PROFNET WIRE: EDUCATION & SCIENCE: Bible Literacy ROUND-UPS Bible Literacy in Public Schools (7 experts) State of the Union Address (continued, 1 expert) LEADS 1. Education: Feb. 6-10 is 'Just Say No to PowerPoint' Week 2. History: Thomas Edison's Birthday is Celebrated Feb. 11 ROUND-UP: BIBLE LITERACY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS Three-hundred school districts reportedly are considering offering courses in "bible literacy," using "The Bible and Its Influence" as its text, and several in California, Oregon and Washington are already offering them. No suits have yet been brought by advocates of church-state separation, but a spokesman for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State called this the latest move to "do an end-run around the Supreme Court's rulings on religion in the schools." Following are experts in education, law and religion who can discuss the pros and cons of the trend: 1. JAMES SKILLEN, president of the CENTER FOR PUBLIC JUSTICE: "Americans United advocates public recognition only for religions that agree to keep their 'free practice' private. That does injustice to religions whose expression of faith includes the way they educate their children or serve their neighbors with social services, etc. Parents should be free to choose the schools they want, and schools should be free to decide whether to teach only 'about' religions or to advocate one or more religions as they see fit. Justice will be done only when governments treat all such schools in the same way, with the same funding and legal respect, recognizing that each one fulfills the public purpose of education." News Contact: Bill Gram-Reefer, reefer@worldviewpr.com Phone: +1-925-323-3169 (2/7/06) 2. DR. DEREK DAVIS, professor at BAYLOR UNIVERSITY: "Bible literacy courses in America's secondary public schools are a welcome development. The court has recognized that an education devoid of information about the role of religion in history, art, music, literature and politics is an inferior one. It has approved public schools to develop courses that objectively examine religion in its many functions in society. Bible literacy courses that are objective and neutral in their approach would be legitimate courses. The problem is sorting through these materials to discover which ones are objective versus those that have a hidden, sectarian agenda. The latter should be unhesitatingly rejected." News Contact: Julie Carlson, julie_carlson@baylor.edu Phone: +1-254-710-1961 (2/7/06) 3. ANDY NORMAN, attorney at Chicago-based MAUCK & BAKER, LLC and a member of the Christian Legal Society: "I have published memoranda pertaining to religious rights under the First Amendment from the following perspectives: students; teachers and administrators; curricula, class assignments and activities; and holiday displays and programs; and pertaining to teaching intelligent design in the public schools. As to teaching 'the Bible and Its Influence' in the public schools, Supreme Court precedent is clear that such is permitted under the First Amendment if there is a legitimate, secular purpose involved. Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a one-issue group devoted to the promotion of atheism. They promote an un- American agenda which is far outside of Supreme Court precedent, current legal thought on the First Amendment religion clauses and that of most Americans." News Contact: Tom Ciesielka, tc@tcpr.net Phone: +1-312-422-1333 (2/7/06) 4. ROBERT W. TUTTLE, professor of law at THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: "Like most questions of constitutional law, the answers to this question will not come at an abstract level. Instead, the details of each course will determine its legality. Will the curriculum be constructed in a way that avoids making claims for the truth of one faith, or religion in general? Will school officials have adequate systems for training teachers in presenting the material without making those claims, and for monitoring teachers to safeguard against violations of the restrictions?" News Contact: Frank Imhoff, frank.imhoff@elca.org Phone: +1-773-380-2955 (2/7/06) 5. ED JOHNSON, Ph.D., associate professor of mass communication at CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY: "The history of liberal education has required the freedom to consider even offensive ideas. That runs counter to the dogma of the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AUSCS) that prohibits the discussion of certain topics they wish to censor. The AUSCS is just another example of ideological intolerance. Clearly, following the closed-minded dogma of the AUSCS could only lead us back into the Dark Ages. Hopefully, all free thinkers (regardless of belief or disbelief) will unite in condemning the AUSCS." Johnson: johnsone@mailcenter.campbell.edu Phone: +1-910-814-4329 (2/7/06) 6. WILLIAM PROCTOR, religious scholar, former trial lawyer and military judge, and editor of "The HCSB Light Speed Bible," would make a great source to discuss the Bible Literacy Project and the ongoing controversy surrounding the incorporation of the Bible into America's public school curriculums. As a source, he can also discuss the ramifications of using the Bible as a teaching tool in public schools, from a constitutional and legal standpoint; the Bible's influence on literature, art, music and rhetoric; and why introducing the Bible into public-school curriculums is a good thing. News Contact: Sarah Kocks, skocks@bookpros.com Phone: +1-512-478-2028, ext. 222 (2/7/06) 7. DR. PAUL G. IRWIN, president and CEO of the AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, is available to discuss the value of Bible literacy courses and their history in America and around the world. For 190 years, The American Bible Society has been the preeminent authority on the history and teaching of the Bible. News Contact: Erin Mitchell, erin@rlmpr.com Phone: +1-212-741-5106 (2/7/06) ROUND-UP: STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS (continued) ProfNet has added the following to items posted previously at http://profnet.prnewswire.com/organik/orbital/thewire/lst_leads.jsp?iLRTopicI D=12811 1. KENT H. HUGHES, director of the Program on Science, Technology, America and the Global Economy at the Woodrow Wilson Center at JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: "Considering the rise of China and India, the erosion of our industrial base and the restive developing world, Bush's support for research, improved math and science education, and new sources of energy are only first steps. Turning this into new products and betters jobs requires new incentives for domestic investment, fiscal discipline, and forging an international agreement to eliminate the escalating trade deficit. In the 21st century, the U.S. needs to compete for foreign scientific talent while developing a whole new approach to education. It must become as adept at geo- economics as it was a geopolitics in the Cold War era." News Contact: Kathy Alexander, kathy.alexander@jhu.edu Phone: +1-410-516-4162 (2/7/06) LEADS 1. EDUCATION: FEB. 6-10 IS 'JUST SAY NO TO POWERPOINT' WEEK. STEVE PEHA, national education consultant and president of TEACHING THAT MAKES SENSE, INC.: "More and more, PowerPoint is becoming a shortcut for both teachers and students that discourages critical thinking and effective communication. Instead of writing out research reports, kids present slide shows. More teachers lecture from PowerPoint slides as well. In both situations, the slide show, as opposed to the presenter or the information, take center stage. Then, too, is the time kids spend actually using the software as opposed to learning. Trying new fonts and hunting for clip art takes time and attention away from the task at hand. The best learning is still done by reading, writing and connecting effectively with an audience. PowerPoint discourages us from doing all three." News Contact: Margot Carmichael Lester, margotlester@ttms.org Phone: +1-919-967-3712 (2/7/06) 2. HISTORY: THOMAS EDISON'S BIRTHDAY IS CELEBRATED FEB. 11. DR. BLAINE MCCORMICK, professor at BAYLOR UNIVERSITY and editor of a book of 'found poetry' from the papers of Thomas Edison: "Edison loved poetry -- Longfellow being a favorite -- and even penned a few lines of his own. I believe poetry was one of the primary fuels of his creative mind. I found poetry in sources as diverse as his personal diaries, legal testimony, patent papers and autobiographical reflections. Edison once said, 'Inventors must be poets that they may have imagination.'" News Contact: Cynthia Jackson, cynthia_jackson@baylor.edu (2/7/06) PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To submit query by e-mail: profnetquery@prnewswire.com To consult the ProfNet Database: http://www.prnewswire.com/profnet To submit query by fax: 631-348-7906 To submit query by phone: +1-800-PROFNET To share a thought on the ProfNet Wire: leads@prnewswire.com SOURCE ProfNet