MaxedOutMama
Monday, March 21, 2005
Unbelievable
This story from South Carolina just blew me away. I read it three times and still couldn't believe my eyes. A visiting teacher from Australia purchased a religious textbook for use in fifth grade and taught it in a public school. A family objected several times, but finally sued the school system to get them to stop it. The school system is not disputing that they are wrong:
The school system acknowledged in an agreement filed Friday that the allegations were true and pledged not to use those lessons or other religious materials. Once a judge signs that agreement, the school system could face federal criminal penalties for violating it.The incident (after they had already complained about the extremely religious nature of the assignments) that pushed the family over the edge was this:
"We made a mistake," Cumberland Schools Superintendent Bill Harrison said Friday. "The only thing we can do is make amends and move on."
Ashlee came home with a worksheet on which she was marked wrong for answering that "chance" was the reason many animals are colored to match their surroundings. The teacher indicated that the right answer was "God's master design," the suit says.Here's an example lesson:
"God has a niche for each creature He has created, down to the tiniest microscopic being. He also has a niche for each person He has created. As Christians, we can trust Him to show us our niche in life -- where we fit into His plan for the world and for His kingdom."This has got to be the most flagrant teaching of religion in public schools in 40 years.
