- Texas Ed Board Candidate Doubles Down on 'Pilgrims Were Communists' Claim
- More From Ed Board Candidate Spurlock: No Sex Ed, Kids 'Are Gonna Figure It Out on Their Own' Anyway
- Former Texas Ed Board Creationist Don McLeroy on Colbert Report Tonight
- Former Texas SBOE Member: Opposition to Teaching Creationism in Science Classrooms Is Like 'Pre-Holocaust Germany'
- Early Voting Begins in Texas: Vote in State Board of Education Races
- Texas Ed Board Candidate Advocates Teaching Creationism in Science Classrooms
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Bill Analysis: Ten Commandments in Schools
Because of the evolving body of case law and complicated constitutional issues surrounding the posting of the Ten Commandments in public spaces, TFN Insider asked one of the nation’s top First Amendment scholars, Steven Green, to take a look at state Rep. Dan Flynn’s problematic legislation promoting the Ten Commandments in Texas schools. Here is [...]
Posted in church and state, Ten Commandments, Texas Legislature
12 Comments
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‘Drug-based Sex Education’?
On Tuesday we saw this absurd headline on the blog of one of the most extreme right-wing groups in Texas: “Planned Parenthood & Texas Freedom Network Team Up to Push Drug-Based Sex Education” “Drug-Based Sex Education”? Good grief. The headline referred to TFN helping high school and college students from around Texas advocate that day [...]
Posted in sex education
4 Comments
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Bad Science and Persecution Complexes
Disingenuous efforts by creationists to portray themselves as persecuted in mainstream academia for their anti-evolution beliefs are getting a boost from a Texas lawmaker. State Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, has filed legislation in the Texas House of Representatives that would make a mockery of the terms “higher education” and “research.” From his House Bill 2454: [...]
Posted in evolution, science and religion
30 Comments
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Did He Bother to Read the Law First?
When the Texas State Board of Education approved controversial new social studies curriculum standards last year, far-right board members patted themselves on the back for requiring that students learn about the Constitution. Of course, Texas students were already required to do that. But state board members were simply trying to distract attention from the way [...]
Posted in Dan Flynn, social studies
5 Comments
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Spreading Anti-Muslim Hysteria
When it comes to public school textbooks, what happens in Texas clearly doesn’t stay in Texas. Last September the Texas State Board of Education passed a resolution attacking Islam and falsely claiming that social studies textbooks are anti-Christian and pro-Muslim. Now right-wing groups are threatening education officials in Florida while making essentially the same absurd [...]
Posted in Islam, social studies
2 Comments
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Courting John Hagee
You would think that when the last guy to finish second in a presidential election rejected your endorsement, the next time around candidates for the nation’s highest elected office might be a little less willing to embrace you. You would think. But you’re not Texas’ own John Hagee.
Posted in John Hagee, Newt Gingrich
3 Comments
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The Constitution vs. the Bible?
A March 4 e-mail from the Houston Area Pastor Council demonstrates the religious right’s insistence that our nation’s laws be based on narrow religious beliefs. The e-mail features an essay by a pastor who argues that President Obama is guilty of pitting “the Constitution against the bible on a matter of fundamental human morality.”
Posted in LGBT issues, marriage
4 Comments
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Send Rick Perry a Birthday Message
Right-wing groups are directing folks today to a special web page to wish Texas Gov. Rick Perry a Happy Birthday. But you can also send him this important message: Withdraw your appointment of Gail Lowe as chairwoman of the State Board of Education and appoint a new chair who will finally put the education of [...]
Posted in Rick Perry
5 Comments
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Primer: ‘Self-Replicating Life’
This is Part IV in a series of four posts in which TFN Insider had university scientists analyze problematic changes the State Board of Education made to science curriculum standards for Texas public schools in 2009. This year publishers will submit — and the state board will approve or reject — instructional materials based on [...]
Jesus Wept
Talking Points Memo reports on what far-right demonstrators did when they saw a Muslim man praying in front of the White House today.
Posted in Islam, religious right
22 Comments
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