Every Day is Sunday School in The Clown Car

Preposterous (4.00 / 2)

Enjoy the dubious fruits of straight-ticket voting, folks!

As I've said: This is the second least-religious state in the U.S. This is not New Hampshire.

"The general court finds that New Hampshire Republicans are united by our belief in God." I bet there are some Republicans who aren't. Are we proposing a religious test now?

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by: Hampshire Ite @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 08:59:44 AM UTC

And this will create jobs, how? (0.00 / 0)

Of all the stupid ways to waste time and taxpayer money, this is one of the best.  I thought these guys were conservative and frugal.  Apparently only when it comes to women's health and education of our young.  

Nov. 2012 can't come soon enough.

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by: mevansnh @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 11:01:37 AM UTC

Litigation (4.00 / 2)

--
Twitter: @DougLindner

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 18:05:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Remarkable that the General Court has authority to (4.00 / 3)

rule on what the New Hampshire Republican Party believes. I might have expected the state party convention to issue any such finding.

I look forward to a revised finding of what Republicans believe, when Democrats again control the General Court.

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by: elwood @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 11:44:55 AM UTC

Really? (0.00 / 0)

This couldn't possibly have legs...

Running for State Rep 2012 in Hillsborough District 2
Aaron Gill, Deering: nhgill.com Twitter: Gill4NHStateRep

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by: nhveedub @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 11:47:57 AM UTC

who's bible? (4.00 / 4)

original or the sequel?

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 12:30:42 PM UTC

The bill actually specifies that. (4.00 / 1)

Three courses: one the original, one the sequel, one covering both.

Although it is required to be religiously neutral, there is no mention of the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, or the Book of Mormon.

Fools rush in,
Where angels fear to tread...

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by: elwood @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 13:29:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wicca. Alternative curriculum. Just think.... (4.00 / 4)

Just wait til some parent exercises their newly created right to alternative curriculum and demands instruction in Wicca.

Blessed be.

Here is a fact that should help you to fight a little longer.
Things that don't actually kill you outright make you stronger.

Piet Hein, Grooks

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by: Lucy Weber @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 12:42:11 PM UTC

Great comment, Lucy! (0.00 / 0)

We could be their living nightmare.

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by: DianeR @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 20:38:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Is this approved by the Magna Carta? N/T (4.00 / 2)

Running for State Rep 2012 in Hillsborough District 2
Aaron Gill, Deering: nhgill.com Twitter: Gill4NHStateRep

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by: nhveedub @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 12:47:38 PM UTC

No, but O'Brien sure seems to like the "Divine Right Of Kings" doctrine! n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: dooper @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 17:25:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The barons are revolting. n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: Tim C. @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 14:23:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

So are the Speaker and his minions. n/t (4.00 / 2)

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by: cmnh @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 22:01:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I thought these creatures (0.00 / 0)

were libertarians or something.  How does teaching the Bible fit in with being a libertarian?  What am I not understanding?

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by: Lucy Edwards @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 12:59:10 PM UTC

Who said they were all libertarians? (0.00 / 0)

Many of them are Theocrats...

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by: Tully Fitzsimmons @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 00:26:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

HOLD UP!!! (4.00 / 2)

From the bill:

(2) Familiarize students with, as applicable:

...

...(C) The literary style and structure of the Hebrew Scriptures or New Testament;

"Literary style" implies analysis - interpretation even.

Jerry Bergevin, he of the Nazis, Columbine killers were fans of evolution, has put a bill together that allows for literary interpretation of Genesis?

Is Jerry Bergevin truly "united by our belief in God"? I am beginning to wonder.

Social Media Director for Jackie Cilley for Governor. Follow her on Twitter & Facebook!

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by: Dean Barker @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 13:03:24 PM UTC

Bloom's "The Book of J" (4.00 / 2)

relies on textual and literary analysis in finding that the author of the Old Testament was likely a fairly sarcastic woman.

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by: elwood @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 13:26:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

favor? (4.00 / 1)

Could you call it the Hebrew Bible or the 5 Books of Moses please? Though common in usage in the West, Rabbis would tell you there can only be an Old Testament, in this linguistic formulation, if there is a New Testament.In my words 'Old Testament' as a name, is simply Christian for diss.

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 18:09:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks - (4.00 / 1)

I wan't sure what the right term was. "Hebrew Bible" sounds a bit wrong too, forcing things into Christian terminology - "Books of Moses" for me henceforth.

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by: elwood @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 19:43:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

critical usage (4.00 / 1)

http://books.google.com/books/...

The five books of Moses: a translation with commentary
W. W. Norton & Company, 2004-9-13 - 1064
Through a distinguished career of critical scholarship and translation, Robert Alter has equipped us to read the Hebrew Bible as a powerful, cohesive work of literature. The culmination of this work, Alter's masterly new translation and probing commentary combine to give contemporary readers the definitive edition of The Five Books. Alter's majestic translation recovers the mesmerizing effect of these ancient stories "the profound and haunting enigmas, the ambiguities of motive and ...

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 00:32:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The terms are not synonymous, and this has dire implications for the curriculum.. (4.00 / 1)

As I understand it the 5 Books of Moses contains (not surprisingly) 5 Books--- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The Hebrew Bible (perhaps somewhat misnamed as portions are in Aramaic) differs from what is usually called the Old Testament in both structure and organization. the Hebrew Bible is usually thought to contain 24 separate books.

Christians themselves differ in what the mean when they use the term 'Old Testament'-- for example the Protestant version has 39 books, the Catholic version has 43, and the Orthodox has 53 books. A small number of books appear in the Catholic and Orthodox versions but not in the Hebrew or Protestant versions.
Here is a link to a handy chart of the differences:
http://catholic-resources.org/...

The proposed law does not refer to which version of the Books of Moses/Hebrew Bible/Protestant OT/Catholic OT/Orthodox OT the sponsors wish to impose on the curriculum of our public schools, so I presume that under another recently passed law, each parent will have the right to have their own version taught. Furthermore any parent is also free to insist that their child be instead taught the Qu'ran of Islam , the Buddhist Dhammapada, the Hindu Rig Veda, and the Analects of Confucius.

Our teachers will be busy indeed!

One has to wonder where they will find the time to teach Christian math, Christian physics and Christian biology, not to mention Christian theocratic history.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 14:09:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hebrew in this case does not refer to language (0.00 / 0)

it denotes a people, hence the Hebrew bible is the Bible of the Hebrew people, descendants of Abraham who also knew Aramaic texts as part of their history...

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 15:24:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not everyone agress on what it refers to. (0.00 / 0)

Which is why I said "perhaps somewhat".

If you look at the definition of 'Hebrew Bible' in the New Canon of Wikipedia for example, which largely agrees with the usage points you make, it asserts that the phrase originates in a description of language, not people,

Hebrew in the term Hebrew Bible refers to the original language of the books, but it may also be taken as referring to the Jews of the Second Temple era and the Diaspora, and their descendants, who preserved the transmission of the Masoretic Text up to the present day.

Language is tricky, rarely compelling only one interpretation, which is why people should be careful in proscribing or prescribing usage. Words dont mean what we want them to mean, they mean what people intend when they use them-- which can often be ambiguous if not contradictory. It is impossible for a group to appropriate a word (say, for example, "marriage") and attempt to assert ownership and limit usage.  

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 15:51:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

delving into semiotics (0.00 / 0)

once pursuing the meaning of meaning, one gets down to questions of deconstructing the logic of why say, when we talk about a tree's skin, we all agree it is called "bark". Why not fark or tark? What quality of of thingness does it have to have to aquire agreed upon meaning ?Is common usage enough to confer 'meaning' as you suggest, even when in conflict with earlier or accepted usage ? Your view of what entails meaning, excludes proscription, but that is the basis for religion. A conundrum indeed.

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 18:33:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The NH Taliban (4.00 / 1)

I'm sure this crowd thinks there's a war on religion. Actually the opposite is now true.

I hope that NH's true religious leader will denounce this B.S.

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by: Chaz Proulx @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 14:08:53 PM UTC

sim sala bim (0.00 / 0)

as it is written, so shall it be done

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 18:09:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I wondered about these two bills (4.00 / 2)

HOUSE BILL 1216

AN ACT relative to the authority for withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.

Statement of Intent. The intent of this act is to restore protection of the disabled supporting Part 1, Article 2 of the New Hampshire Constitution and the New Hampshire Republican Party Platform, Article VIII.

HOUSE BILL 1217

AN ACT AN ACT relative to the form for executing advance directives for health care decisions.

Statement of Intent. The intent of this act is to provide freedom of choice in advance directives supporting Part 1, Article 1 of the New Hampshire constitution and the New Hampshire Republican Platform Article VIII

Is is standard practice to include "the New Hampshire Republican Platform Article?" in writing a bill?

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by: mevansnh @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 15:02:05 PM UTC

Well, not as traditional as (4.00 / 1)

the Magna Carta, perhaps...

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by: elwood @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 15:58:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Eliminating the Chancellor's Office (0.00 / 0)

Rayno's column in today's UL discusses a bill to eliminate the Chancellor's Office. The bill would actually cost $12.25 million a year more because each college would have to duplicate services currently centralized in the Chancellor's office.

Professor Weyler's response is that "They need to become more efficient."

Read about it here http://www.unionleader.com/art...

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by: Putney Swope @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 15:19:49 PM UTC

Banning the fluoridation of water (0.00 / 0)

Bergavin also wants to "ban introducing any substance into the water unless that substance was required to make water potable."

http://www.unionleader.com/art...

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by: Putney Swope @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 15:54:13 PM UTC

Protecting our precious bodily fluids. (4.00 / 2)

Purity of essence, Mandrake.

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by: elwood @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 15:59:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

no fighting in the war room !! n/t (0.00 / 0)

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 18:11:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

All water is potable. (0.00 / 0)

Whether or not it makes you sick is another matter.

The problem with letting incompetent people give directions is that they know not what they do.

Pretending that everything is done in the name of the Creator is supposed to get them off the hook for any mistakes.  God's will is such a handy substitute for using one's own noggin when one is a dufus.

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by: hannah @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 17:40:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

They've always wanted religion in school, but... (4.00 / 4)

Who thought it was a good idea for an act of the legislature to refer to a political party in the first person?

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Intent and Justification. The general court finds that New Hampshire Republicans are united by our belief in God, individual liberty...

Political parties do not legislate, even if they have enough legislators to pass things.  The enacting clause is not: "Be it Enacted by the political party who won last time"

--
Twitter: @DougLindner

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 17:52:44 PM UTC

Is it evil of me.... (4.00 / 1)

...to hope this passes?

All it will take is one generation of scholarly instruction in Biblical History and exegesis to wipe out any serious vestige of Biblical Fundamentalism among the Offspring of the Righteous.

I am preparing my resume for the new teaching positions right now...

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by: Tully Fitzsimmons @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 18:45:09 PM UTC

From the Department of Unintended Consequences (4.00 / 4)

One could conceivably combine this bill with the rights afforded in HB542 (now law) to create...

...STATE SPONSORED SHARIA!!!!!!

Social Media Director for Jackie Cilley for Governor. Follow her on Twitter & Facebook!

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by: Dean Barker @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 19:50:28 PM UTC

And to think (4.00 / 3)

that Bill O'Brien once accused me of trying to establish Sharia law in NH....

Here is a fact that should help you to fight a little longer.
Things that don't actually kill you outright make you stronger.

Piet Hein, Grooks

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by: Lucy Weber @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 03:14:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Two separate but equal issues (4.00 / 3)

Issue 1 is mandating the teaching of religious doctrine in a country where there is no establishment of a state religion.

Issue 2 is this new practice of justifying bills based on their place in Republican ideology. That's bogus and as troubling. I guess the theory is that if it's not based on the Magna Carta, a bill has to be based in the republican party platform.

A republican theocracy.



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 19:52:48 PM UTC

Don't they require that each plank of the Republican platform (0.00 / 0)

cite to the Magna Carta??

Another day of disillusion...

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by: elwood @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 19:55:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

what about Scientology? (0.00 / 0)

Rosicrucians, Shakers, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

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by: susanthe @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 20:48:43 PM UTC

Scientologists and Rosicrucians (0.00 / 0)

are way too reality-based for this crew.

And I'm pretty sure that the Shakers I've met would just roll their eyes at this nonsense.

I am faintly conflicted, though, because I do believe that a fair knowledge of Christian scripture actually is necessary to understand American history (even more than European history, methinks, despite the far lesser temporal role of the Church here). I just don't think that said study should be performed in a genuflectory fashion with the all-but-explicit intent of indoctrinating the next generation with the absolute truth of Scripture.

I'd have given Messrs. Bergevin, DeLemus, Itse, Tremblay, and Kingsbury's motivations a little more of the benefit of the doubt if they'd included instruction in the history of gender roles and relations, economic systems, and political history, rhetoric and psychology.

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by: Tim C. @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 15:30:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

since they wax poetic about our forefathers...check out this father (4.00 / 3)

"Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of American Independence Of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom & Father of the University of Virginia."
Jefferson designed his own gravestone and epitaph ...note that it reflects three things and one is RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.  But like everything else are esteemed republican majority are cafeteria historians.

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by: political chowder @ Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 14:40:54 PM UTC