I don’t think that’s on the teacher’s union (who mostly don’t want the headaches), it’s those parents who control the school board making the rules
Are the religious texts of any other religions included in the list?
Yep - and it surprises me when I hear a Catholic advocate for prayer in public schools. I ask them if they know why there are/were so many Catholic and Jewish schools in NYC and so few Lutheran or Methodist ones. They never do. ( It’s because public schools in NYC were so heavily influenced by Protestants. There was a public school holiday when I was in high school which has had various names over the years, but the reason for the holiday was to celebrate the founding of a Protestant Sunday school association)
I could certainly be wrong, I’ve never been to Texas, but I’d be surprised to learn that there was any teachers union in Texas.
Texas Dopers, what do you say?
The Code of Hammurabi is a religious text with mentions of Marduk and Shamash.
Please remember that any “clever” ploys suggested will absolutely not be met with any variation of “Golly gee! We never considered that loophole, so there is nothing we can do!”. In the real world, assholes respond as assholes will.
Just to be clear and before we dig down any more well known ruts, I’ll point out that the OP as written was about display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, the recent revival was (by the cite) about teaching passages from the Bible as part of English (Literature) studies, which, while not an entirely different kettle of fish, is one with slightly better justification.
NOT defending Texas, because I am perfectly capable of reading their intent, rather than their excuses, but in better hands it makes sense, and (for our evil snarky stuff) I’d love said class to require a disclaimer that the Bible is a unverified work of fiction, and cannot be treated as literally true.
Because I want to see them teaching the Bible as fiction, and then coming home to their parents and saying as such.
The Bible is a work of Literature, some parts are actual history. It is not fiction, but some parts are Myth and other parts are legend- and the older the “book” the more likely it is Myth or legend. We dont call the Greek Myths “fiction”.
I created a new thread to discuss the sub-topic rather than hijacking this one:
Actually, the Greek Myths were religion.
It’s useful to remember that this is stuff that was taken very seriously by the ancient Greeks – they weren’t simply cute stories they told. Although different people viewed them with differing degrees of belief and tolerance.
For that matter, people actually reading the Bible would also be a threat to Dominionists, because actually reading it would make clear just how much of what Dominionists claim isn’t actually Biblical.
Well sort of a “union” due to Texas being a right to work state it has to be called an association…. https://www.tcta.org/
Texan here. One of my kids is a teacher, and their school has both AAUP and AFT members on staff. Texas law prohibits collective bargaining by public employees, so I doubt the unions have much clout.
Kiddo is currently teaching Classics, and has gone through all syllabi and lesson plans to remove everything that might offend the zealots. Since these changes were directed with little notice, it leaves gaps in the course syllabus and shortens the course some. At present, they chose to fill these gaps with relevant material, while still following the requirements to avoid forbidden subjects.
As well-educated atheists in the bible-belt, we have plenty of experience navigating around evangelists and fundamentalists. So this isn’t an entirely new problem, just a different version.
With no particular evidence, i believe that in every era there have been people who were deeply religious, and others who went along with the social requirements their religion imposed, but otherwise didn’t think about it much, and a few who thought the whole thing was hogwash.
I think “religiosity” is like musicality, a fundamental trait of human beings that some people have a lot of, and some have almost none of.
Which is also unconstitutional, of course, given the freedom of association in the First Amendment.
For that matter, what would actually reading that book teach people about how they are to treat refugees and asylum seekers (versus how they’re treated in Trump’s America)?
I don’t follow. How does not allowing collective bargaining violate freedom of association ? They are allowed to join unions but public employees are not covered by the NLRA so the unions have no right to bargain under Federal law.
I think it’s even more complicated than that: I think it’s even possible to have the trait, but still to think that any particular expression of it is, in the scientific mode, hogwash.
Cite: the inside of my own head. Though I have heard what seems to me similar things from some other people, including some Pratchett.
I think i mentioned my friend who is a Lubuvitcher (a weird Orthodox strain of Judaism). He was a convert to that sect, he grew up a somewhat ordinary conservative Jew. He had a close relative who converted to Catholicism and became a nun, and another close relative who became a militant atheist.
So i think i agree with your judgement. And i think his family tended towards a very high degree of religiosity.
I’m not sure we meant quite the same thing. I mean that it’s possible to have the — the closest way I can say it is emotional connection, though I’m not sure that’s quite right — while thinking, not just that a particular expression of it is scientifically hogwash, but that all the expressions of it are scientifically hogwash.
Like Pratchett talking about needing to believe the big lies, in Hogfather.
Having the religious trait but switching which expression of it you insist is true does happen. But I don’t think it’s the same thing.
ETA: I suspect this is getting rather off topic. I don’t know whether anybody wants to get into it further; if so, tell me and I’ll start a linked topic, or you could do so.