North Carolina Schools Forget They Aren’t Churches, Teach Creationism As Fact

Did we learn nothing from the whole, “if you hand out Bibles you have to hand out Satanic activity books, too” debacle in Florida? Apparently not, because now a school district in North Carolina is under fire for offering creationism classes and teaching Biblical creation as “literal fact”.

According to The Raw Story, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has sent a letter to the superintendent of the school district asking them to pull the classes from three elementary schools in the area because teaching them is unconstitutional.

Worth establishing is the fact that the classes are not mandatory and they are funded by the church that provides them, but that doesn’t really make it any better, in my opinion.

First of all, I have to assume that this church has some kind of brick-and-mortar establishment where they can teach all about Biblical creationism, and second of all, it seems like a very effective way to divide kids into neat little groups. On this side you have all of the good Christian chitluns, and on the other you have the heathens, cultists, and atheists, right? Being good Christian chitluns, though, I’m sure the kids in the class would never be anything but completely kind and tolerant to their peers, right? Right?!?

The FFRF is inclined to agree:

”Suggesting that children who do not wish to be subjected to religious activity at their school be segregated from their classmates is reprehensible,” FFRF staff attorney Patrick Elliot wrote. ”It shames students into either outing themselves as different or showing deference to a religion they do no believe in and to which their parents to not want them subjected.”

Of course, the pastor at the church that provides these classes doesn’t seem the problem and contends that it’s a real head scratcher:

”I think this program dates back to the 60s as a matter of fact,” he explained. ”I’ve only heard great things, and how it’s been a great program and helped the children and the young people learn about history.”

Okay, well, a few things. First, I’m not surprised that the people you surround yourself with — presumably your congregation — consider this to be a real whizzbanging idea. That pretty much goes without saying. Second, in no possible way is what you’re teaching history.

It’s not possibly objective or presumably even accurate outside of Christian dogma, which is to say that educationally speaking, it’s about as useful as the proverbial poopy-flavored lollipop.

Now, I don’t actually have a problem with religious education. I have my own fond memories of trading Saints cards in CCD, and just last weekend, my kid tagged along with some friends to their religious education classes and fell asleep while she was there.

However, these all took place outside of school, which is why I don’t mind them. But setting aside instructional time to learn about “scientific discoveries predicted by the bible” is idiocy.

You know that this school would never do the same for an imam or another religious (atheist group) so why does it fly for Christians? It shouldn’t. This school better check themselves fo’ they wreck themselves, or before the Satanic Temple asserts themselves in the form of a daily humanist puppet show in the multi-purpose room.

(Image: photo.ua/Shutterstock)

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