Parents Sue Kansas to Stop Religious Education

After the Kansas State Board of Education adopted new K-12 science standards in June, multiple lawsuits have been filed, including one backed by parents across the state, arguing that Kansas schools will be mandated to indoctrinate students in the religion of secular humanism thereby competing with parents' teaching of their family faith.

"The state's job is simply to say to students, 'How life arises continues to be a scientific mystery and there are competing ideas about it,'"
-- John Calvert, Lake Quivira attorney involved in the lawsuit

For background, read Religion (Secular Humanism) Taught in New National Science Curriculum and also read Teaching Evolution is Religious Indoctrination: Lawsuit as well as Global Warming a Religion, Say Climate Scientists

In addition, read Atheists Want Christian to Stop Teaching Science

-- From "Anti-evolution group sues to block Kansas school science standards" by John Hanna, Associated Press 9/27/13

The group, Citizens for Objective Public Education [COPE], had criticized the standards developed by Kansas, 25 other states and the National Research Council for treating both evolution and climate change as key scientific concepts to be taught from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The case is the latest chapter in a long-running debate in Kansas over what to teach students about 19th century naturalist Charles Darwin's theories on evolution and scientific developments since. Kansas has had six different sets of science standards in the past 15 years, as conservative Republicans skeptical of evolution gained and lost board majorities.

The lawsuit argues that the new standards will cause Kansas public schools to promote a "non-theistic religious worldview" by allowing only "materialistic" or "atheistic" explanations to scientific questions, particularly about the origins of life and the universe. The suit further argues that state would be "indoctrinating" impressionable students in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution's protections for religious freedom.

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From "Christian groups sue Kansas over school science standards" by Kristen Butler, UPI.com 9/27/13

According to the Pacific Justice Institute [PJI], the new public school science standards could create “a hostile learning environment for those of faith" . . .

The suit alleges that . . . "it's an egregious violation of the rights of Americans to subject students -- as young as five -- to an authoritative figure such as a teacher who essentially tells them that their faith is wrong."

If they can't block the curriculum entirely, PJI will settle for stopping the standards for grades K-8, and would allow the standards for grades 9-12 as long as the standards are objective "so as to produce a religiously neutral effect with respect to theistic and non-theistic religion."

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From "Christian groups sue to stop Kansas schools from adopting science standards" by David Ferguson, Raw Story 9/27/13

COPE, Inc. said that the science standards have a “concealed Orthodoxy” that is bent on undermining the views of the faithful.

“The Orthodoxy is not religiously neutral as it permits only materialistic/atheistic answers to ultimate religious questions,” said the group’s statement. The group maintained that questions like “Where do we come from?” can only be answered honestly by religious dogma [i.e.: the new "science standards"].

The statement went on to say that “teaching the materialistic/atheistic ideas to primary school children whose minds are susceptible to blindly accepting them as true” is unconstitutional and dangerous, and therefore the new science standards must be stopped.

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Also read Christian School Attacked for Teaching Creation

In addition, read California Judge OKs Teaching Hinduism in Public School