AS we first reported here: Iowa School Board and Michael Behe, the school board of Spencer, Iowa, led by two local worthies — one a preacher, the other a pharmacist — is getting itself into the deep waters of religion and evolution.
The Des Moines Register has a guest column on the subject, written by Connie Ryan Terrell, Executive Director of something called the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. We’ll give you some excerpts, with bold added by us, from her column: Clarify, balance religious-liberties policy.
As you will probably notice, our Curmudgeonly commentary between excerpts will gradually morph into what we imagine is the indignant voice of the good citizens of Spencer. Okay, here we go:
The Spencer school district is discussing a new public policy on religious liberty. It is admirable for the school board to tackle the contentious issue and attempt to craft a policy that defines the role of religion in a public-education setting and clarifies the meaning of religious freedom and expression.
It starts out well enough. For background, here’s some information from our earlier posts. First, a link to the Spencer school district’s draft policy on religion (Word document). We haven’t read it yet. And here’s a link to the website of the Spencer School Board. It has minutes of their meetings that can be downloaded.
Back to the Des Moines Register:
The problem with the proposed policy is that it is ambiguous and unbalanced. The school board needs to return to the drawing board.
The word “unbalanced” seems a bit harsh. Oh, it refers to the policy. Let’s read on:
Several items in the policy are ambiguous, including “Distribution of Religious materials on School Grounds.” Who can distribute materials? Does this include outside organizations? Are materials from any religion welcome? Can a teacher distribute religious brochures to students?
The author is getting cute here. We see no ambiguity. Everyone knows the answers to those questions — wink, wink — and the good people of Spencer don’t need newspaper columns stirring up trouble. We continue:
Perhaps of gravest concern is the policy section “Religion in the Curriculum.” It’s not because the school board wants religion to be included in curriculum, but because of the unbalanced description. Although the policy states, “Approach must be academic, not devotional,” there is no balance in the electives or curriculum to be offered including “The Bible in History and Literature” and “Critic of Darwinism, a Scientific Approach.” In the Darwin class, the only suggested text is “Darwin’s Black Box” by Behe, a pro-creationism book not accepted by the science community. Does the school board show its hand by the examples cited and those excluded?
Whaddaya mean, no balance? It’s the good folks against the devil — isn’t that balanced enough? That trouble-making Des Moines Register ought to be banned in Spencer! Here’s more:
If the school board wants to provide “Religion in the Curriculum” in a balanced fashion, then cover the myriad of religious beliefs in “Religion and History,” including the history of those who question or reject religion.
[...]
Public schools may teach about religion in a world-religions class, but they cannot teach a Bible study class. … In policy and in practice, schools must exercise extreme caution to protect the religious rights of all people regardless of religious belief, including those who choose no religion.
All right, we’ve seen enough! Grab your torches and your pitchforks, boys, we’re gonna run them eeevolutionists right out of Spencer!
[Our relevant articles can be found here: Anti-Science Activity: Iowa ‘09.]
Copyright © 2009. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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1 response so far ↓
The Gadfly // 18-July-2009 at 10:48 am
We have a Spencer about 30 miles from here. Right now it consists of an old coot living in the abandoned School House and a ranch.
Perhaps a pilot study here could be arranged.