California Versus Christian Textbooks
By PHS Staff
Printed in Practical Homeschooling #96, 2010.
The California University system has decided that certain Christian textbooks are unacceptable.
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Here’s another follow-up article. In August 2008 a federal judge ruled
that the University of California can refuse credit for high-school
courses whose textbooks teach their subject from a Christian
perspective.
Robert Tyler of Advocates for Faith and Freedom pointed out, “This
case is very significant as it relates to the future of private
Christian education because there's been a longstanding principle that
governmental agencies cannot discriminate against a person or entity
because of the viewpoint they espouse.”
The textbooks rejected by the University of California system included
books by A Beka, BJU Press, Association of Christian Schools (ACSI),
and others. Burt Carney, an executive of ACSI, talked with university
officials and was told that the problem was not with the actual facts
in one disallowed BJU Press physics text, and that if the Scripture
verses at the start of the chapters had been removed, the text would
likely be acceptable.
Textbooks with religious perspectives accepted by the university were,
“Western Civilization: The Jewish Experience” and “Intro to Buddhism,”
while “Christianity and Morality in American Literature” and “Special
Providence: American Government” were not accepted, even as electives.
With all that as background, you can see why it’s so discouraging that
the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear this case in October, letting U
of CA’s policy stand.
The mass media reported this as a victory for educational integrity.
The San Francisco Chronicle went so far as to report UC as saying the
textbooks sought to “replace science with the Bible.”
Actually, the issue was that the textbooks taught secular content and
a biblical analysis of the facts. Worse, the textbooks urged students
to believe and follow the Bible.
Here’s the real reason, in our opinion, for the urgent need to keep
consumers of biblical education out of the taxpayer-funded university
system:
The College Board reports that students from religious schools in
California significantly outscore students from public schools on the
SAT. This means that, using objective standards, religiously-trained
kids ought to, on the whole, be accepted at U of CA schools in higher
numbers than their secularly-trained peers. Can’t have that!
Now, according to an October 3 WorldNetDaily story,
Under [a] proposed federal rule change, institutions of higher
education “would be required to have a document of state approval É to
operate an educational program, including programs leading to a degree
or certificate.”
Two former Colorado legislators wrote in the Denver Post,
The [Department of Education]’s power grab carries with it an implicit
invitation for various pressure groups to seek legal mandates
requiring colleges and universities to implement their pet theories
about curriculum, degree requirements, faculty qualifications,
teaching methods, textbooks, evolution, phonics, ROTC, climate change,
family policy, abortion, race, sexual orientation, economic theory,
etc.
Please note that we already have a system of regional accrediting
agencies for colleges. However, regional accreditors don’t exercise
political oversight over colleges.
Just think how easy it would be to make all colleges refuse
biblically-educated students if the Department of Education gets this
kind of control.
The final printed rules seem to exempt religious schools. But some
kids want to go to non-religious private and state universities. Even
in California.
This battle has just begun. And now you know what it’s about.
