GOP rep discovers terrifying fact: That non-Christians exist

[Wamitoria]

Well, yes but that would be under a different context.

Although even in those cases, unless its a college course, most (That I've encountered) "Religion" classes focus only on Christianity.

That sucks. Ours had decent coverage of Islam and Judaism, with a bit on Hinduism and Buddhism.

[Veladio]

Maybe if he taught Whole Wheat Pastafarianism?

It's about portion control, and when you worship food, that's a sin…

Pastafariabuddhism then?

[Wikkiwallana]

It's about portion control, and when you worship food, that's a sin…

Pastafariabuddhism then?

Adding in pot just makes it even worse, because now they all have the munchies.

[Mavorpen]

It's about portion control, and when you worship food, that's a sin…

Pastafariabuddhism then?

Whut? Why Buddhism?

[Veladio]

Pastafariabuddhism then?

Whut? Why Buddhism?

Doesn't Buddhism teach moderation? I could be wrong, I'm not a Buddhist.

[Gauthier]

Whut? Why Buddhism?

Doesn't Buddhism teach moderation? I could be wrong, I'm not a Buddhist.

Talk like that gets you cast out of the Olive Garden of Eden.

[Mavorpen]

Whut? Why Buddhism?

Doesn't Buddhism teach moderation? I could be wrong, I'm not a Buddhist.

I guess you could put it that way.

[Veladio]

Doesn't Buddhism teach moderation? I could be wrong, I'm not a Buddhist.

Talk like that gets you cast out of the Olive Garden of Eden.

I love the direction in which this thread went.

[AiliailiA]

No, since "Christians" are an incredibly diverse and varied group that vehemently disagree amongst each other about virtually everything (and I mean EVERYTHING), and, unless you're secretly Jesus, I don't think you're really in a position to speak for the entire Christian community.

I disagree. Vehemently.

Because you'd like to pretend that all Christians believe that abortion is wrong?

I disagree with you. I agree with R EvOlution this time. I disagree with The Mongol Ilkhanate.

There may be some basic thing that all Christians agree on. But "abortion is bad because life is important" isn't one of them.

people have every right to choose which schools their children attend. The state further should only be ensuring responsibility in whom they are funding.

Those two things seem to be contradictory. If the parent chooses a school which the state will not fund ... what then?

[Wikkiwallana]

I disagree. Vehemently.

Because you'd like to pretend that all Christians believe that abortion is wrong?

"Christians" are an incredibly diverse and varied group that vehemently disagree amongst each other about virtually everything (and I mean EVERYTHING)

I disagree. Vehemently.

I knew if I didn't put a smiley this was going to happen. But that would have made the joke too obvious and less funny.

Edit: Fixed quoting error and tag issue

[The Mongol Ilkhanate]

Bah, who needs debate. Let's just stand around making stupid generalizations (which, when asked for proof, none is given, I'm still waiting for my 122 quotes) and laughing at those stupid generalizations.

[Mavorpen]

Bah, who needs debate. Let's just stand around making stupid generalizations (which, when asked for proof, none is given, I'm still waiting for my 122 quotes) and laughing at those stupid generalizations.

So in other words, you lost.

[David Williams]

A member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who eagerly supported Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to fund private schools has had an epiphany: Muslim schools might start getting taxpayer money!

Rep. Valarie Hodges, a Republican who represents East Baton Rouge and Livingston, now says she wishes she hadn’t voted for the Jindal voucher bill.

“I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” Hodges told the Livingston Parish News.

“I liked the idea of giving parents the option of sending their children to a public school or a Christian school,” Hodges added.

The newspaper reported that she “mistakenly assumed that ‘religious’ meant ‘Christian.’” (The article is password protected, but if you want to read the whole thing, you can sign up here for free.)

“Unfortunately it will not be limited to the Founders’ religion,” Hodges told the News. “We need to insure that it does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools. There are a thousand Muslim schools that have sprung up recently. I do not support using public funds for teaching Islam anywhere here in Louisiana.”

Where to begin? Hodges’ bigotry is perhaps only rivaled by her ignorance of constitutional and legal principles. Of course Muslim schools will qualify for funding under a voucher plan. When programs like this are set up that dole out benefits to religious schools, the government can’t play favorites. That’s basic.

In Washington, D.C., where House Speaker John Boehner and his Republican allies in Congress have established a federally funded voucher program, most of the schools taking part are Catholic, but two Muslim schools have been among the recipients.

As it turns out, the Muslim school in New Orleans has since withdrawn its request. But it’s probably only a matter of time before another one applies to enter the Louisiana program.

Some legislators aren’t comfortable funding Muslim schools. What’s to be done? How about not establishing these programs in the first place? Let Muslims fund Muslim schools. Let Catholics fund Catholics ones. Let fundamentalist Protestants pay for the conservative Christian academies and so on.

Now that the law is in effect, some lawmakers are taking a closer look at it – and they don’t like what they see. Rep. J. Rogers Pope, a former school superintendent in Livingston Parish who was critical of the bill from the start, points out that the law allows students to be educated off campus and establishes no standards for what qualifies as meaningful education.

“This is impractical on so many levels,” said Pope, a conservative Republican. “What will a high school diploma from Louisiana mean, if nobody can list our courses? How will we verify course content, attendance, teacher qualifications, and testing?”

Welcome to the brave new world of school privatization!

In other states where vouchers have been implemented, we’ve seen a plethora of fly-by-night schools, schools whose leaders are more interested in making a quick buck than educating children and schools where the primary focus is making sure kids are indoctrinated in a particular form of religion, not offering them a sound education.

It looks like Louisiana is determined to head down this well-trod path to nowhere – much to the detriment of the state’s youngsters.

Perhaps if more legislators had raised these issues before the vote, that wouldn’t be happening.

Stay classy, Rep. Hodges. Though Hodges is the only state Representative that has spoken out about her concerns about the law, I can't imagine she's the only one - though I'd bet that none of the others will be speaking up anymore. I still have a hard time understanding the sheer amount of doublethink that's involved in supporting taxpayer funding of fundamentalist Christian schools while simultaneously hand-wringing about Muslim extremism. It boggles the mind.

Anyhoo, what say you, NSG?

Discriminating against Islam? wow, how very constitutional of this guy, noting that Republicans are the ones that always claim the "Patriots Vote" (can't get republican politicians saying "This is America!" out of my head).

As for state funding private schools that push forward religious beliefs, I would give them money for the time they are actually teaching children Maths/English etc. and cut the funding for when they are actually pushing forward religious beliefs. I don't buy into the idea that "Christian traditional values encourage children to learn".

A perfect compromise that has Separation of church and state but doesn't discriminate against Religion and the Private Sector.

[Hetland 2]

My world has been shattered. What are these non-Christians? Are they animalistic savages? or extraterrestrials? TELL ME?!?!?!

[Threlizdun]

My world has been shattered. What are these non-Christians? Are they animalistic savages? or extraterrestrials? TELL ME?!?!?!

They're molepeople. Definitely molepeople.

[Hetland 2]

My world has been shattered. What are these non-Christians? Are they animalistic savages? or extraterrestrials? TELL ME?!?!?!

They're molepeople. Definitely molepeople.

Molepeople... Molepeople from Atlantis?

[Veladio]

They're molepeople. Definitely molepeople.

Molepeople... Molepeople from Atlantis?

Yes and we feed on unborn children as well...and dance naked in the woods

[Hetland 2]

Molepeople... Molepeople from Atlantis?

Yes and we feed on unborn children as well...and dance naked in the woods

*Draws sword* You, Atlantian bastard! *Starts chasing Veladio to Yakkity Sax playing in the background.*

[Wirbel]

The best idea is to fund public, and keep it secular.

I agree. Public schools funded with everyone's money should be completely unbiased and shouldn't support any certain religion- just to make sure nobody gets mad.

[Democratic Koyro]

Its a well known fact that the GOP pander to the groups in America with the lowest average IQ.

[Chyeknovostan Republic]

“I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” Hodges told the Livingston Parish News.

Um, America's 'Founding Fathers' were Deists, What fucked up reality does this woman live in?

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/ ... /myth.html

http://trueslant.com/lewisgrossberger/2 ... ope-hindu/

http://www.theology.edu/journal/volume2/ushistor.htm

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

Ladies and Gentlemen, American Politicional Stupidity at it's finest!

[David Williams]

Its a well known fact that the GOP pander to the groups in America with the lowest average IQ.

Wrong. It has actually been found that they are almost the same, with republican IQ's being the slightest bit higher.

There are low and high IQ's on both sides.

[Chyeknovostan Republic]

Its a well known fact that the GOP pander to the groups in America with the lowest average IQ.

Wrong. It has actually been found that they are almost the same, with republican IQ's being the slightest bit higher.

There are low and high IQ's on both sides.

Regardless the American government needs to be purged, I can't believe the amount of stupidity it with holds, talk about a cluster-fuck.

[The UK in Exile]

“I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” Hodges told the Livingston Parish News.

Um, America's 'Founding Fathers' were Deists, What fucked up reality does this woman live in?

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/ ... /myth.html

http://trueslant.com/lewisgrossberger/2 ... ope-hindu/

http://www.theology.edu/journal/volume2/ushistor.htm

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

Ladies and Gentlemen, American Politional Stupidity at it's finest!

why 1950's America of course! where the Reds lurk under every bed and indoctrination is more important than education!

whats that timmy? your mom said that prayer doesn't belong in schools? better slap her back into her place. the kitchen! let her know that jesus christ (the greatest AMERICAN ever!) is all that stands between her and the godless communist menace!

[Chyeknovostan Republic]

Um, America's 'Founding Fathers' were Deists, What fucked up reality does this woman live in?

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/ ... /myth.html

http://trueslant.com/lewisgrossberger/2 ... ope-hindu/

http://www.theology.edu/journal/volume2/ushistor.htm

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

Ladies and Gentlemen, American Politional Stupidity at it's finest!

why 1950's America of course! where the Reds lurk under every bed and indoctrination is more important than education!

whats that timmy? your mom said that prayer doesn't belong in schools? better slap her back into her place. the kitchen! let her know that jesus christ (the greatest AMERICAN ever!) is all that stands between her and the godless communist menace!

If I could hide under the beds of American politicians and scare the fuck out of them in their sleep to quit their jobs then I'd love to be that Red menace 1950's in America was a zit to the world and American society.