Sure, there's nothing to fear from an office for faith-based religions in the WH!

[icymist]

Texas Panel Rejects Required Bible Class

AUSTIN, Texas Apr 20, 2007 (AP)— A plan to require public schools to teach classes with the Bible as a textbook was changed by a Texas legislative panel to make such classes optional instead.

The House Public Education Committee approved the modified bill Thursday, drawing praise from critics who feared mandatory Bible courses would be more religious than academic.

"I think the committee got the message that families and churches don't want the government to tell our children what to believe about the Bible," said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network.

The original bill by Republican state Rep. Warren Chisum would have required schools to offer Bible courses as an elective. He argued the Bible would be used for its historical value.

Read the article

Want to bet that the RW will try again to force a single religious view/interpretation on the rest of us? Yeah, I know the committee in the above case rejected having this mandatory Bible study in our public school system, but I believe the RW will keep trying. The grossest act I've seen from this WH was FEMA soliciting donations for Pat Robertson right after Katrina.

[Kutjara]

1. "The Bible would be used for its historical value."

That's even worse than using it as a religious text. It's precisely the supposed "historical value" of the bible that's given us a country full of cretins who believe the world was created a few thousand years ago and Noah fit two of every animal into a boat the size of a crosstown bus. Saints preserve us from bible "history;" it's as worthless as bible "science."

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. They need dervishes there instead

Dervishes wouldn't require anything be taught in schools like this--but they would suggest that stories be told (examples):

A king once asked his wise men to if there was a phrase that, when uttered, would make him sad when he was happy and happy when he was sad. They couldn't come up with anything. And so he asked a wandering dervish. The dervish demanded a pound of gold--and gave all but a fraction away to the poor, using the rest to make a ring with this inscription: This too shall pass away. He presented it to the king.


(and now one far less known)
Shams of Tabriz was a teacher's teacher, famous in the Muslim world. He was the friend and teacher of Rumi, but this tale takes place before that time:

A emir's son lay dying. The emir had all his doctors and counsellors try to save the boy, but to no avail. Fearing the wrath of their master, they told him, "We can do nothing, but the Sufi Shams of Tabriz is recently come to town. He can surely heal the boy."

So Shams was summoned. He brought along with him his student. They went into the sickroom, only to find the boy dead. Shams took a deep breath, and said, "In the name of the Beloved Prophet, RISE!" Nothing happened.

Shams took another deep breath, and said, "IN the name of Allah, RISE!" Nothing happened.

Shams became very quiet, and then said, "In the name of Shams of Tabriz, RISE!" The boy stirred, and then sat up in bed.

The emir was overjoyed, but when the counsellors and doctors told him of Sham's blasphemy, he order the Sufi beaten to an inch of his life and thrown out of town.

The student tended to Sham's wounds, and asked, "Master, why was it that when you called on the Beloved Prophet, and then Allah, the boy remained dead-but when you called upon Shams he lived?"

"Ah, that is simple," Shams replied. "When I called on the Beloved Prophet, there was me, the Prophet, and Allah. When I called upon Allah, there was me and Allah. When I called upon Shams, there was only Allah."

[icymist]

3. What great tales! Thank you for sharing these. n/t