And Another Thing...

Did you know that Jesus wasn't really a Jew?

 

On second thought, the religious motivations of Americans have played a large part in the history of this country. So maybe the Texas State School Board has somewhat of a point. But they need to be prepared to get more than they bargained for. I'm sure they'd like to stop with the idea that the founding of this country as a case of God driven American exceptionalism. Just like they push for human exceptionalism in biology. I'm thinking the real story is far more complex and fraught with inconvenient factoids for the budding revisionist Cracker historian. Texas children need to learn that the Puritans not only came to the New World to escape persecution but also to set up a theocracy where they could persecute the fallen unimpeded. Best to get the Dominionist leanings of the State School board out in the open by including tidbits of history like these from the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies.

The Massachusetts "Body of Liberties" of 1641 stated that "if any man after legal conviction shall have or worship any other god, but the lord god, he shall be put to death."

"Sometimes the Scripture declareth women and children must perish with their parents ... We have sufficient light from the Word of God for our proceedings."  Capt. John Underhill on the slaughter of Pequot women and children

Then the kiddies can do some head scratching as to which side God was on during the Civil War:

The giving of the law at Sinai immediately preceded the promulgation of that body of laws called the "Mosaic System." Over the gateway of that system, dread words were written by the finger of God—"HE THAT STEALETH A MAN AND SELLETH HIM, OR IF HE BE FOUND IN HIS HAND, HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH." Ex.21.16 

Ephesians 6:5:Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

Same book. Different rules. Now that's teaching the controversy. Of course, in Texas schools, religious heritage is code for a weird amalgam of fundamentalist Christianity and state sponsored patriotism mixed in with a little free market economics. They don't intend to put much emphasis on the progressive religious movements that helped abolish slavery, end child labor and promote civil rights. Save that Kumbaya stuff for the California schools.