Bring Bible to School Day Should be Illegal

[Anonymous]

Bring your silly book to school but keep it in your backpack. There's a proper time and place to discuss historical fiction.

[Anonymous]

I don't want ANYONE leading a prayer in a public school - I don't give a crap what religion it is.

The place for organized prayer is church. NOT a public school.

[Anonymous]

The satanists are going to have a field day with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The satanists are going to have a field day with this.

Good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bringing a Bible to school to read privately is OK.

Speaking about your religion with anyone else is where the lines get crossed.

This enters really murky waters.

Not really. I personally find proselytizing distasteful BUT people have a virtually absolute right to speak with others about their religion. And those others--myself included--have an absolute right to ignore them.

Same applies to kids. I hope that they discuss religion with each other--good way to learn about each other's cultures (and a good chance for us to encourage them to do so respectfully).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring your silly book to school but keep it in your backpack. There's a proper time and place to discuss historical fiction.

I trust that you apply the same standards to Muslims, Jews, and others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bring your silly book to school but keep it in your backpack. There's a proper time and place to discuss historical fiction.

I trust that you apply the same standards to Muslims, Jews, and others?

I was going to say any books by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris or Christopher Hitchens, but you raise a good point, as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring your silly book to school but keep it in your backpack. There's a proper time and place to discuss historical fiction.

YOU are the type of person in the class that confirms my argument not to have religious material in the classroom. I have been thinking about kids proselytizing. I forgot about the other hateful type that could hurt the Bible toting kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bringing a Bible to school to read privately is OK.

Speaking about your religion with anyone else is where the lines get crossed.

This enters really murky waters.

Not really. I personally find proselytizing distasteful BUT people have a virtually absolute right to speak with others about their religion. And those others--myself included--have an absolute right to ignore them.

Same applies to kids. I hope that they discuss religion with each other--good way to learn about each other's cultures (and a good chance for us to encourage them to do so respectfully).

Can't apply the same standards to kids. Adults are equipped to handle people who UNWELCOMELY preach their religion, but children are not. We don't have enough of a problem with bullies in schools - and children in distress, even suicidal, over it? So now we are going to allow kids to tell others of a different religion that they are wrong if they continue to follow their parents' religion? (That is the indirect message. Imagine the conflict. A kid is brought up in a certain religion by his parents, and then in school other kids try to show him the "correct" way.)

To the people defending this, would you have a problem if Muslim children brought the Koran to school during bring-koran-to-school day, and explaining to your children that they must follow Allah to get to heaven? You'd be breaking down the doors!

[Anonymous]

I can see this getting way out of hand eventually - I mean these are kids we're talking about.
Before you know it schools will be overrun with religious gangs.
The "Torah's" will camp out in the cafeteria and the "Koran Crew" will lay claim to the gym and the "Good News Gang" will hang out by the auditorium and the "Agnostic Army" will declare the bleachers their territory and the "Pagan's" will be camped out in the teachers parking lot...

So glad I'm not a kid anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bringing a Bible to school to read privately is OK.

Speaking about your religion with anyone else is where the lines get crossed.

This enters really murky waters.

Not really. I personally find proselytizing distasteful BUT people have a virtually absolute right to speak with others about their religion. And those others--myself included--have an absolute right to ignore them.

Same applies to kids. I hope that they discuss religion with each other--good way to learn about each other's cultures (and a good chance for us to encourage them to do so respectfully).

Can't apply the same standards to kids. Adults are equipped to handle people who UNWELCOMELY preach their religion, but children are not. We don't have enough of a problem with bullies in schools - and children in distress, even suicidal, over it? So now we are going to allow kids to tell others of a different religion that they are wrong if they continue to follow their parents' religion? (That is the indirect message. Imagine the conflict. A kid is brought up in a certain religion by his parents, and then in school other kids try to show him the "correct" way.)

To the people defending this, would you have a problem if Muslim children brought the Koran to school during bring-koran-to-school day, and explaining to your children that they must follow Allah to get to heaven? You'd be breaking down the doors!

I'm not sure how we went from "bring a Bible to school" to proselytizing. You secularists sure like to project. And to answer your question, no, I don't have a problem with a Muslim kid bringing a Koran to school. Why should I?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bringing a Bible to school to read privately is OK.

Speaking about your religion with anyone else is where the lines get crossed.

This enters really murky waters.

Not really. I personally find proselytizing distasteful BUT people have a virtually absolute right to speak with others about their religion. And those others--myself included--have an absolute right to ignore them.

Same applies to kids. I hope that they discuss religion with each other--good way to learn about each other's cultures (and a good chance for us to encourage them to do so respectfully).

Can't apply the same standards to kids. Adults are equipped to handle people who UNWELCOMELY preach their religion, but children are not. We don't have enough of a problem with bullies in schools - and children in distress, even suicidal, over it? So now we are going to allow kids to tell others of a different religion that they are wrong if they continue to follow their parents' religion? (That is the indirect message. Imagine the conflict. A kid is brought up in a certain religion by his parents, and then in school other kids try to show him the "correct" way.)

To the people defending this, would you have a problem if Muslim children brought the Koran to school during bring-koran-to-school day, and explaining to your children that they must follow Allah to get to heaven? You'd be breaking down the doors!

I'm not sure how we went from "bring a Bible to school" to proselytizing. You secularists sure like to project. And to answer your question, no, I don't have a problem with a Muslim kid bringing a Koran to school. Why should I?

I would be fine with a Muslim student bringing a Quran to school because I would view it as an opportunity for my kids to learn more about Islam. However, this particular group - Focus on the Family - is not encouraging kids to bring their Bibles to school for any kind of educational purpose. Anyone who knows even a little about about the Fundie Christian right knows exactly what this is about. Signed, A Christian Minister

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bringing a Bible to school to read privately is OK.

Speaking about your religion with anyone else is where the lines get crossed.

This enters really murky waters.

Not really. I personally find proselytizing distasteful BUT people have a virtually absolute right to speak with others about their religion. And those others--myself included--have an absolute right to ignore them.

Same applies to kids. I hope that they discuss religion with each other--good way to learn about each other's cultures (and a good chance for us to encourage them to do so respectfully).

Can't apply the same standards to kids. Adults are equipped to handle people who UNWELCOMELY preach their religion, but children are not. We don't have enough of a problem with bullies in schools - and children in distress, even suicidal, over it? So now we are going to allow kids to tell others of a different religion that they are wrong if they continue to follow their parents' religion? (That is the indirect message. Imagine the conflict. A kid is brought up in a certain religion by his parents, and then in school other kids try to show him the "correct" way.)

To the people defending this, would you have a problem if Muslim children brought the Koran to school during bring-koran-to-school day, and explaining to your children that they must follow Allah to get to heaven? You'd be breaking down the doors!

I'm the PP that you quoted. I'd like our children to learn to interact respectfully with believers and non-believers of all stripes. Our 7 YO DD has participated in everything from Diwali to Rosh Hashanah to Southern Baptist X-Mas. No problems at all--in fact, it's been an amazing experience for her.

In my view, kids are not as fragile as you think and most religious folk are welcoming and tolerant.

Regarding your example, I'd say that anyone espousing a "you're going to hell" brand of religion is not behaving well. I'd support their right to do so, though, and view it as a chance to educate DDs about the downsides of taking religious precepts too literally. Would be a good lesson for them.

[Anonymous]

I would be fine with a Muslim student bringing a Quran to school because I would view it as an opportunity for my kids to learn more about Islam. However, this particular group - Focus on the Family - is not encouraging kids to bring their Bibles to school for any kind of educational purpose. Anyone who knows even a little about about the Fundie Christian right knows exactly what this is about. Signed, A Christian Minister

You self-identify as a "Christian Minister". May I ask what denomination?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The satanists are going to have a field day with this.

Good.

That's how they got rid of the Ten Commandments on the Oklahoma capitol grounds. They petitioned to erect a statue of a goat-headed Satan with admiring children looking up at him. Since they were unable to discriminate between the two religions, they took down the Ten Commandments.