Trojan Horse

In 1987, the Supreme Court found that teaching creationism in public schools violates the constitutional guaranteed separation of church and state. In Cobb County, Georgia, a disclaimer has been placed on science books. The disclaimer reads: "Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things."This is the only theory fundamentalist are interested in disclaiming, because it conflicts with their literal interpretation of the Bible.

Kevin Miller is a Brown University biologist and co-author of one of the science textbooks. He has testified: "When you say theory not fact; you're confusing the words that it's something that we are not certain of. Theories in science explain facts." The dictionary defines theory as: "a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena."

On Jan.14th, a federal judge ordered the Georgia school district to remove the disclaimer from science textbooks. He ruled it was contrary to the first amendment's promise of separation of church and state, because the disclaimers:"convey a message of endorsement of religion".

The latest deception is found in Dover, Pa., where a fundamentalist Christian-controlled school board has devised a Trojan Horse named "Intelligent Design",which opens the gate to creationism. A school board member that resigned in protest has said that "Intelligent Design" is creationism in disguise and will be challenged in court at great expense to the school district.

Michael Parenti states in "Super Patriotism" that fundamentalist Christianity is a totalitarian system, just as it was in the fourth century, when many fine pagan libraries were destroyed forever. By destroying works in philosophy, literature, history, astronomy, science and art more than a thousand years of ignorant and intolerant theocracy ruled Europe .

Church and State

Michael Parenti author of Super Patriotism points out: "The Constitution makes it clear that ours is not a Christian Nations." Our founding fathers believed our government should neither inhibit religious groups nor act as an agency in support of them. Church and state are to be kept separate.''

Lt. Gen. Wm. Boykins appearing in uniform before fundamentalist Christians announced: "Bush was not elected by the majority of voters, he was appointed by God."

At a political rally a Bush supporter said: "For the first time in my life, I feel that God is in the White House." Did that supporter mean: God is in the White House literally or figuratively?

Parenti asks: "Those that would claim that during times of crises we must have faith in the president. Faith? Is this religion or politics? Is the president to be treated as an object of worship?"

The elder Bush claimed: "America, as Christ ordained was a light unto the world."

President Bush provoked considerable commotion by telling an Austin reporter that only Jesus worshipers go to heaven. The reporter was Jewish.

Howard Dean's You Have the Power suggests: "that the right wing of the Republican Party preaches virtue on the one hand and intolerance on the other...Those who wave the Bible as a threat to sinners ought to open it once in a while to learn from the teaching of Christ."

Religious posturing has resulted in The National Council of churches charging that it was blasphemy to make "partisan use of God's name" and " assert the moral superiority of one people over another or one political party over another." And the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs announced: "We begin with the proposition that God is neither Democrat nor Republican, for that matters, American. God transcends all national and political affiliations."

Founding Fathers

Michael Parenti's " Super Patriotism" points outs that when the lines between political and religious beliefs become blurred, nonbelievers run the risk of being labeled "un -American."

President Eisenhower observed; "Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of Life."

Reagan in his 1987 State of the Union message, casts his eyes upward and proclaimed that our nation pays homage "to Him", and could not have been created without divine guidance." God, it seems has become our Founding Father.

History teachers might want to emphasize statements by our founding fathers before the Bible replaces the Constitution and Bill of Rights; and they are required to teach the ultimate in ancient history ; creationism.

In fact, Jefferson lamented: "the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world."

George Washington maintained, "every man should be free to worship according to the dictates of his own conscience."

James Madison wrote, "Religious bondage shackles and dehabilitates the mind, and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect."

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 left the deity very much out of the picture, even refusing to follow Ben Franklin's suggestion that their daily sessions be opened with a prayer for divine guidance.

Edmund Randolph the Virginia delegate to the Convention, hoped that the absence of religious qualification "will prevent the establishment of any sect in prejudice to the rest and will forever oppose all attempts to infringe religious liberty."

Article VI reads, "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

The First amendment, which states; "Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment or religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."