xandermac Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 My 5th grade son came home with a shiny new testament today! He said some preacher came to his class. I ask what he talked about but he didn't remember. He asked first before he handed out the Bible's and of course they all raised their hands. This is against the law right? Of course there's not much I can do, even my husband doesn't see a problem and won't discuss it. ( See my other thread "my husband has started to church"). This is not a free country! I'm not free to hand out atheist literature, I'd be tarred and feathered! When I told my husband he said "at least it wasn't jehovah's witness's"! I know, I know. I tried to explain that I didn't want ANY religion fed to my kid at school but I ended it before a screaming match. I am pissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japedo Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I'd be pissed too!! Here is some information that might assist you. Nothing in the 1962 or 1963 rulings makes it unlawful for public school students to pray or read the Bible (or any other religious book) on a voluntary basis during their free time. Later decisions have made this even clearer. In 1990, the high court ruled specifically that high school students may form clubs that meet during "non-instructional" time to pray, read religious texts or discuss religious topics if other student groups are allowed to meet. The high court has also made it clear, time and again, that objective study about religion in public schools is legal and appropriate. Many public schools offer courses in comparative religion, the Bible as literature or the role of religion in world and U.S. history. As long as the approach is objective, balanced and non-devotional, these classes present no constitutional problem. In short, a public school's approach to religion must have a legitimate educational purpose, not a devotional one. Public schools should not be in the business of preaching to students or trying to persuade them to adopt certain religious beliefs. Parents, not school officials, are responsible for overseeing a young person's religious upbringing. This is not a controversial principle. In fact, most parents would demand these basic right Religion, Education & Your Rights And here Americans United for Separation of Church and State Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknowing1 Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Contact the ACLU. There are certain rules public schools must follow and I do believe even inviting a minister into the classroom to speak is against them. The teacher, the principle and the school district seem to have overstepped their bounds. I can't create a hyperlink but here is the web address if you want to paste it into your browser. http://www.aclu.org/religion/schools/16146leg19950412.html I totally understand your frustration. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 What was the purpose of the preacher being there? Was it some kind of "career choices" type class? I think it depends on why he was there..and what was his relationship to the kids/teacher/etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeydid Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I remember when I was younger, people from several different religions came to my school to talk. I recall getting a Bible, but I also recall getting one of those dradle (sp?) things. I agree really it depends on what the preacher was doing there. At my school it was to broaden our awareness of different religions, and even as an atheist I can't really get angry about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandermac Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 I'm not sure why the preacher or whatever was there. I'm looking into it. Jeydid it does make me angry. If and when I want my son to broaden his awareness about religion, I don't want it done at a state funded elementary school and without my knowledge or consent at that. There's probably some loophole that allowed it. It's not like I could say anything either way, I would have nobody here to back me up. This is Marshall County Alabama. It still pisses me off and I would like to at least know if there's been a violation. I wish I could afford to just move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 That is pissy. And of course there are double standards; if Pagans or Atheists handed out literature at a public school, they'd likely be tarred and feathered as well. I agree with the advice to seek out the ACLU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixentrox Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 It might be funny to get a big bunch of Playboys magazines and hand them out.....when they object...then tell them not to allow the preacher with the Bibles to be handed out.. Well, cant give Playboy to minors but bibles are just as pornographic in a textual sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 It might be funny to get a big bunch of Playboys magazines and hand them out.....when they object...then tell them not to allow the preacher with the Bibles to be handed out.. You also might want to consider the Necronomicon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I'd definately call, or just shoot an email, off to the ACLU with the details (including the school name and date, etc) and ask if they could take a look into this a bit further. If this wasn't part of a series of religious tolerance type of things then it should be addressed. If it is then get ahold of the list of people they will be inviting and maybe contact some other groups to see if they'd like to be added to the list (like pagan, atheists, etc.) and also tell the groups on the list to be sure to bring as much literature as possible (like a Quran) to give away for the kids to take home. All's fair. mwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 They gave me one in 5th grade as well. Instead of Playboy, just hand out copies of The Book of Satan. Legally they wouldn't be able to object and all the xians would probably choke on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGiant Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I was going to suggest handing out the Principia Discordia or something along those lines. Perhaps some SubGenius literature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowlion Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 that's funny, at my college there were a few old men giving out the new testament I think. They poised themselves at the entrance to the parking lot and gave out bibles. I just stood there and stared at them for a long time. Not in an unfriendly way...I was just curious. I finally got close enough to confirm that they were bibles, but they wouldn't give me one, because of the staring. I'm kind of rude that way though. I have a really bad habit of staring at other people. My signature should be "take a picture, it'll last longer" I was going to suggest handing out the Principia Discordia or something along those lines. Perhaps some SubGenius literature? I love discordian literature. Have you read the Book of Eris or the Apocrypha Discordia? I just downloaded a whole bunch of those books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sage Nabooru Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Well out here, where Joyce Meyers extends her iron grip over our little piss town, she regularly hands out goodies to the local public school kids. But it's not like there's a big movement to pull her out of it. More like a big movement to make it official. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgnosticBob AtheistPants Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 This is Marshall County Alabama. OMG!!! I USED TO LIVE THERE!!! BOAZ! I wish I could afford to just move. Believe me xander...I feel your pain. I have two little ones that still live with my ex there in that little fundy farm. I worry about them daily being indoctrinated into that lifestyle. My first step to helping them get out was to get out myself. It puts me further from them physically, but if I win my court case in November, I'll have them for a longer period of time away from that cesspool, broadening their minds in the big city. Where in Marshal County do you live??? I forget this is a very public forum. Feel free to email or PM me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGiant Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 JM just hasn't pissed off the RCC in STL yet. Give her time, I'm sure that you'll then have a nice furball to watch. I'll bring beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-COG Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 JM just hasn't pissed off the RCC in STL yet. Give her time, I'm sure that you'll then have a nice furball to watch. I'll bring beer. Isn't St. Louis home to the more fundamentalist branch of the Lutheran church? Joyce could piss them off too because while both groups are looney toons the Lutherans usually don't go for all that tongue babbling. Besides, she's probably stealing their sheep. In fact, if I remember correctly from my time period of reading and watching Joyce, she used to go to the Lutheran church, so maybe they are already pissed at her for abandoning them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sage Nabooru Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Isn't St. Louis home to the more fundamentalist branch of the Lutheran church? Joyce could piss them off too because while both groups are looney toons the Lutherans usually don't go for all that tongue babbling. Besides, she's probably stealing their sheep. In fact, if I remember correctly from my time period of reading and watching Joyce, she used to go to the Lutheran church, so maybe they are already pissed at her for abandoning them. I used to be in that fundamentalist Lutheran branch (it's the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, to be precise). I'm pretty sure they admire her. In fact IIRC there was even a way to donate money to her at my old church. Pretty much anything that isn't Catholic or Mormon (and sometimes even the Mormons get off easy) is okay in their eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellincoffee Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 "Fifth grade" seems to be the common denominator in most of these posts, and in mine -- I remember getting a Gideon New Testament when I was in fifth grade. I remember because it was green, not red like the rest of the little pocket NTs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmoke Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 Well.. assuming the preacher/minister/whatever was there as a guest and acceptance of the proferred bibles wasn't compulsory, I don't believe any laws would have been broken. Schools are legally barred from officially endorsing or mandating religious study/service, but there's nothing preventing a "guest" to the class/school bringing in their own legal material (however dubious) to pass out to those interested. Even so, it's still dirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ivy Leigh Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 They give bibles away in *front* of the schools here. And I'm in Washington! I was surprised to see what a learning opportunity it was. My kids were curious and tried to get through it on their own. Pretty boring. So together we went through some of the juicy bits and just the basic philosophy behind "turn or burn." We asked questions about the ethics of this god who allegedly punishes infinately for a finite sin? And where does this book come from? How was it compiled? You'd have to ask my kids how they came away from those talks. I hope, and I think, they came away with a little better understanding of what most of the kids they go to school with believe. I hope, also, they have a little bit of empathy for people who live under that worldview of an angry god. I did have an incident where a girl brought her own bible to school and was shouting verses in my 1st grade son's ear, during class. She also told him he was going to burn in hell. Initially I was outraged by how much this might scar him. Ha! Turns out the only lasting impact appears to be a conviction that bible thumper people are nuts I love the karma behind these nutjobs only teaching kids to fear them and their belief system. Ivy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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