March | 2011 | TFN Insider

Monthly Archives: March 2011

Give Us ONE Good Reason

Why wouldn’t you want a state entity to operate more efficiently and transparently? That is a question that no one had a good answer for Tuesday evening as the House Committee on Public Education took up HB 862, legislation sponsored by state Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington, that would place the Texas State Board of Education [...]

Posted in education, Liberty Institute, State Board of Education, Texas Eagle Forum | 2 Comments |


Haters Gotta Hate

How did we miss this? In an open letter to his fellow Republicans last December, Texas GOP king-maker — and anti-gay, religious right zealot — Steve Hotze lays out an argument for why his party should refrain from demonizing Latinos — basically because “Hispanic culture in America is Christian, pro-family, pro-life” and (by the way) [...]

Posted in immigration, Republican Party of Texas | 4 Comments |


Gail Lowe’s Anti-Science Crusade II

Last week we looked at the anti-evolution activists Texas State Board of Education Chairwoman Gail Lowe wants on official teams that later this spring will review proposed science instructional materials for Texas public schools. But Lowe has been pushing her anti-science crusade for years now.

Posted in evolution, Gail Lowe, science and religion | 2 Comments |


Race and the Texas Social Studies Standards

A screed published Friday on a San Antonio Express-News blog provides a good example of why it’s a bad idea to turn over to political activists decisions about what our kids learn in their public schools. In his post, Bill Ames lashes out at critics of the heavily politicized new social studies curriculum standards the [...]

Posted in Bill Ames, social studies | 1 Comment |


David Barton, Jesus and Taxes

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified the fringe-right American Family Association as a hate group, but that didn’t stop politicians from flocking to AFA’s religious-right confab in Iowa this weekend. Yesterday, for example, maybe-presidential candidate Newt Gingrich spoke at the event, and he praised another speaker we’re all familiar with: phony historian David Barton, [...]

Posted in American Family Association, David Barton, Newt Gingrich | 11 Comments |


Gail Lowe’s Anti-Science Crusade

Even as Gail Lowe tries desperately to save her nomination to another term as chair of the Texas State Board of Education, she’s demonstrating precisely why so many state senators are hesitant to confirm her. Her nominees to panels that will review science instructional materials this year show that she’s more interested in promoting her [...]

Posted in evolution, Gail Lowe, science and religion | 2 Comments |


The First Amendment: For Christians Only?

Bryan Fischer, radio talk show host for the especially odious far-right group American Family Association, has written a new opinion piece that starts with this: “The First Amendment was written by the Founders to protect the free exercise of Christianity.” It all goes laughably downhill from there. But what about people of other faiths? Maybe [...]

Posted in Islam, religious right | 12 Comments |


But Not in My Backyard

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll gives us a dose hope and helping of pessimism about the prospect that anytime soon we’ll move past the anti-Muslim hysteria and into an era of respect and acceptance of people of all faiths. The poll conducted earlier this month finds that most Americans (69 percent) are “OK” with [...]

Posted in Islam | 3 Comments |


Lying to Pastors

Is it too much to ask that far-right ideologues at least not lie in their efforts to politicize clergy and their houses of worship? Next month pastors attending a so-called “Government Transformation Summit for Visionary Leaders” in San Antonio will have the pleasure of being treated to another disingenuous and absurdly distorted lecture on civil [...]

Posted in David Barton, religious right | 1 Comment |


In Case You Were Wondering

We told you last week about pastor Terry Jones’ attempt at a return to the spotlight by putting the Quran on trial for what he dubbed International Judge the Quran Day. We know you’re dying to find out what happened so we’ll cut to the chase.

Posted in Islam, religious right | 3 Comments |