Ir or whomever

I'm being a jerk, provoking on OTM today on purpose. To make theists see where I really can be insulting and childish but to make atheism as blunt and honest as they can imagine. I'll apologize tomorrow and beg for forgiveness but bear with me today.

Tax money for vouchers but no accountability? How nice

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-0321fcatvoucher,0,2821876.story?coll=sfla-news-florida

Florida House votes down voucher school FCAT requirement

By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press Writer
Posted March 21 2006, 5:18 PM EST


TALLAHASSEE -- The Republican-controlled Florida House rejected a Democratic proposal Tuesday that would have required voucher students who attend private schools at taxpayer expense to take the same standardized test as children in public schools.

It was offered as an amendment to a bill (HB 7041) that would let most students in an unconstitutional voucher program switch to another one that has not yet been challenged in court.



LocalLinks

The amendment would have required that voucher students, except those who are disabled, take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, which the state uses to grade public schools. It failed on a voice vote. The House is expected to take a final vote Thursday on the bill. It would require voucher students to take other standardized tests chosen by their private schools or voluntarily take the FCAT, said the sponsor, Rep. Joe Pickens, R-Palatka.

``If it's good for public schools, why aren't we painting everybody the same way?'' asked Rep. Ron Greenstein, D-Coconut Creek. ``If the FCAT is the whole and mighty grail in student promotion and student graduation, why shouldn't it go ... to these other schools, too?''

Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, responded: ``These are not schools that we run. We have difficulty running the schools that we need to run.''

The bill, however, would give the state a greater say in the operation of schools that take students in the two remaining voucher programs. That includes a requirement that teachers and others who come in direct contact with children undergo fingerprinting and criminal background screening.

A program supported by corporate tax credits provides vouchers to students from low-income families. Disabled students, including those with learning disabilities, can obtain vouchers through another program named for former Senate President John McKay.

Together the two programs have about 30,000 students. The Florida Supreme Court earlier this year declared the Opportunity Scholarship Program, with about 700 students, in violation of a state constitutional provision that requires a uniform system of free public schools.

Students from public schools that received an F on the state's grading system for two years in a four-year period were eligible for opportunity scholarships.

The vouchers were a cornerstone of Gov. Jeb Bush's 1999 A-Plus program for public school accountability. The threat of losing students to the voucher program was seen as an incentive for schools to improve.

Pickens said his bill would let opportunity scholarships students transfer to the corporate voucher program if they meet the income requirements. He said 75 percent -- about 525-- of the opportunity scholarship students could make the switch.

Lawmakers also have introduced a proposed state constitutional amendment that would get around the high court decision by letting the Legislature pass voucher programs for virtually any reason. It has not yet made it to the House or Senate floor.

Freedom of religion for all

As someone who cherishes the freedom of religion including freedom from religion I think we all can unite in seeing the injustice in this.
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49345

FAITH UNDER FIRE
Man faces death penalty
for becoming Christian
Despite ouster of Taliban by U.S., court still prosecutes ex-Muslim

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 19, 2006
1:59 p.m. Eastern



© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com


Despite the fact the hardline Taliban regime is no longer in power, an Afghan man faces possible execution for allegedly abandoning his Islamic roots and becoming a Christian.

"Yes that's true, a man has converted to Christianity. He's being tried in one of our courts," Supreme Court judge Ansarullah Mawlavizada told the Middle East Times.


The case centers on Abdul Rahman, believed to be 41, who converted from Islam to Christianity some 16 years ago. His relatives reportedly notified authorities about the conversion.

The constitution in Afghanistan is based on Shariah law, which states any Muslim who rejects his or her religion should be sentenced to death.

"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge told the Associated Press. "It is an attack on Islam. ... The prosecutor is asking for the death penalty."

If he indeed is sentenced, Rahman would be the first person punished for leaving Islam since the Taliban was ousted by American-led forces in late 2001, in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the U.S.


Prosecutor Abdul Wasi says he offered to drop the charges if Rahman made the switch back to Islam, but the defendant is maintaining his Christian beliefs. The judge is expected to rule within two months.

About 99 percent of Afghanistan's 28 million people are Muslims, with the rest mostly Hindus.

"politics"

I just heard that we liberals keep insulting the average Texan. That leads to Perry being reelected if too many people view it that way and that is correct. How are we liberals insulting the average Texan? Please provide examples if you can.

Why atheists should never say all christians are....

A christian blog host said the following to me :TX has been a faithful contributor to this conversation.

In another set of comments betwen TX and Nutrideath I rush-read some comments I found upsetting and posted my own comments saying something like “we don;t talk that way to each other here”

I was out of place and must have misread the comments for which I am sorry.

TX please forgive me and continue to contribute to this rich dialog.


For this guy to be this up front about a simple error. It makes me realize that I can't say all xians are guilty of.... I guess this is my way of saying it takes a big man to do what he did. I learned something.

Proof/evidence

I get weary when I hear people say they interpret things and therefore that is evidence for their belief. If you read the bible/koran/gita/book of mormon and get some sensation in your mind that does not constitute proof for god. I'm also patient when I hear people abuse the word theory. Incompetent Design by any other name is not a theory. There is no testable hypothesis. So, if you hear someone say theory or proof, let's all work together not to use them improperly.

CS Lewis

This is a personal request for this guy to post on news8. It has nothing to do with the author named CS Lewis. Atheism 101 lessons.

atheists in jail

I've been given a statistic from the Penn Jillette show. Of the surveyed 75,000 inmates there were 156 prisoners identifying themselves as atheists. That's actually higher than I thought. I think .2 percent is accurate but I've only ever heard of 2 atheists. One on a HBO program and one who wrote to the Atheist Community of Austin asking for reading material.