In California, an umbrella group representing fundamentalist schools, which have ill-prepared their students for higher education by teaching them dogma instead of standard academics, is now demanding that those students be admitted to state colleges anyway. Backed by Religious Right attorneys, the Association of Christian Schools International is suing the University of California (UC) system, charging it discriminates against fundamentalist schools. The system does no such thing. In an effort to make certain that students are prepared for college, the University of California system allows public and private secondary schools to submit course outlines in core subjects such as math, science, history, English, foreign language and others. If the courses are adequately taught, they are considered acceptable preparation for an education at any of the 10 schools in the UC system. "If the courses are adequately taught" is the key phrase here. Some of the courses taught in the fundamentalist schools simply don't measure up. Many use textbooks produced by Bob Jones University that are replete with dogma and outright factual errors. One book, American Government for Christian Schools was rejected by the UC system because its content is not consistent with "empirical historical knowledge generally accepted in the collegiate community." (The book elevates "Christian nation" claptrap over actual history.) Another Bob Jones text, Biology for Christian Schools, focuses on creationism. Officials at UC found that the book "is not consistent with the knowledge generally accepted in the scientific community" and tells students that "science is invalid to the extent it conflicts with Christian belief." Students who have been taught that Earth is 6,000 years old and that dinosaurs and humans coexisted are going to be at sea when they enter freshman Biology class at a public university. Unlike many public secondary schools, where teachers are intimidated into downplaying evolution, most biology instructors at the university level teach evolution straight up and without apology. Students had better grasp it if they want to pass the course. Perhaps a compromise can be forged. A university education is important for young people, and it would be a shame if some of these kids were denied one just because their parents enrolled them in a fundamentalist academy. (Some of these teenagers might not have had a say in the matter, after all.) If a student tests below average in math or English but still shows academic promise, he or she can often enter college on a probationary status and take remedial courses to get up to speed. Maybe the UC system needs to look at remedial biology and remedial history for all of those unfortunate young people led astray by Bob Jones University textbooks.
Campus Crusade For Accuracy: California Colleges Resist Fundamentalist Demands | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
This is perhaps one of the more tangible examples of what I have started to call the problem of differing realities. The Christian Right has raised a generation that frankly lives in a different reality than the rest of us. This problem is starting to be felt in the workplace, certainly in politics and government, and in the academy.
Increasingly we are having to deal with people who either by choice or by upbringing live in, and are comfortable living in, an alternate reality. One cannot reason with such people, because reason depends on at least some common understanding of the world in which we live.
They have been taught to believe that some of the most fundamental truths of science, history, anthropology and more are the product of some cosmic liberal conspiracy to deceive them, and so they reject a vast body of basic knowledge about our world. It's scary when you consider that these folks will be voting, serving on juries, and running for public office.
"Perhaps a compromise can be forged. A university education is important for young people, and it would be a shame if some of these kids were denied one just because their parents enrolled them in a fundamentalist academy. (Some of these teenagers might not have had a say in the matter, after all.)
If a student tests below average in math or English but still shows academic promise, he or she can often enter college on a probationary status and take remedial courses to get up to speed. Maybe the UC system needs to look at remedial biology and remedial history for all of those unfortunate young people led astray by Bob Jones University textbooks."
Rob, I think I understand your meaning, and I appreciate it to be well-intentioned, but I disagree. By the time these students reach college age, they are usually legal adults and of the age of consent, by definition. In all liklihood the vast majority of them have had a fair amount of exposure to the notion of thinking for themselves. If by this time in their lives they still insist on clinging to neaderthal beliefs such as the earth only being 6,000 years old, there is little hope a remedial natural history class is going to enlighten them. University standards exist for a good reason, as I'm sure you'd agree, and to compromise those standards would be to compromise education in a retrogressive slide.
As you say, " 'If the courses are adequately taught' is the key phrase here". Well, that's the standard, and there's no reason to doubt that such a standard can be objectively presented and defended. Yes, it's tough luck that these students have been effectively brainwashed at the hands of their fundamentalist parents, but the UC system is an institution of "higher" learning, and it's hard enough for clear-thinking students to get in as it is. It would be unadvisable, I think, to further handicap the most deserving students in favor of trying to rescue a mind that has a much less likely chance of actually benefitting from the UC system of education.
"Oh, your parents sent you to a private Christian academy and you learned the "three R's" through a distored Biblical prism, kid? And now you can't even compose a coherent paragraph or do basic algebra? We're terribly sorry, but right now UC isn't where you need to be. May we suggest remedial instruction at the nearest fully accredited junior college? They have transfer programs that would serve you well. Best of luck, and study hard!" (And never, ever, compromise your education.)
by Forrest Prince on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 02:15:03 PM EST
Whether students from fundamentalist schools have the academic ability and background to function in state colleges and universities should be only one element of the discussion. In many colleges and universities in other states, fundamentalist students have shown a remarkable desire to try to control what goes on in the classroom. While most instructors in colleges and universities do exercise intellectual freedom and teach "straight up and without apology", that does not mean there are no efforts at intimidation and those efforts are sometimes successful. It is not unusual for university instructors to walk into class worrying a little about who might be offended by today's discussion and what action that person might take. Fundamentalist students have been known to disrupt class, file false complaints, and spend entire semesters claiming (even whining) that particular professors do not respect their religious beliefs if they are not permitted to direct classroom discussions. In history courses, an open discussion of such topics as the Salem Witch Trials, deism and the Enlightenment, sex attitudes in the 1920s, and a variety of others, could in any given semester bring on a vindictive stream of complaints. They will claim that low or failing grades are falsely assigned by professors who are discriminating against them based on religion (grade complaints are generally minor, but no one enjoys defending against them). They are not only ill-educated, they are often vicious. For their entire lives, they have been taught that certain thoughts and ideas are dangerous and that they have a right to prevent the expression of those ideas. Public colleges and universities, they claim, should not interfere with their beliefs - meaning faculty members should be prevented from teaching them anything with which they disagree. California's standards for what the state will consider "adequately taught" seem lenient and more than fair and at least California has some standards. When students from fundamentalist schools begin entering state colleges and universities in large numbers, they will begin filing more and more lawsuits against those universities to force their agenda. Their behavior can leave the impression that they are encouraged by their parents and churches to create controversy (particularly after hearing several students say "my church doesn't believe that" in response to in class discussions, apparently expecting that should settle in further question). Why would they want admission to those dirty public colleges and universities, anyway? They will just learn about evolution, sex, and other unacceptable notions - unless they can take control of the curriculum. But, maybe that's just paranoia.
by gertrudes on Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 10:02:19 AM EST
Campus Crusade For Accuracy: California Colleges Resist Fundamentalist Demands | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
|
Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series
on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)
Holiday Harangue: Utah Lawmaker Wants To Mandate `Merry Christmas'
The Religious Right's annual whine-fest about the "War on Christmas" is coming along right on schedule. James Dobson has issued his list of "naughty...... By Rob Boston (0 comments)
Organizing in Response to Fred Phelps
Rev. Fred Phelps, the vile anti-gay activist and head of Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, will make several stops in Boston on December 12th,...... By Frederick Clarkson (5 comments)
Creationism: The Latest In Military Suicide Prevention
Here at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), we get countless complaints about religiously based mental health and counseling programs, which, over the past...... By Chris Rodda (5 comments)
Short Takes
The Public Eye: Chip Berlet shows how knowledge of the various submovements and ideologies of the Religious Right, matters. (As distinct from the mindless...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Loony List: James Dobson Tells Us Who's Been Naughty And Nice
The day after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday," the traditional start of the December holiday shopping season. Nervous retailers are watching the bottom line, fretful...... By Rob Boston (4 comments)
Revelation of an Afterword
Jeff Sharlet has let the cat out of the bag by posting his Afterword to Dispatches from the Religious Left at The Revealer (the...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
The Oogedy-Boogedy Gap, Defined
It was not so long ago that liberals and Democrats were wringing their hands about how more deeply religious voters were tending to vote...... By Frederick Clarkson (15 comments)
Why Religious Heritage Battles Matter
For a variety of reasons, folks of different ideologies want to "claim" the Founding. If their heritage gave it to us, as the theory...... By Jonathan Rowe (0 comments)
Documentary Explores Evangelicals for Obama and Dissatisfaction with Republican Party
The UK's Channel 4 has just broadcast a documentary about American evangelical dissatisfaction with the Republican Party and increasing support for the Democrats. Entitled...... By Richard Bartholomew (1 comment)
What Obama Owes Catholic Voters
The Catholic Right-Part, Seventy-three Some Catholics think President-elect Obama owes American Catholics something for providing him with a 54% plurality. As Frederick Clarkson recently...... By Frank Cocozzelli (4 comments)
The Religious Right's 'War on Christmas' Began Centuries Ago
As Talk To Action writer Frederick Clarkson observes, proclamations from Bill O'Reilly, claiming the existence of a leftist assault on Christmas, are "part of...... By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
Blaming the War on Christmas on -- You Know Who
As we enter into the season of overheated and half-baked claims about the desacrilization of the Jewish and Christian holiday season, led by Bill...... By Frederick Clarkson (5 comments)
Short Takes
Daily Kos: Diarist John Campanelli shows what's wrong with next-generation Religious Right leader Huck's take on gay rights. Buzzflash: Bill Berkowitz surfaces the deep...... By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)
Beating of Jewish Soldier at Fort Benning Turns Allies Into Foes
Just over a year ago, Sgt. Brian Kresge of the website Jews in Green had nothing but praise for Mikey Weinstein, founder and president...... By Chris Rodda (0 comments)
Pugilistic Priest: Some Clergy Just Can't Deal With Being Called Out Over Politicking
Some right-wing members of the clergy are getting upset over the election of Barack Obama. I mean really getting upset. The story about the...... By Rob Boston (1 comment)
What's next for the Religious Right? Back to the Future.
After the collapse of the Moral Majority in the late `80's and the during the rise of the Christian Coalition, another movement, (or better description) of hysteria was sweeping over the country. It became...... By Stacey Tallitsch (1 comment)
After the election
Some observations I've made, now that the election has been over for several days (admittedly based only a few samples- but I think that they are telling): Unlike when Bush won (when conservatives were...... By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
Shorter Dobson - Post-Election Special
James Dobson devoted two half-hour radio shows to his post-Obama victory thoughts along with a cadre of six other religious conservatives. Here is a brief summary of their discussion... ...... By tacitus (5 comments)
Katherine Harris & Ken Malone, October 3, 2008
(what this story is really about): this post is an adjunct to a larger story, Katherine Harris, Sarah Palin Linked To Same Prayer Warfare Network which explores the fact that both Katherine Harris and...... By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Ignorance and Arrogance
Ignorance results primarily from two sources: poverty and privilege. Either denied an education or entitled to power, this isolation that enables ignorance breeds arrogance, and our society suffers from both.In an interview on American...... By Jay Taber (3 comments)
Imagining a Witchcraft-Fighting Vice President
Other recent Talk To Action stories on this subject Katherine Harris, Sarah Palin Linked To Same Prayer Warfare Network Palin's Movement Urges 'Godly' To 'Plunder' Wealth of 'Godless' Palin's Spiritual Warfare Network Partners With...... By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 1
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Introduction A video starring Thomas Muthee as a prayer warrior and witch hunter was released in 1999. "Transformations" was the...... By Ruth (0 comments)
Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 2
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Part Two (continued)part one part three A video starring Thomas Muthee as a prayer warrior and witch hunter was released in 1999....... By Ruth (1 comment)
Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 3
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Part Three (continued)part one part two There are Transformations networks connected to Sentinel Group and "prayer warriors" under the authority of Wagner's...... By Ruth (0 comments)
Rev Andrew Weaver: A Fighter for Justice to the End
In the world of the intertubes the word "friend" has taken on a whole new meaning. A friend can be someone you've never met, never even talked to except through the medium of the...... By mick arran (0 comments)
Setting Priorities
Two of the people with the most on-the-ground experience in dealing with white christian nationalists in the United States -- Devin Burghart and Eric Ward (both currently with Center for New Community's Building Democracy...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Christianity was Hijacked
Kevin Annett's documentary film Unrepentant tells the story of the Canadian holocaust. For those unfamiliar with the systematic mass murder of indigenous people in Canada by the United Church of Canada and the Canadian...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
IMAGINE: Media as a Sanctuary for Dissent
"The media should be a sanctuary for dissent. It is our job to go to where the silence is."-Amy Goodman ...... By eileen fleming (0 comments)
Berlet, Clarkson and Maley on the Radio
The syndicated radio program Writer's Voice , which originates at WMUA, the radio station at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, recently featured Dispatches contributors Chip Berlet, Leo Maley, and me in an hour...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Reconquering a Continent
When it comes to threatening behavior, mainstream media's cover-up of Governor Palin's violent friends is a much bigger story than her abuse of power. Of particular interest to Native Americans -- according to Dr....... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Power of Moral Sanction
With the question of how to effectively oppose the rise of fascism in the United States now in vogue, I thought it apropos to revisit this essay from 2002, The Power of Moral Sanction....... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Where's the Action?
It would seem the objective of action is at hand. Organizing for that step can take multiple forms, but one that is essential to any political success is generating a list of supporters and...... By Jay Taber (5 comments)
Dispatches from the Religious Left -- on Grit TV
Following the dramatic launch event for Dispatches from the Religious Left: The Future of Faith and Politics in America, held at Middle Collegiate Church in NYC, Laura Flanders invited several of us to appear...... By Frederick Clarkson (1 comment)
Remembering Iran-Contra
For those too young to have watched the live TV coverage of the Iran-Contra scandal, the notion of murderous felonies being coordinated out of the White House basement might seem fanciful. With the new...... By Jay Taber (1 comment)
The Problem With Militias
Sarah Palin supports the militia movement? Public Good Project's Paul de Armond explains why that's a problem. ...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Assemblies of God, Palin, and me
I spent eight years of my life as a Pentecostal in the Assembly of God. It's as odd and alien a sect to most people as Mitt Romney's Mormonism. ...... By whaleman42 (2 comments)
Dispatches from the Religious Left -- Now Available!
At least it is now "in stock" over at Amazon.com. It should also be widely available in independent bookstores and chain stores as well. I will not clutter this site with too much news...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Transcript for Mary Glazier Video
Transcript of Audio "Opening the Gate of Heaven on Earth: Receiving the New Prophetic Wind for Increase" Conference, June 12 - 14, Everett, Washington Description of Conference at: <a href="http://freshpublishing.com/global-harvest-ministries-c-192-p-1-pr-33372.html ">http://freshpublishing.com/global-harvest-ministries-c-192-p-1-pr-33372.html Mary Glazier Alaska...... By Ruth (0 comments)
"Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover
In yesterday's post, I went into some of the initial detail on a statement given by Thomas Muthee in the infamous sermon where he "annointed" Sarah Palin and also claimed to literally run a...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
Christian Fascism
[also see: Brent Bozell's Newbusters Insults Christian Conservatives - editor] Sarah Palin's propulsion into politics was fueled by religious intolerance, organized through malicious harassment, and targeted at democracy. Her use of the power of...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Politics of Thuggery
Much as most Americans prefer politics as entertainment, or at most as an informal seminar, the reality is that the politics of thuggery -- especially as practiced by the GOP -- is anything but...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Thomas Muthee's "Seven Mountains" and coded messages
Today's diary is--and yes, I know, this is a shocker--NOT going to be about Sarah Palin. At least, not directly. This is more towards some of her supporters...and especially in light of Palin throwing...... By dogemperor (2 comments)
New Model for Change
With American society in free fall, some activists are now reviewing the effectiveness of political organizing models they've used in the past. We suggest they include in their discussions two of our reports on...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Promoting Murder in America
Contrary to public opinion, promoting murder is not protected by the Constitution. Nor is it protected by tax exempt status, as in the case of charitable trusts and organized religions. The only place we...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
War of Ideas
<h2> Attacking the Truth</h2> Robert Parry talks about the role of right-wing US foundations in funding the attack on truth in media. ...... By Jay Taber (0 comments) More Diaries... |
BlogsBartholomew's Notes On ReligionChip BerletMax BlumenthalThe Panda's ThumbFrederick Clarkson Chuck Currie DefCon father Jake Stops The World John Gorenfeld Religion Clause Chris Mooney Religious Right Watch The Revealer Jesus Politics Majority Report Radio Blog Mainstream Baptist Orcinus Dispatches from the Culture Wars Ex-Gay Watch The Wall of Separation Blog From The Capital:a blog on religious liberty issues and the separation of church and stateOrganizationsAmerican Booksellers Foundation for Freedom of ExpressionACLUAnti-Defamation LeagueAmerican Library AssociationChristian Alliance for ProgressCitizens ProjectDefCon: Campaign to Defend The ConstitutionFaithful America People For the American wayInstitute For Democracy StudiesInterfaith AllianceJews On First: Defending the First AmendmentAmerican Fundamentalists Americans United for Separation of Church and StateBaptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty The Clergy and laity Network Political Research Associates Theocracy Watch Media Matters for AmericaMilitary Religious Freedom FoundationMontana Human Rights NetworkNational Center For Science EducationReligious Coalition for Reproductive ChoiceThe RevealerSouthern Poverty Law CenterTexas Freedom NetworkCrossLeft: Organizing the Christian LeftTheocracy WatchTruth Wins Out" |
||||||||||||||