NoGodBlog.com

AMERICAN ATHEISTS ACTION ALERT
http://www.atheists.org
April 26, 2008

TENNESSEE BILL CALLS FOR STATE-WIDE
BIBLE INSTRUCTION CLASSES
Action needed now to stop more public funding of religious propaganda!

Bills in the Tennessee state Senate and House would create "non-sectarian" high school Bible instruction courses under the guise of teaching history and literature.

Senate Bill 4104 is slated for a vote this week. The measure is sponsored by State Sen. Roy Herron (D-Dresden), with a mirror bill in the House introduced by Rep. Mark Maddox (DE-Dresden). According to the Jackson Sun newspaper, "If it becomes law, the legislation would make the Bible course a state-approved elective, and school boards would no longer have to apply for a specific course through the Department of Education."

Fifteen counties in Tennessee already use public money to operate similar instruction units which employ a variety of disingenuous labels such as "Bible History" or "The Bible as Literature." Sen. Herron wants more school districts to adopt the classes, saying "There are school systems all over the state that are afraid to offer a course about the Bible because they're afraid of being sued."

Despite claims that these courses are about "history" or "literature," though, Bible instruction is often used to conceal a sectarian (Christian) religious agenda. One supporter of the bill told WTVF news, "If people went back to the Bible, we'd have morals back in America."

This legislation does not provide the kind of oversight necessary to prevent proselytizing. It also uses tax money to create an instructional unit focusing on a religious text with roots in Judeo-Christianity, while ignoring other religions, or purely secular philosophies and writings. Critics also charge that measures like this "smuggle" fundamentalist Christianity into the public schools.

TENNESSEE LEGISLATORS NEED TO HEAR
FROM US NOW!

* Letter, e-mails, faxes and phone calls are need now to stop this unconstitutional attempt to promote religion in our public schools. Visit the web site of the Tennessee Legislature at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ .

* Tell lawmakers that Americans should not be compelled to subsidize religious instruction with tax money. School budgets are being slashed because of the current economic climate. Money for important areas like science instruction is being reduced.

* Despite claims made by supporters of this legislation, there are no effective controls in place to guarantee that these courses are "objective" and do not open the door to sectarian religious proselytizing. The course focuses on Judeo-Christianity while ignoring the history and literature of other faith-traditions, and alternative secular philosophies as well.

* Make your letters and E-mails brief, polite and to the point.

(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)