Friendly Atheist ✏ The Republican-backed bill is blatantly illegal. So naturally, they're pretending there's historical precedent for it.

An Idaho Republican has filed a bill that would force public schools to read from the King James Bible every day.

In 1925, then again in 1963, the state actually passed a law requiring the same thing, but in 1963, it was deemed irrelevant after the Supreme Court decided, in Abington School District v. Schempp, that government-sponsored Bible readings were a violation of the First Amendment. The archaic law remains on the books, however, even if it can’t be enforced.

HB 162, sponsored by State Rep. Jordan Redman, would repeal that vestigial law (good start!) but replace it with one that goes even further than before. He calls it the “School-Sponsored Bible Reading Act.” a title that appears to be taunting Supreme Court precedent as well as anyone who supports church/state separation.

If it passes, the new law would declare that the Bible “is the most important book in the world, molds public morality, impacts history, and contains unequaled literary value.”

Continue reading @ Friendly Atheist.

An Idaho Bill Would Force Public Schools To Read From The King James Bible Every Day

Friendly Atheist ✏ The Republican-backed bill is blatantly illegal. So naturally, they're pretending there's historical precedent for it.

An Idaho Republican has filed a bill that would force public schools to read from the King James Bible every day.

In 1925, then again in 1963, the state actually passed a law requiring the same thing, but in 1963, it was deemed irrelevant after the Supreme Court decided, in Abington School District v. Schempp, that government-sponsored Bible readings were a violation of the First Amendment. The archaic law remains on the books, however, even if it can’t be enforced.

HB 162, sponsored by State Rep. Jordan Redman, would repeal that vestigial law (good start!) but replace it with one that goes even further than before. He calls it the “School-Sponsored Bible Reading Act.” a title that appears to be taunting Supreme Court precedent as well as anyone who supports church/state separation.

If it passes, the new law would declare that the Bible “is the most important book in the world, molds public morality, impacts history, and contains unequaled literary value.”

Continue reading @ Friendly Atheist.

1 comment:

  1. Which to make matters worse, not that it matters that much, is an incredibly bad translation, which most academics in the field don't recommend using for even serious non religious study. Given that some are so fond of burning the Qu'ran, lets have a burn a bible day. I am joking to a point as I don't believe in burning any book, but the idea of reading one by mandate, is appalling.

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