ahem …

How about astrology? That’s popular too, and has folks claiming a science grounding. Here is an idea the TEA should love: Let’s put all popular beliefs in science class, fire all science teachers, hire shaman, and kids need not bring anything to class but beads and rattles, and they can have pop inquisitions every week.

Science by popular opinion, indeed! Haven’t the folks on at the TEA realized yet that most of this nation is laughing at them and shaking their heads at such primitive thinking.

And this is a EDUCATION board? What an embarrassment for Texas!

I think I’d Rather…was close enough the first time. Whether they intended to found a nation or not is moot; the Mayflower colonists were adamant that theirs would be a society based on religion.

Thankfully, the constitution of the USA is not in any way based upon the Mayflower Compact, nor any of their subsequent laws. The people in this country have always tended to be religious, but the country itself is grounded in a secular constitution.

Or so it was for the first 212 or so years.

“Capital Lawes

If any man after legal conviction shall HAVE OR WORSHIP any other God, but the LORD GOD, he shall be put to death. Exod. 22:20, Deut. 13:6 & 10, Deut. 17:2, 6.”

Source: Maine Legislative Law Library, Augusta, Maine.

I did say I was most likely sleeping in class, right?

Until last year I had called myself an atheist. I sought out and found an atheist forum and was poking around when I soon stumbled upon a topic where the author invited members of a religious forum over to have a “discussion” (in atheist’s home turf). When the religious “target” arrived and posted the first post… get this… the one who invited her in the first place ripped a strip off of her for posting in an atheist’s forum. If I remember correctly my mouth hung open as I followed a few posts in. I couldn’t take it, so I posted the person’s original invite with link and all to the same topic. The next day they turfed my membership. The troll wasn’t even a moderator, I checked before posting. It needs to be mentioned that I found the atheist forum by linking from a religious forum. (Don’t ask about the mental Rolodex, pls)

I am skeptical, I am a non-theist but I will never call myself an atheist again.

Anyway, had to share.

This is why I love cruise control for long trips. Set it and leave it.

As for Texas.. le sigh. The culture war goes on and on and on. Education is the key!

I don’t recall any information about the Pigrims being intent on setting up their own state religon, as a matter of fact I don’t recall them ever being intent on starting up a state of any sort.

My history course was very early last century but didn’t the pilgrims move so they could set up their OWN state-sponsored religion? I could be wrong, I may have been otherwise intellectually engaged that week (AKA sleeping in class again).

Which Bible would you choose to teach: NIV, King James, Vulgate…?

Q: Why did the Pilgrims cross the ocean?
A: To get as far away from state-sponsored religion as possible.

As a non-christian, I’d ADORE being the person teaching the Bible in Texas. I’d get fired, of course, but it would be fun.

I quit speeding.

Trust me, when you can drive for 10 hours in the same direction and STILL be in Texas, it is tempting to push that pedal down to the floor on long road trips. But my money is better spent on more important things like food, running shoes and booze than speeding tickets.

Yeah, I had that happen once in Texas. Of course, I was breaking the sound barrier.

The last time anyone caught me speeding was in 1989. I’ve either slowed down a lot since then or else my latent telepathic ability has become much sharper.

It used to be in Texas, 84 mph was a safe speed. I expect they’ve hired a lot more highway patrol planes since then.

GAry 7

Lock and load, folks!

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Here is the latest recon:
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Secret-Fundamentalism-Heart-American/dp/0060560053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250535066&sr=8-1

Sorry to hear about your experience with the so-called Free-Thinkers. Just because you’re a nonbeleiver doesn’t mean you have to be opposed to any knowledge of religion. Athiest writer Christopher Hitchens (author of “God is not Great”) is very Bible-literate. Personally, I’ve read Karen Armstrong’s “History of God” and found it facinating but it didn’t compel me to want to start attending church. Better find some Freer Thinkers.

It’s ” He done beat my woman and raped my dog. The scumbag just needed killing, Judge.”

GAry 7

By symbiont I assume you actually mean the parasitic crosierworm Ancylostoma religiosus.

It’s main infectious route is by repeated contact with religious texts or groups at an age before the brain’s adaptive immune system against mind rot has developed. As most hookworms, it’s mechanism of infection involves oral, anal and fecal pathways.

Immediately after infection, the victim may appear stunned and desensitized against higher brain functioning. This is mostly a passing phase however, before the parasite has consumed or paralyzed enough synapses that the brain reorganizes in defense to a semblance of functionality.

This is the acute phase of the sickness, wherein the brain in most victims appear compartmentalized, with some still functional rational areas and some dead religious. Characteristic traits involves behavioral modifications such as cramping hands together, mumbling or mouthing meaningless words to no one, and involuntarily visiting locales of infection regularly. Many patients never recovers from this, and will continue to function at this sub-level the rest of their life.

Treatment can consist of learning some basic skill. By learning how to learn, the patients may eventually recover to full rationality. At this time they will also stop being infectious.

[Oh, and if someone notes that this worm has never been observed in body, merely as syndrome, just remind them that it is a supernatural parasite. No need for pesky tests in religious matters!]