GOP platform encourages teaching about the Bible in public schools

The GOP sinks deeper and deeper.
Washington Post article]
You can’t really fully understand the American form of government and society without some understanding of the Bible." [Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council]
Bullsht
And the proposed wording for their platform:
A good understanding of the Bible being indispensable for the development of an educated citizenry, we encourage State legislatures to offer the Bible as literature curriculum in America’s high schools.
More Bullsh
t.

The GOP sinks deeper and deeper. Washington Post article] “You can’t really fully understand the American form of government and society without some understanding of the Bible." [Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council] Bullsh*t And the proposed wording for their platform: A good understanding of the Bible being indispensable for the development of an educated citizenry, we encourage State legislatures to offer the Bible as literature curriculum in America’s high schools. More Bullsh*t.
No, it SHOULD be required. BUT it should not be interpreted AND it should be required that ALL of it be read, including the parts about slaves, shellfish, etc etc. The more kids see what's actually in it the more they'll see what a truly horrible book it is.

I agree CuthbertJ. It won’t happen though because they will just argue about how to teach it and never agree.

To paraphrase Daniel Dennett, teach all the religious texts from all major religions along with the Bible, giving all equal time.

To paraphrase Daniel Dennett, teach all the religious texts from all major religions along with the Bible, giving all equal time.
I agree, with the qualifier that it be taught as Philosophical Literature, not as Science. p.s. All students would then also have access to the "Skeptics Annotated Bible", which also identifies the philosophical "good stuff" in some scriputres along with it's critiques. http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/

If I believed in any “god” I would thank him, she or it that the people in our Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia did not have lame sick minds like those at the bigoted convention in Cleveland.

How about we offer Bible as Mythology classes instead?

How about we offer Bible as Mythology classes instead?
That would be the correct classification, however but I doubt if that would be acceptable to religious people, whereas classifying it as philosophy is a neutral term, which might be much easier to accept. I am an atheist, but I have several bibles and references to religious literature. After all it is literature.

Any kind of religious instruction in public school is a bad move.

Any kind of religious instruction in public school is a bad move.
Of course it is but you'll never see certain religious people agreeing to that. They are champing at the bit to get religion into schools. It's what some of them live for.
The GOP sinks deeper and deeper. Washington Post article] “You can’t really fully understand the American form of government and society without some understanding of the Bible." [Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council]
Yeah, that's why they called it PROVIDENCE.

What’s amazing is how little time it took to amass a few days worth of reading that directly and authoritatively refutes such contrived fantasizing. A frightening indication of how disconnected from reality and cocooned within their tribal fantasy they are.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Founding-Fathers-Deism-and-Christianity-1272214 ... But the widespread existence in 18th-century America of a school of religious thought called Deism complicates the actual beliefs of the Founders. Drawing from the scientific and philosophical work of such figures as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Isaac Newton, and John Locke, Deists argued that human experience and rationality—rather than religious dogma and mystery—determine the validity of human beliefs. In his widely read The Age of Reason, Thomas Paine, the principal American exponent of Deism, called Christianity “a fable." Paine, the protégé of Benjamin Franklin, denied “that the Almighty ever did communicate anything to man, by…speech,…language, or…vision." Postulating a distant deity whom he called “Nature’s God" (a term also used in the Declaration of Independence), Paine declared in a “profession of faith": I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and in endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy. Thus, Deism inevitably subverted orthodox Christianity. Persons influenced by the movement had little reason to read the Bible, to pray, to attend church, or to participate in such rites as baptism, Holy Communion, and the laying on of hands (confirmation) by bishops. ...
http://addictinginfo.org/2013/07/04/35-founding-father-quotes-conservative-christians-will-hate/ So here are 35 quotes from the Founding Fathers. Perhaps your first thoughts are the first four Presidents and maybe Benjamin Franklin, but there were many other Founding Fathers. Many were signers of the US Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. They were lawyers, judges, soldiers, merchants, farmers, and some were even clergy. And the great majority of them signed the Constitution knowing that matters of government and matters of religion would be separate. 1. “If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded, that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution." ~ Founding Father George Washington, letter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia, May 1789 2. “Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind, those which are caused by a difference of sentiments in religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing, and ought to be deprecated. I was in hopes that the enlightened and liberal policy, which has marked the present age, would at least have reconciled Christians of every denomination so far that we should never again see the religious disputes carried to such a pitch as to endanger the peace of society." ~ Founding Father George Washington, letter to Edward Newenham, October 20, 1792 3. “We have abundant reason to rejoice that in this Land the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition… In this enlightened Age and in this Land of equal liberty it is our boast, that a man’s religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the Laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest Offices that are known in the United States." ~ Founding Father George Washington, letter to the members of the New Church in Baltimore, January 27, 1793 4. “The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses." ~ John Adams, “A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" 1787-1788 5. “The Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." ~ 1797 Treaty of Tripoli signed by Founding Father John Adams ... 35 ...

But, wait, there’s more:

88 Founding Father Quotes That Will Enrage The Religious Right By Tiffany Willis on October 27, 2014 http://www.liberalamerica.org/2014/10/27/88-founding-father-quotes-that-will-enrage-the-religious-right/
5 Founding Fathers Whose Skepticism About Christianity Would Make Them Unelectable Today Thomas Jefferson believed that a coolly rational form of religion would take root in America. Was he ever wrong. By Rob Boston / AlterNet January 10, 2012 http://www.alternet.org/story/153727/5_founding_fathers_whose_skepticism_about_christianity_would_make_them_unelectable_today
Okay, this is only an hour's worth of reading, but oh the places a deeper search can take one. :coolsmirk:

Here is a good study on the function of DNA.

‘Junk DNA’ has value for roundworms

https://www.sciencenews.org/sites/default/files/2016/07/main/articles/071216_TS_DNA_feat_free.jpg

NO ALIENS ALLOWED Roundworms (C. elegans) have to fight off foreign DNA while protecting its own genes that will be passed to the next generation. Some bits of “junk DNA" — called PATCs — may help. PATCs help keep the worms’ own genes active while alien genes are turned off.