MISSOURI: Voters Approve Referendum Granting Students Right To Refuse Evolution Lessons

[WillParkinson]

MISSOURI: Voters Approve Referendum Granting Students Right To Refuse Evolution Lessons

Last week Missouri's voters approved a "Right To Pray" referendum that includes, among many others things, the "protection" of public school students' God-given right to refuse to be taught evolution.

Amendment 2 "is a lawyer's dream" because of its vagueness, says Joshua Rosenau, programs and policy director of the National Center for Science Education in Oakland, California, which tracks efforts by groups that oppose evolution. While the amendment begins by declaring that all residents "have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences," it also lists several situations in which that right must be protected. Rosenau is worried about one particular clause: "that no student shall be compelled to perform or participate in academic assignments or educational presentations that violate his or her religious beliefs." Those words give students the legal right to skip assignments related to evolution if the subject matter conflicts with their beliefs, Rosenau says.

The ballot measure also grants students the right to refuse lessons that teach about other religions. Yesterday the Kansas City Star published an editorial denouncing the vote. An excerpt:

Most voters who approved the Missouri prayer amendment likely assumed the proposal sounded innocuous, knowing that their religious freedoms are already guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But when pressed by media, many backers of the amendment spoke about ensuring that school children have the right to refuse learning about Buddha, or Islam, or being somehow indoctrinated by learning about how Muslims pray. And there the true intent is discovered. This amendment is for conservative Christians who are offended that they might have to acknowledge that not everyone in the world is Christian.

The ACLU has already filed a federal lawsuit.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/08/missouri-voters-approve-referendum.html

[JoePhilly]

1. Some one should tell them that not learning about evolution won't stop it from happening.

[ananda]

2. LOL. Same as human caused warming..

.. just cuz you don't believe in it, doesn't keep it from
proceeding apace.

[Philosoraptor]

3. It's o.k. till an atheist kid wants to skip enforced religious indoctrination...

...or until a Muslim kid wants to skip certain classes that offend his/her religion, or until a Buddhist kid wants to pray to Buddha.

[independentpiney]

5. Minor correction: Buddhists don't pray to Buddha nt

[Philosoraptor]

6. Did I say Buddha? I meant Cthulhu

[independentpiney]

10. Thanks for the correction nt

[JoePhilly]

13. Some idiot GOP legislator from Louisiana got mad when she realized that the school vouchers

could be used for a private Muslim school too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/valarie-hodges-lawmaker-retracts-support-for-bill_n_1655249.html

[TheMastersNemesis]

4. If They Refuse Those Lessons Then They Should Get F's In Classes Where Those Lessons Are Vital

You cannot study most science classes if evolution is left out of the information. I guess Algebra has to be left out because the Arabs invented it.

[Philosoraptor]

7. Algebra offends my Christian principles, I refuse to study it, AND I'll expect an "A"

[rbrnmw]

8. I don't understand people who still don't believe evolution

This is the year 2012 cave dwellers time to come out of the stone age.

[CanonRay]

9. Commonly known as the "Right to be Stupid" Law

Way to go Missouri, state motto: Building bridges to the 18th Century"

[ChoppinBroccoli]

11. Might As Well Allow Them To Refuse Math And English Too

Because that person has no need for "fancy book learnin'" anyhow.

You know that little meme going around about how the first thing a Dictator does in order to enslave the people is take away all their guns? Guess what slave masters in this country forbade their slaves to do (hint: it's got nothing to do with guns--they deprived slaves of something that would make them MUCH more dangerous to the establishment than guns).

I've been convinced for a long time that Republicans want to breed a generation of ignorant children because they know that if people in this country get education, they won't vote Republican anymore. Plus, a country full of uneducated schlubs will make for a larger, more compliant workforce for the new slavemasters of this country (the rich business owners).

[RC]

12. If their god is so powerful, then why

do they need to get laws passed so they are not exposed to other religions and countering viewpoints?
Sounds to me like they are rather insecure in their beliefs.

Besides that, if any religion is True, then why are there so many of them? Don't any of those monotheist gods really care if there is a one, true, correct religion? One that their subjects need to adhere to, for salvation or whatever?
Or maybe the god(s) have gotten tired of sorting out all the souls we have sent them in the name cleansing the earth of souls having the wrong religion, and are ignoring us for the rest of eternity?

[center]

[center]Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try
No people below us, above it's only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do
No need to kill or die for and no religions too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger a brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing for the world

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
Take my hand and join us
And the world will live, will live as one
[/center]

[/center]

[Initech]

14. Bill Hicks: "Ever notice how the people who don't believe in evolution look really unevolved?"