This Week in God

June 14, 2008

Last week, The God Machine offered a story about religious activists, hoping to undermine confidence in modern biology by encouraging school districts to introduce “strengths and weaknesses” language into curriculum standards. This way, the argument goes, teachers wouldn’t literally be teaching creationism, they’d just be teaching why creationists don’t like evolutionary biology.

This week, we see the results of some of these efforts.

A proposal that would let science teachers change how they teach topics like evolution, cloning and global warming in public schools was overwhelmingly approved Wednesday by the Louisiana House.

The bill by Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, would let teachers supplement school science textbooks with other materials. The House voted 94-3 for the measure. […]

Supporters say the bill — titled the “Louisiana Science Education Act” — is designed to promote critical thinking, strengthen education and help teachers who are confused about what’s acceptable for science classes.

“It basically protects teachers to be able to teach controversial subjects in science without looking over their shoulders,” said Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, who handled the bill in the House.

This, of course, is total nonsense. The state legislation little more than a cheap scheme to help schools attack modern biology, and instruct students not to have confidence in evolution.

My friends at Americans United for Separation of Church and State are already talking about a lawsuit. “It’s time for Louisiana to step into the 21st century and stop trying to teach religion in public schools,” said the Rev. Barry Lynn. “Laws like this are an embarrassment.”

Also from The God Machine this week, we’ve talked several times about federal tax law’s restrictions on tax-exempt religious ministries, and the reasons houses of worship cannot legally engage in partisan politics. Reader S.K. alerted me this week to a preacher in Minnesota who knows the law, but had decided to break it — to see what happens.

The Rev. Gus Booth of Warroad Community Church wants to “open a dialogue” on political preaching.

He’ll probably get his wish.

Booth, a delegate to the Republican National Convention, alerted Americans United for Separation of Church and State to a recent sermon warning followers to oppose Barack Obama for his stance on abortion rights. Booth advised the group that defends church-state separation that he’s challenging federal prohibitions on political advocacy from the pulpit.

On Wednesday, Americans United asked the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate whether the evangelical church with a following of 150 violated its nonprofit, tax-exempt status with Booth’s sermon.

Booth can, of course, expect a friendly visit from some IRS agents. I’ll let you know what happens.

And finally, hundreds of ministries are taking a stand against torture this week.

About 300 houses of worship are displaying anti-torture banners this month in an initiative by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

Most of the banners are a stark black-and-white and read, “Torture is Wrong” or “Torture is a Moral Issue.” Congregations participating in the monthlong campaign include Methodists, Presbyterians, Jews, Muslims, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Quakers and Roman Catholics.

The anti-torture group is lobbying for a congressional investigation of U.S. treatment of suspects and prisoners since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Good for them.

The LA bill was titled LouSEA?

  • “It basically protects teachers to be able to teach controversial subjects in science without looking over their shoulders,” said Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, who handled the bill in the House.

    Tell you what, Looweezyanna, we’ll let you do that when you allow atheists into your churches to teach controversial subjects in religion.

    I hope you also plan to allow your teachers to teach students that the earth is flat and revolves around the sun. We’ll also need to change the teaching of arithmetic so that ignoramuses can come in and teach the students that 2+2=5 and 2×2=22. Let the ignorant teach everything, as a matter of fact.

  • “…help teachers who are confused about what’s acceptable for science classes.”

    Last time I checked, a science teacher who was confused wasn’t supposed to be teaching science. But then again, we’ve had “Rove Math”—so it must be time for “McScience….”

  • The U.S. is already a laughing stock in the civilized world for its anti-evolution, and anti-intellecutalism in general. Half the population thinks god talks to them directly and believes in angels. Our math and science literacy is an embarassment, and the democratic process in Louisiana, as ever controlled by the trogs, continues to march backwards into the very dark ages. Dumbing everything down is no way to stay competitive in a global economy. Has anyone seen the movie, Idiocracy? It cuts very close to the bone.

  • Reverend Booth can say whatever he wants from his pulpit, but he can’t say it tax-free. He presumably imagines a gigantic freedom of speech court case ending up with him doing a Mr Smith routine in front of the Supreme Court. With any luck, he’ll simply get an IRS hearing and a huge tax bill.

    Actually, I’m in favor of taxing all religions whether they are political or not. Maybe even extra taxes and restrictions, on the same general principles as sin taxes on tobacco, and health rules regarding smoking and second-hand smoke.

  • As a former biology teacher, I’d be curious to know if this “Louisiana Science Education Act” would allow me to teach evolution from the point of view of karma and reincarnation. Evolution deals with changes in the gene pool affecting the physical traits of populations over time leading eventually to species differentiation. Karma determines the inner experience of the beings incarnating in the myriad forms generated by such evolution. The combination of these two approaches offers a rich and exciting extension of the basis upon which we try to understand the relation between mind and matter. Any chance the creationists would be tolerant of such an innovative promotion of critical thinking? I’d love to know what they might say.

  • “About 300 houses of worship are displaying anti-torture banners this month in an initiative by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture… Congregations participating in the monthlong campaign include Methodists, Presbyterians, Jews, Muslims, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Quakers and Roman Catholics.”

    I haven’t seen a banner at my church (Lutheran) yet, but our pastor is having a forum on the subject of torture next week.

    Most mainline Christian denominations have statements for peace/against war. The ELCA (largest of the Lutheran donimnations) put out a Statement of Peace back in 1995: http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Social-Statements/Peace.aspx. It’s quite a long statement but worth looking at, particulary Sections 4 & 5, even if you just read the bolded headers of each section/subsection, you can get an idea of what it’s about. The overriding theme is of human rights/social justice.

    And it’s not just talk – the ELCA and her congregations provide relief efforts for the hungry, those hit by natural disasters, and outreach/help to people in the US and the world, such as building schools, clinics, digging wells, helping African AID orphans, helping the jobless, etc., etc.

    Here are just a few quotes from the Statement of Peace:

    Wars, both between and within states, represent a horrendous failure of politics. The evil of war is especially evident in the number of children and other noncombatants who suffer and die. We lament that the Church has blessed crusades and wars in the name of Jesus Christ….

    A significant cause of violent conflict, domestically and internationally, are attitudes that view violence as a readily acceptable way of dealing with differences and disputes. Fear of others, disregard for people’s dignity, personal experiences of violence, and images in movies, television, videos, and music that glorify violence and war help form these attitudes…

    Massive hunger and poverty, alongside abundance and wealth, violate the bonds of our common humanity. Such economic disparities are a cause of conflict and war and spur our efforts to build just economic relationships necessary for peace…

    “Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” These words from the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) are consistent with our understanding of humans created in God’s image. Human rights provide a common universal standard of justice for living with our differences, and they give moral and legal standing to the individual in the international community…

    Our priorities are to:
    -oppose genocide and other grievous violations of human rights such as torture, religious and racial oppression, forced conscription (impressment), forced labor, and war crimes (including organized rape);
    -provide for the most basic necessities of the poor; and
    -defend the human rights of groups most susceptible to violations, especially all minorities, women, and children.

  • #5: AID = AIDS

    #6: “I’m in favor of taxing all religions whether they are political or not.”

    Would you tax gifts the church receives for hunger and disaster relief, 100% of which goes to help victims (which the ELCA (Lutheran) does)?

    Look, I understand that most (including myself) are outraged at some of the excesses of the megachurch preachers, with their jets, million dollar homes, etc. But I suspect that’s the exception. Most pastors that I’m aware of make less than business people with the same amount of experience. My church, and I suspect others, pay their employees far less than they could make in the business world. Sometimes we barely scrape by financially. And we do a lot of outreach to our community. (We do pay payroll taxes on our employees, just so you know.)

    My church does follow the law about not endorsing candidates, etc. So please don’t lump us in with those who don’t. Thanks.

  • Hannah;

    Your experience is typical of mainline and progressive denominations. There are lots of wonderful people in these churches, synagogues, and mosques. I’ve worked with some ELCA members who make me feel centrist.

    The problem began in the 40’s when licenses for the airwaves were parceled out. Mainline denominations knew they had the clout to get on the air whenever they wanted. Their leaders were primarily over 60 years old, a generation that had no concept of the power of TV.

    Evangelicals and fundamentalists were in the minority, less than 10% of Christians. They realized that they did not have the clout with politicians and the networks to get on the air. They started their own radio programs and expanded existing ones. Because they were not a centralized movement their leaders included many young ministers.

    That little movement spawned the Televangelists. They grew up knowing the importance of info-tainment and how to hook viewers with controversial topics. As their media empire expanded so did their membership.

    Mainline denominations have diminished not only in membership but also their presence in the media. Their members shy away from controversy on the mistaken notion that this is the way to bring people together. To the public these denominations are silent, at best. At worst it is read as a lack of the courage to defend your beliefs. To many people Christian means either you are a coward or a bigot.

    Fundamentalists have redefined the word because they took the lead in media. Moderate and progressive believers have redefined the word because they mistakenly believed that they were being heard outside their churches.

    I continue to work with progressive people of faith but it’s like hitting a brick wall over and over hoping for a breakthrough.

    I’m glad you’re standing up for ELCA, now follow Frank Luntz advice and keep doing it until you are totally sick of repeating the message.

  • I think that schools hobble their academic-students by attacking evolution in the classroom should also go out before games with an iron pipe and give their student-athletes a whack on the knee.

  • #10 D Pecan: Thanks for your comments and kind words about the ELCA. I and many others are speaking out for our faith, online and in person. Most Lutherans (and other mainline denominations) are a bit shy about speaking publicly, you are correct. And when we do, it is often ignored and sometimes ridiculed. But the Statement of Peace I talked about in #8 says we MUST confront those people and institutions that are promoting war and injustice. Now how to get people to do it…

    Back to speaking of ignoring us:

    The ELCA’s bishop, Mark Hanson, was one of the 30 faith leaders who met with Barack Obama on June 10. Of course the media chose to focus on and name only some of the evangelicals that were there. I only found out about Hanson’s being there by reading the ELCA website:
    http://archive.elca.org/ScriptLib/CO/ELCA_News/encArticleList.asp?article=3885

    ::sigh::

  • Hannah;

    You’re welcome.

    I worked with some ELCA folks on a media campaign. They wanted my advice on how to get their statement supporting rapid withdrawal from Iraq. We succeeded by putting them on the street in clerical garb and stoles. The media loved the image of a different type of war protester. However, what got covered was they were having a peaceful march, and they didn’t like the war.

    Media needs a ‘story’. Story is based on action, not opinion. Their ‘action’ was to go for a walk in clerical and religious clothing. If the ‘action’ had included non-violent action it would likely have been front page news. It’s been a long time since religious leaders have braved the dogs or the police.

    Last week one minister joined a group of people protesting the city’s treatment of the homeless by staging a sit-in. Only one minister! But… he was the headline of the story. What would it be like if there were a dozen?

    Well – that happened. 8 ministers held a press conference denouncing the sale of low income housing to a developer. They held the conference on site and in clerical garb. It got front page coverage. The city backed down and the housing was saved.

    No one knew that these ministers were from small churches or that they were heads of non-profits – with no congregation. Didn’t matter one bit. There powerful symbolism of religion can shape the public consciousness. The first step is action in public with media.

    • Comments are closed.