Florida: Bush Promotes Christian Program for Schools
The Palm Beach Post reports (via Pandagon):
Mulrennan Middle School in Valrico, east of Tampa, promotes All Pro Dad on its school marquee and in newsletters. The school also advertises the program on its radio and television stations, said assistant principal Matthew Diprima, who organizes the monthly meetings. "This is something the school supports, and this is something that's fostered by the school," Diprima said.
One of the marriage-saving lessons, written by All Pro Dad Director Bryan Davis, coaches men to pray with their wives. "God has joined you and your wife together. He is the Author of love and marital harmony. Deepening your relationship with Him is the key and foundation of a successful marriage. If you haven't cracked open a Bible in a while, start. Find I Corinthians 13 and give it a read. It's the perfect blueprint for your marriage," Davis advises.
A video introduction by Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, All Pro Dad's national spokesman, lays the groundwork for good parenting by establishing the father as the "head coach" of the family. "That's the biblical way it's set up. Mom and Dad directing the family together, with the dad being the head of the household," Dungy instructs participants. "Now that doesn't always happen... but that's the ideal way and the best way, and that's the way we're going to function the best."
But the group's president last week did not directly answer several questions about the Bible's role in the All Pro Dad resources. "Isn't that self-evident?" Merrill said. "A lot of the principles contained in the Old and New Testaments really are superior principles for raising children and for living."
I can't believe that government officials in Florida don't realize just how religious all of the above is. School officials in particular have to know that they have absolutely no business promoting and endorsing a program which is overtly and unabashedly religious. There is no way that schools can tell students that their parents should make the father the "coach" of the family because that's what the Bible says or that families should pray together.
There have, of course, been criticisms:
Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said Bush and the department's endorsement of the program is indicative of the governor's disregard for the state constitution, which prohibits spending state money, directly or indirectly, on religious programs.
"It may be a wonderful program, but a program that encourages Bible reading and strengthening your relationship with God is not the kind of program that should be sponsored by the public schools, nor should it be the kind of program that is organized and facilitated by the public schools," Simon said.
Simon also notes that this sort of thing keeps happening in Florida — from "vouchers, from faith-based initiatives, to the nation's first faith-based prisons," Jeb Bush has a "blind spot" when it comes to actually following the Constitution and remaining neutral in religious matters. Simon calls him "uncritical" when it comes to faith-based programs; I'd go farther and call him "unethical," because an ethical politician wouldn't go to such lengths on such a consistent basis to abuse his office and promote religion like this.
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Comments
I find this program a great way to install back the foundations on which this country was built upon!! MAY GOD BLESS his efforts and may this program be fruitful.
Like what - religious bigotry? Slavery?
You want bigotry to be “fruitful”? That’s kind of sick, isn’t it?
If were not suppost to impose our religion onto other people then how come its right for you to spout you hate for religion??? Isnt that imposing your beliefs???
And where do I do that?
Expressing an opinion about an ideology can’t qualify as imposing another ideology on followers of the first. That just doesn’t make sense.
Theists are the ones who judge a person by his/her “beliefs!” I have experienced bigotry, mistrust, and a host of other prejudices my entire life when any theist has discovered I am an atheist. It is assumed I am immoral, corrupt, and not to be trusted. Theists who discover I am not have discontinued their patronage of my business over the years on a regular basis. People in my community refuse to allow their children to play, or associate in any way with my children when they discover our views/ philosophy. To set the record straight, Austin NEVER “spouts hate” of theists or any other philosophy for that matter. Is disagreement and intelligent discussion “spouting hatred” in your view? Give me a break!
By the way Madison, as a resident of Florida, all reasonable people can celebrate the absence of Jeb and his attempts to blur the lines between church and state! Good riddens to he and his brother!
Garrett.
You display the arrogant and uninformed opinion of so many fundamentalists regarding atheists and atheism . Most of you have never even met, let alone discussed issues, with an atheist. I have even had one actually run from me, when he found out I was a non believer, crossing himself in fear.
Well into my eighties and a lifelong atheist I was married to a Quaker for forty six years
so I can assure you I have no hatred for religion just the bigots who malpractice it.
Atheists, in general, DO, in America, display hatred and bigotry towards atheism way and above their antagonism towards any other activity not compliant with their own particular attitudes. Fortunately it is not what happens in Australia, U.K. or most of the intellectually advanced countries in Europe.
This religious fervour very often leads to actions in political and business life that are directly and deliberately meant to impose those beliefs on a people who are not in accord with these ideologies. This is one area with which atheists and all freedom loving people dissent from religious bigots.
Religious indoctrination, especially in schools, where children should be taught to think independently and not be made to adopt enforced conformity.
Atheism, as has so often been said, is purely that we do not believe in the existence of Gods. Nothing else.
That in the past hundred years we have chosen to be increasingly vociferous is only because for the past five thousand years it would have meant, at best, ostracism, more often off with our heads. Pointing out the facts that religion is untruthful, unprovable and
just an elaborate method of indoctrinating and perpetuating superstitious, myths, stories and beliefs is not hatred. One could even say our attempts to educate and enlighten is in concern, and love, trying to show a better way of life. But that would sound like a propagandising, evangelising, Fundamentalist Christian/Muslim whatever.