.
From the blog (
http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/02/21/religious-assault-on-democracy/)
This Bill was purportedly necessary for the protection of religious persons from attacks on their religious rights in the public school system despite the fact that there was no evidence or even anecdotal testimony to support such ridiculous claims.
The two most controversial areas of concern are first, that teachers would not have to teach anything that may disagree with their religious views, and that they could openly display their own religious material in their classrooms and, second, that students could refuse or oppose course material for the same irrational reasons.
Every step we take, these people take us two steps back. Here is the real bill: (
http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2010A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/71A532164C3006E9872576A8002BBFF4?Open&file=089_01.pdf)
'The bill establishes the "Religious Bill of Rights for Individuals
Connected to Public Schools Act" (act), which requires the state board of
education (state board) to adopt a religious bill of rights for public school
students and parents and a religious bill of rights for public school
teachers and employees (religious bills of rights) outlining each party's respective inalienable individual religious rights. The state board shall
distribute the religious bills of rights to school district boards of education
(local boards), and each local board shall adopt policies and procedures
to implement the act, including the annual distribution of the religious
bills of rights to students, parents, teachers, and employees of the school
district. Additionally, local boards of education shall provide opt-out
provisions to individuals for classes or course materials that are in
conflict with the individual's religious beliefs.
The bill provides that individual members of local boards are
personally liable for lawsuits brought under the act if the local board fails
to adopt policies and procedures to implement the act or to ensure
compliance with the act."
(c) PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FACING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF
2 LAWSUITS FROM PARENTS AND CHILDREN CHALLENGING RESTRICTIONS OR
3 PERCEIVED RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR RELIGIOUS RIGHTS. DEFENDING
4 AGAINST THESE LAWSUITS HAS COST AND WILL CONTINUE TO COST STATE
5 TAXPAYERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY.
6 (d) IT IS BENEFICIAL TO RAISING MORALS AND OBEDIENCE WITHIN
7 THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE THAT RECOGNIZES AND
8 ENCOURAGES THE CONCEPT AND UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
9 THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO THE FOUNDERS OF OUR NATION;
In regards to what the school must do to adhere to said "bill":
6 (VII) EXPRESS HIS OR HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR SELECT
7 RELIGIOUS MATERIALS WHEN RESPONDING TO A SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT IF
8 HIS OR HER RESPONSE REASONABLY MEETS THE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF
9 THE ASSIGNMENT; AND
10 (VIII) RECITE RELIGIOUS MATERIAL WHEN AN ORAL RECITATION
11 IS ASSIGNED IF THE MATERIAL FAIRLY MEETS THE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE
12 OF THE ASSIGNMENT.
My word, the whole thing is rife with shit. if I kept quoting it, it would turn into a copy and paste session.
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people
-Carl Sagan
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
-Carl Sagan
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