title:  Idaho Republicans Push Bill To Let Teachers Use Bible In Science Class
text: Students in Idaho are one vote away from having the Bible shoved down their throats in every subject in school.The Republican-dominated Senate education committee voted to advance Senate Bill 1321, which would permit the use of the Bible by teachers in classrooms across the state for a wide variety of subjects.According to the bill,The Bible is expressly permitted to be used in Idaho public schools for reference purposes to further the study of literature, comparative religion, English and foreign languages, United States and world history, comparative government, law, philosophy, ethics, astronomy, biology, geology, world geography, archaeology, music, sociology, and other topics of study where an understanding of the Bible may be useful or relevant. No student will be required to use any religious texts for reference purposes if the student or parents of the student object.Bill sponsor state Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll said her bill is to protect teachers because they are  scared to use the Bible  in their classrooms.And they should be scared to do so. The Bible has no place in most of the subjects mentioned and would not provide any useful information that would enhance the facts being taught, especially in science classes.The Bible s role in world history is indisputable but reading from the Bible is totally unnecessary to make that point.Clearly, this is an effort by conservative  Christians  to sneak Bible reading into schools to indoctrinate students. And it s unlikely that many students will feel free to object since teachers and other students can be bullies when it comes to religious fervor. There s also the question of whether school officials would actually properly inform students of their rights or whether school officials would actually inform parents that the Bible is being used in their child s classes.Make no mistake, this bill would allow conservative  Christian  teachers to force creationism upon their students in science class as a viable alternative to evolution. It would also allow teachers to tell students that God causes natural disasters to punish us while using the Bible as proof, not to mention the way the Bible could be used in history classes to teach that America was founded as a Christian nation even though the facts say otherwise.The bottom line is that the only institution the Bible belongs in is the church, but clearly, conservatives are so desperate to keep their dying religious beliefs alive that they are willing to blatantly violate separation of church and state to do it, even if it means making Idaho kids the worst educated in America.Featured Image: Berkeley