http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/magazine/14texbooks-t.html?pagewanted=1
The N.Y. Times article, entitled “How Christian Were the Founders?” explores the highly controversial new direction being proposed for Texas education. It goes on to explain how our nation has been governed by a “moral majority”. This group of neoconservatives refutes the separation of church and state. Even when confronted with factual evidence from numerous scientists, the conservative right tend to rely on word play and claims America's “divinity” as a nation. “Many of the points that have been incorporated into the guidelines or that have been advanced by board members and their expert advisers slant toward portraying America as having a “divinely preordained mission.” Of the 15 people sitting on Texas' Board of Education, seven, nearly half, are conservative Christians who are using their positions to advance their opinions. My feeling is that Jefferson stated the clause between separation of church and state because he did not want any one single religion being the basis of our government. It seems now the influence is pressuring the textbook developers to write accordingly to their agenda, not how history realistically played out. If the proposed curriculum actually passes it will be a very sad day for education in Texas.
