September | 2010 | TFN Insider

Monthly Archives: September 2010

Board Takes Up Anti-Muslim Measure

The Texas State Board of Education is about to take up a proposed resolution attacking Islam and claiming that social studies textbooks are anti-Christian. TFN Insider will keep you updated on progress. 9:53 a.m. – We notice that board members Barbara Cargill and Don McLeroy have been going through world history textbooks currently used in [...]

Posted in Barbara Cargill, Bob Craig, Cynthia Dunbar, Dave Welch, David Bradley, Don McLeroy, Gail Lowe, Islam, Ken Mercer, Lawrence Allen, Mavis Knight, Pat Hardy, Rick Agosto, State Board of Education, Terri Leo | 15 Comments |


A Proactive Response to Anti-Muslim Bigotry

As the Texas State Board of Education prepares to join in on the anti-Muslim hostility roiling the country, it is worth noting that many interfaith groups are stepping up their efforts to correct the misinformation and slander circulating about Islam. There are a number of interfaith endeavors scheduled in central Texas in the coming days [...]

Posted in Islam, State Board of Education | 2 Comments |


Gail Lowe: Putting Politics Over Education

Gail Lowe, chair of the Texas State Board of Education, is making the rounds promoting the state’s new social studies curriculum standards. And she’s making clear the political agenda she and other far-right board members are promoting in those standards: “Our country was founded on religious principles … and our students will know that. . [...]

Posted in Gail Lowe, State Board of Education | 13 Comments |


Liberty Institute Attacks Austin Pastors

Read it before they’re finally embarrassed enough to remove it from their blog. The right-wing group Liberty Institute today apparently decided that civility is beneath them. In a sneering and insulting Internet post, the group attacked faith leaders who today called on the State Board of Education to respect religious freedom and tolerance, referring to [...]

Posted in Liberty Institute, religious right | 2 Comments |


Clergy Condemn Anti-Islam Resolution

A group of interfaith religious leaders from the Texas Faith Network, a project of the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, just held a press conference in Austin to condemn a proposed anti-Islam resolution that will be considered on Friday by the State Board of Education. Read more about the resolution here. Today’s press release is [...]

Posted in Islam, Liberty Institute, religious right | 4 Comments |


Pro-Life Values? Seriously?

Today at the religious right’s annual “Voter Values Summit,” former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee had this to say about health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions: “It sounds so good, and it’s such a warm message to say we’re not gonna deny anyone from a preexisting condition. Look, I think that [...]

Posted in health care, religious right | 11 Comments |


Rick Perry: Dumbing Down Science Education

The San Angelo Standard-Times last weekend reported this stunning comment from Gov. Rick Perry, the highest elected official in Texas government: “I am a firm believer in intelligent design as a matter of faith and intellect, and I believe it should be presented in schools alongside the theories of evolution. The State Board of Education [...]

Posted in Rick Perry, science, science and religion | 17 Comments |


Rick Agosto Responds to Ethics Issue

Texas State Board of Education member Rick Agosto, D-San Antonio, sent the following e-mail to us today. His message references two posts on TFN Insider from September 29, 2009 (here and here). Mr. Agosto’s e-mail to us follows in full.

Posted in Rick Agosto | 3 Comments |


Texas Ed Board Targets ‘Pro-Islamic Bias’

Need more evidence that Texas State Board of Education members are more interested in promoting “culture war” politics than ensuring schoolchildren get a quality education? Just months after politicizing new social studies curriculum standards for public schools, the state board next week will consider a resolution criticizing publishers for allegedly promoting anti-Christian and pro-Islamic bias [...]

Posted in Islam, State Board of Education | 17 Comments |


Anti-Muslim Campaign Heats Up in Texas

With last weekend’s anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., the surge of anti-Islam rhetoric and activism is sadly increasing in Texas as well. In late August, for example, the pastor of one of the state’s largest churches, Rev. Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, gave a [...]

Posted in Islam | 6 Comments |