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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Arkansas Politics / Religion Denny Altes will be back with Bible bill

Posted by Max Brantley on Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 6:40 AM

Rep. Denny Altes promises to try again in 2013 to pass legislation to require the state Education Department to establish a curriculum for teaching the Bible in public schools. Stephens Media reports.

He insists he's not proselytizing, but merely providing a framework to continue existing teaching of the Bible as literature and history as some districts already do. Right. He even has a front group nominally interested in nothing but sound scholarship to give the state a little guidance in teaching the Christian Bible properly. Uh huh.

Altes appears to be right that the Education committees of the legislature are now suitably packed with thumper Republicans — there primarily to enact the Billionaire Boys Club charter school agenda — and thus likely to be more amenable to his aim to spread The Word throughout Arkansas schools.

But I'll believe he doesn't have a religious motive the minute he also directs the Education Department to prepare similar curricula for the Koran and important works of other faiths. Based on my exposure to precepts of Hinduism and Buddhism during a recent trip to India, I'd venture to say they offer some worthwhile points to ponder, too.

Tags: Denny Altes, Bible, public schools

        
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