New Testaments being handed out at schools?

[stymied]

My son attending public schools brought home 3 new testaments from school the other day.  He said they were distributing them to kids who wanted them.  I pressed more as this concerned me.  He said that they were distributing them from within the doors, as if they were set up at a table or something in the cafeteria.  This was on Wednesday, which was when some of the kids locally participated at "meet you at the flagpole."  I thought the meet you at the flagpole thing is supposed to take place outside of school and before school starts.  So my question is why would anyone be distributing new testaments inside the school during school hours?  I called the school and they said they permit the Gideons to do this.  They said they (the school) does not distribute them, but the students are permitted to approach them and take the books.  I asked if they permit Catholics, Jews, Mormons, or Muslims to do the same and they said no.  So how can an institution claim to be secular if they are permitted to pick and chose which religions set up tables to distribute doctrine in the cafeteria?

[Steve]

I read about this in the Tulsa World.  I am surprised they did this Bible distribution this day and age, but personally I see nothing wrong with it as long as other religions are given the same opportunity.  The World article listed strict guidelines they have to follow regarding location, times, etc. for distribution of Bibles and other religious publications at school.

When I was a kid at John Paul Jones Elementary in the mid 1960s, we were given small, pocket New Testaments at school if we wanted them.  This was after the Supreme Court ruling on manadatory school prayer.  I don't think any of we kids were brainwashed or corrupted by this, and I grew up to have a strong distaste for most all organized religion.  Don't blow this out of proportion; I would just ignore it.  Your child will grow up to hopefully have a mind of his own and make his own religious choices.  This Bible distribution won't influence that.

I still have my little red Gideons Bible from school somewhere, in a box is a closet.

[TURobY]

Yes, they handed them to us right before graduation (this was back in 2002). We could then decide if we wanted to keep them or toss them. I just put mine in with all the other graduation crap that I got.

[stymied]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

I read about this in the Tulsa World.  I am surprised they did this Bible distribution this day and age, but personally I see nothing wrong with it as long as other religions are given the same opportunity.  The World article listed strict guidelines they have to follow regarding location, times, etc. for distribution of Bibles and other religious publications at school.

When I was a kid at John Paul Jones Elementary in the mid 1960s, we were given small, pocket New Testaments at school if we wanted them.  This was after the Supreme Court ruling on manadatory school prayer.  I don't think any of we kids were brainwashed or corrupted by this, and I grew up to have a strong distaste for most all organized religion.  Don't blow this out of proportion; I would just ignore it.  Your child will grow up to hopefully have a mind of his own and make his own religious choices.  This Bible distribution won't influence that.

I still have my little red Gideons Bible from school somewhere, in a box is a closet.

I would be okay with it if students were exposed to other religions pitching their doctrine, but if the superintendent picks and choses, then he is attempting to influence the kids towards a certain theology.  And that I have a problem with.

[tulsacyclist]

So what did he do with the three New Testaments?

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by stymied

quote:Originally posted by Steve

I read about this in the Tulsa World.  I am surprised they did this Bible distribution this day and age, but personally I see nothing wrong with it as long as other religions are given the same opportunity.  The World article listed strict guidelines they have to follow regarding location, times, etc. for distribution of Bibles and other religious publications at school.

When I was a kid at John Paul Jones Elementary in the mid 1960s, we were given small, pocket New Testaments at school if we wanted them.  This was after the Supreme Court ruling on manadatory school prayer.  I don't think any of we kids were brainwashed or corrupted by this, and I grew up to have a strong distaste for most all organized religion.  Don't blow this out of proportion; I would just ignore it.  Your child will grow up to hopefully have a mind of his own and make his own religious choices.  This Bible distribution won't influence that.

I still have my little red Gideons Bible from school somewhere, in a box is a closet.

I would be okay with it if students were exposed to other religions pitching their doctrine, but if the superintendent picks and choses, then he is attempting to influence the kids towards a certain theology.  And that I have a problem with.

I would too, but I don't think that is the case.  These recent Bible distributions are initiated by the Gideons, not at the request of school leadership.  The Gideons have been in this "business" for 100+ years.  Non-Christian groups can do the same if they have the funds and are so inclined.  Personally, I don't think public school is the place for distribution of any religious material except in the course of academic study, but it is their right if they follow proper guidelines.

[iplaw]

Why did he take three of them?

Sounds like you got a real religious nutcase on your hands.

[stymied]

quote:Originally posted by tulsacyclist

So what did he do with the three New Testaments?

He still has them.  I didn't make him throw them away or anything.  The New Testament is part of our family's religious doctrine, but that is not the point.  Other works are also part of our doctrine, so I don't want him to get the impression that some of our doctrine is okay and other parts are not.  He did try to give one of them to his grandmother, who is an atheist.  That was pretty funny.

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

Why did he take three of them?

Sounds like you got a real religious nutcase on your hands.

From a true example of one!

Ipy, do you support prayer in public school? Proselytizing?

If not, why not? Your party line supports it.

[Radar]

Handing out bibles to kids who want them is bad?  I don't understand why this would upset anyone.

[stymied]

quote:Originally posted by Radar

Handing out bibles to kids who want them is bad?  I don't understand why this would upset anyone.

How about handing out Qurans to kids that want them?  Or Torahs?  How about Book of Mormons.  Would any of those upset you?  I am sure some kids would want some of those.  When we go to the fair my kids want all the stupid paper crap, bumper stickers, bags, etc. that is free.  Kids love free stuff.  How many little kids do you know that want bibles because they want to read them?  They take them because they are free or they see their friends getting them.  I think it is a clever way to get the kids to do their proselytizing for them-put a big stack of them in front of kids.  While the kids take one, they say, "do you know anyone whoe would like one too?"

[iplaw]

It amazes me what fires people up...

Are you involved in the PTA or active in the school system?  I can be our schools have bigger problems than Gideons handing out Bibles to kids.

Where I agree with you is that if the school did something wrong or broke the law, they should pay the consequences.  That being said, I think admin probably covered their bases.

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by Radar

Handing out bibles to kids who want them is bad?  I don't understand why this would upset anyone.

Because it's unconstitutional....

Now, go hang with Klinger and be a good dolt.

[Cubs]

The school system presents liberal atheistic garbage to the students all day long (yes even in Oklahoma). A little Bible reading is probably the only thing that keeps some of them from going crazy.

[cannon_fodder]

FOTD, it is not unconstitutional.  It is unconstitutional for a public school to promote a religion - exactly where that line is drawn is a subject of much and ongoing debate.  HOWEVER, if a passive 3rd party hands out books it is probably not over the line.  

UNLESS, they actively exclude other groups from doing so (ie. they requested the same right and agreed similar terms and were denied). In which the school is being selective on which religious message it will allow to be promoted and hence, it is encouraging a particular religion.  Also, generally, during school hours such activities are frowned upon - but it would not make it per se unconstitutional.

And from a personal vantage; I have no problem with it so long as others are free to hand out materials also.  This includes Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Atheists, and so on.  If you are free to hand out a book proclaiming your god(s), someone else should have the same right or even hand out materials proclaiming there are no gods at all.  Similarly, I'd be interested to see if this is a "public forum" for distribution of other information to the kids.

Seems like an invitation of trouble to me.
- - -

While on the subject, my son comes home frequently from public schools and tells Billy/Johnny told him something or other about Jesus.  I just chuckle, but imagine how pissed parents would be if some kid told their snowflake that Mohamed was the last and greatest prophet of God and his word was more enlightened than Jesus.  Most people are happy to have religion in school, so long as it is theirs.