Dispatches from the Intersection of Law and Religion | Lousy Canuck

Sadly, it looks like the religious folks with power to create laws are opening new fronts just about every day. While I was going crazy with work, there?s a bunch of news items worth highlighting that I simply missed.

Like, this state-level bill proposed by Republican Jerry Bergevin of New Hampshire that would mandate the teaching of the Bible in public schools:

?The Holy Bible is the bedrock of Western civilization. Love it or hate it, it?s in every aspect of humanity,? said sponsor Rep. Jerry Bergevin of Manchester.

Bergevin?s bill would require all schools to offer an elective social studies course in Bible studies, where students would examine the Old Testament, the New Testament or both, and learn ?biblical content, characters, poetry and narratives that are the prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, including literature, art, music, morals, oratory and public poetry.?

Currently, the only state prescription for social studies electives is that students must take a half-credit of world history, geography or global studies to graduate.

Because forcing schools to teach the Bible would give them the opportunity to steep the children in the Western civilization that is so foreign to them or something. Never mind that they are immersed in said civilization every day, have a very high likelihood of being raised to believe in the Bible in their home lives, and it is beyond cruel to force non-Christians to study the Bible in the same way as it is cruel to teach reality like evolution to these kids. While they fight for ?academic freedom? on one front, they fight to take it away on another. The unmitigated gall.

An Alabama Republican senator thinks that raising teacher salaries is against the Bible, despite hefty raises he voted for senators:

?It?s a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher?s pay scale, you?ll attract people who aren?t called to teach,? said McGill.

[...]

?To go in and raise someone?s child for eight hours a day, or many people?s children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn?t want to do it, OK? And these teachers that are called to teach, regardless of the pay scale, they would teach. It?s just in them to do. It?s the ability that God give ?em. And there are also some teachers, it wouldn?t matter how much you would pay them, they would still perform to the same capacity. If you don?t keep that in balance, you?re going to attract people who are not called, who don?t need to be teaching our children. So, everything has a balance,? said McGill.

[...]
Curiously enough, McGill found absolutely no biblical grounds on which to not authorize a 67 percent pay increase for legislators in 2007, which increased annual salaries for the part-time legislators from $30,710 to $49,500.

So? it?s important not to raise teacher salaries or you won?t get people called by God to teach, but you need to raise senator salaries because? um? why? God didn?t call you to the position, so you?re just in it for the daily grind? Good, then you won?t miss your job.

Facebook and Google have apparently caved to India?s demands to filter their services to remove ?blasphemous materials?:

The civil case being heard in Delhi on Monday was filed by Muslim petitioner Mufti Aizaz Arshad Kazmi, who alleged the companies were hosting material intolerant to religious sentiment.

Google and Facebook told the court they had complied with an earlier order by a Delhi district court judge to take down certain material.
Indian Communications Minister Kapil Sibal Communications Minister Kapil Sibal has taken a strong line on the issue

Google said: ?This step is in accordance with Google?s longstanding policy of responding to court orders.?

Facebook India said it had also filed its compliance report.
[...]
A second, criminal case ? brought by Hindu journalist Vinay Rai ? is scheduled to be heard next month, with leading company executives summoned to appear.

If you think censorship is being banned from posting on a specific forum, what would you call this?

And finally, FINALLY, there?s a new civil rights group for white hetero Christian males, so they no longer have to deal with the oppression they face daily:

Called, ?Sit-ins for Stacey,? it was created in honor of Tennessee state senator Stacey Campfield, that lawmaker who most-recently was kicked out of a local Knoxville restaurant in response to Campfield?s comments about how HIV/AIDS originated from a gay guy ?screwing a monkey.?

Of course, like the man it is named for, ?Sit-ins for Stacey? is a total joke, albeit one far more funny and productive. And it?s the brainchild of Scottie Thomaston, a writer and activist for the rights of the queer community, the disability community and other minorities.

It might be a joke, but these people have persecution complexes as big as their privilege, so frankly, mockery is the only way to go.

What other big important injustices have I missed? Any injustices righted?

from your own site.

Source: http://freethoughtblogs.com/lousycanuck/2012/02/20/dispatches-from-the-intersection-of-law-and-religion/

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