A Tennessee father told his son’s school board it should ban a biology textbook because of its ‘bias’ against Christians.

Kurt Zimmermann is appealing a Knoxville school district's decision to keep the book. He says the textbook used in his son’s biology class cites creationism as a "biblical myth." According to reports, he requests, 'non-biased' textbooks be used. In his words, the current textbook's phrasing misleads, belittles and discourages students in believing in creationism and calls the Bible a myth.

"Education material that is offensive, intolerant, racist, or one-sided in nature should not be used in our school system," Zimmermann told the board members Wednesday.

Knoxville County School superintendent Jim McIntyre says the committee's finding to keep using the book is appropriate. However he asked the board to hear Zimmerman's appeal Wednesday, April 7.

Melissa Copelan, the board’s director of public affairs tells Fox News, “when there is a concern about education materials there is a process that is followed… Now it is up to the board.”

She referred to procedure listed on the school board's Web site. When there is a complaint about curriculum board members put together a committee- six members, including the high school's principal, a biology teacher, a parent and a student.

Even though a few of the members thought the material was "questionable," the committee ultimately said it's "appropriate for an honors level biology course."

Local papers report Zimmerman pulls a quote from page 319 in the book, Asking About Life, where creationism is described as, "the biblical myth that the universe was created by the Judeo-Christian God in 7 days."

Definitions of myth on the Web:

a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Myth was a warez group, focused on cracking and ripping PC games. Besides ripped games, the group also released trainers and cracked updates for games.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_(warez)
Myth ISBN 1843862670 is a dark erotic fantasy, the first novel by English writer R. J. Dent. It was published by Vanguard/Pegasus in July 2006.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_(novel)
Myth is a series of real-time tactics computer games. The games are: *Myth: The Fallen Lords *' *Myth III: The Wolf Age'
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_(series)
Continuously playing since its inception in 1990 makes The Myth one of the longest standing rock bands in Malta. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_(band)
The Myth is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Stanley Tong.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_(film)
Myth is a text adventure game by Magnetic Scrolls released in .
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_(1989_adventure_game)
The term mythology can refer to either the study of myths or a body of myths. For example, comparative mythology is the study of connections ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth
A traditional story which embodies a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the forces of nature and of the ...
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/myth
mythic - relating to or having the nature of myth; "a novel of almost mythic consequence"
mythic - fabulous: based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity; "mythical centaurs"; "the fabulous unicorn"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
mythic - myth-like; awe-inspiring; heroic
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mythic
An anonymous tale emerging from the traditional beliefs of a culture or social unit. Myths use supernatural explanations for natural phenomena. ...
[url]www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/glossary/glossary_im.htm[/url]
Legendary narrative, usually of gods and heroes, or a theme that expresses the ideology of a culture.
[url]www.let.rug.nl/usa/LIT/chap10.htm[/url]
n. a traditional story, orally transmitted among the folk of the acts of gods and supernatural beings; a story of a mythology hero which served to explain actions of supernatural beings. For example, the myths of Jove, Venus and Hercules, have persisted in poetry.
station05.qc.ca/csrs/bouscol/anglais/book_report/glossary3.html

myth   [mith] Show IPA
–noun
1.
a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp. one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
2.
stories or matter of this kind: realm of myth.
3.
any invented story, idea, or concept: His account of the event is pure myth.
4.
an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.
5.
an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.

Go trolling for a fight and that's what you get. I wonder if it similarly disparages controversial scientific theories such as abiogenesis.

I think that this guy would've been upset if they would've called it a "story" instead of a "myth" as well. You can't teach Western history w/o at least mentioning Christianity & their bible & I personally can't think of any other way of describing it. It seems to me like this is just the same type of people that get upset about the "theory" of evolution being taught to their children & they won't be satisfied until we pretend that creationism is a "theory" or "fact". If we simply didn't mention creationism in a biology class at all they'd be equally pissed & demand that it get its share of the time.

Most bio textbooks mention abiogenesis as an incomplete theory. I don't see how "similarly disparages" makes sense because creationism has no evidence where as abiogenesis has quite a bit.

I disagree that there is quite a bit of evidence to support abiogenesis but that is fine.

I wouldn't really expect a biology text book to refer highly to the theory anyway since it is essential to throw out biology principles in order to accept abiogenesis.

Anyway, the point is not the word usage, it's why a science textbook is talking about creationism. I think we've had this argument enough times to know that mixing these is a terrible terrible idea.

I really don't think you're qualified in any way to make that kind of statement.

Well, considering the name of the theory is abiogenesis...

Granted. That shifts the focus to word choice, which I still think is asking for trouble. It's a sensitive topic; it should be very carefully dealt with. Obviously (basset hound orphans) the wrong implication or inference can cause quite a problem.

Calling religion a myth in a science book is like Wookie calling Obama "Barack Hussein Obama"....it's technically correct, but it's asking for trouble.

I know it's almost as absurd as the thought of gay Christians or gay Jews but they do indeed exist.

;1074910']The word "myth" was also used in reference to Plato elsewhere in the text

Should that also be changed to "belief?"

"...I mean, I'm not smart enough to pick that stuff up....uh...they are...so...&...uh...they identified it & brought it forward to me...you know..."

;1074910']The word "myth" was also used in reference to Plato elsewhere in the text

Should that also be changed to "belief?"

Your moms an a-hole.

While I don't really care whether it bashes Christianity or not, I just don't think anything about religion should have been included in the book at all -- unless of course it talks about human cultures.