Last week, Madison, Wisc.-based Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to officials with the school district to assert that the quotes are both unconstitutional and “dubious.”Here is what the FFRF has to say and why:
“The numerous biblical quotes currently displayed on MVISD property unconstitutionally promote Christianity, creating the appearance that it is favored by the district,” the letter reads. “These quotes must be removed.”
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The correspondence also contends that the historical quotes were either misquoted or manipulated, and were not true quotes.
Courts have continually held that public school districts may not endorse religious messages, including text taken from the bible,,,. [The] MVISD is a public school district and its schools should not be in the business of advancing Christianity by displaying bible quotes on district property.” (pp 1-2)In their explanation to this point, FFRF notes in their letter to the Mount Vernon Independent School District (MVISD) the improper attribution of the golden rule to Jesus (citing Matt 7:12). Standard scholarship shows this idea existed long before Christianity or Judaism.
Another example notes a quote atrributed to Ronald Reagan,"Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face." As Grover states, this selection is "dubious, and, incidentally, intellectually lazy since that is not a direct quotation." (p 2, footnote 4)
[There are more examples given, but I think you get my drift. Read the letter (PDF) cited above for more.]
Why this is problematic regardless of their accuracy:
Displaying statements by prominent individuals that broadly endorse Christianity is also a constitutional violation. A public school district cannot endorse the religious preferences of prominent historical figures anymore that it can promote the personal religious preferences of its administrators. (p 2)These "quotes" came from a master list created by school district employees, acting in their official capacities. Therefore, "the quotes on the walls of MVISD are school district speech subject to the Establishment Clause, not private speech posted as part of a public forum." (p 3)
Furthermore, Grover asks a pertinent question concerning the purpose of these quotes, especially when one considers,
When MVISD manipulates historical quotes by removing context and isolating lines that promote Christianity or religion in general, it violates the right of conscience of its students,,,. The district cannot even fall back on the argument that these quotes have educational merit, given the many examples of misquotes, misattributions, and entirely fraudulent quotes displayed on its walls,,,. The district sets a poor example for its students if it cannot be bothered to fact check the messages it chooses to endorse. (pp 3-4)Sadly, revisionist history isn't just plaguing the MVISD.
Across the country, efforts are being made to manipulate and suppress curriculum in order to conform to right-wing ideology. Recently, College Board, the “non-profit” company that designs curriculum for advanced placement (AP) US History courses, revised its standards to reflect “American Exceptionalism” and minimize negative aspects of the nation’s historical narrative, such as racism, slavery and the government’s treatment of indigenous peoples. GOP lawmakers across the country are attempting to ban AP US History courses completely on the grounds that they are “too biased.” Last year, the Texas State Board of Education voted to approve US history textbooks in which Moses is depicted as the nation’s “Founding Father,” shoving the right-wing Christianist worldview down school children’s collective throats. Two years ago, a federal circuit court judge upheld an Arizona ban on teaching social studies courses focusing on ethnic minorities.Atheist Activist Group Demands Texas School District to Remove Christian Quotes from Walls | Christian News Network
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