(May 4, 2013 at 1:57 am)apophenia Wrote: Read Katherine Stewart's The Good News Club for more in-depth on this. I'm not as bothered by them doing it in middle school and high school, but they're targeting grade schoolers, teaching them to proselytize their fellow students, and because it's the kids doing it to other kids, it's all legal. They stand just off campus as school lets out with candy and goodies which they use to encourage the kids to come to meetings. Again, because that aspect isn't done on school property, it's legal. These people are really slimey.

Are you suggesting that presenting a message of love and hope is going to turn kids into monsters?

(May 4, 2013 at 3:34 am)Undeceived Wrote: Are you suggesting that presenting a message of love and hope is going to turn kids into monsters?

A message of love and hope would not turn kids into monsters, but we're not talking about a message of love and hope, we're talking about the message of Christianity. 2,000 years worth of monsters have spawned from it.

More about this club:

They claim to be inter-denominational but are blatantly fundamentalist protestant. A liberal Christian, a Mormon, a Catholic or an Orthodox Christian would be uncomfortable there. They may also be a target to be converted to the "correct" form of Christianity.

At their meetings youth pastors, pastors, senior pastors, worship leaders, anti-abortionists and evangelists give "testimonies" and evangelize.

The purpose of this group is not discussion, but conversion.

They run in middle schools and high schools, so children as young as 11 are targeted.

This is a network of clubs ran by local churches and church leaders. They have a board of directors made up of adults. They run their offices out of a local church. They calls themselves a non-profit faith ministry but accept donations. They have their own private mailing address, phone number, and email.

The clubs report to headquarters how many students have been converted.

They teach absolute bible ineranncy.

The clubs are supported by school faculty.

Students are supposed to invite five non-Christian friends to meeting: 2 friends, two acquaintances, and one person who is struggling.

Website gives directions on how to be missionaries at your school.

Quotes from various websites and pages.

"church-based, campus-centered, evangelistic ministry."
"To reach students today we must go where they are."
"focused outreach plan that enables local churches to help students create an environment to share the gospel with friends at school."
"This effort is a plan to incorporate students who say “YES” to Jesus Christ at school into local churches...your local church."

This is bizarre:

http://www.fpmetroatlanta.org/fpmamedia/fishmanual.pdf

That's a manual for a different club in a completely different area, yet they have they same goal, the same "cool" one world title, the same gimmicks, and parts of the manual are completely the same. They have the same cycles of different clubs weeks with different names for each meeting and the same response cards.

It seems to me you have a lot of info on this group and it's all negative, this type of program is happening in many schools across the country and there is nothing illegal about it. Have you attended enough of these meetings to discover what you're tell, or is it just things you're being told, second hand biased opinions. I would think that this group of people (who I commend for their efforts) would not over react to any other groups coming into the school and doing their thing. I know teens can get over zealous about what's going on in their lives, and I'm talking about on both sides of this issue, but I bet there are teachers there keeping an eye on this group so they can't over step their bounds. Besides what's the big deal, they are doing what they believe in and what they believe will be good for others. No different than you wanting to teach others they are wrong, equal ground for differing views.

I was in some Christian club at my school. It was hilarious. Plus they had food and a heated classroom. Funny that they never actually asked me if I was a Christian XD

To be honest so long as they aren't distracting classes or harassing pupils/staff then I don't care what clubs want to do. Most kids are smart enough to tell them to go away if they aren't interested.

(May 4, 2013 at 6:32 am)Godschild Wrote: Besides what's the big deal, they are doing what they believe in and what they believe will be good for others. No different than you wanting to teach others they are wrong, equal ground for differing views.

Except that there isn't anyone on the other side. I know of no out reach clubs for atheists. No one proselytizes for the non-supernatural in this way. Whether or not it is legal, it is definitely slimy.

Faith-based groups often express feeling put upon by the teaching of science in schools and how that is supposed to undermine faith. But teaching science is religion neutral. If faith-based groups insist on holding on to some traditional view of cosmology then that is the price they pay for allowing their religious views to stray into the empirical.

I also recommend contacting the SSA. Dealing with these types of groups is one of the key issues they handle.

(May 4, 2013 at 8:03 am)festive1 Wrote: I also recommend contacting the SSA. Dealing with these types of groups is one of the key issues they handle.

I'm going to make a report to the FFRF. They don't agree with the decision made in favor of the Good News club. That club is ultimately doing the same thing the Good News Club was doing.

I hope you guys can see the difference between real, student-led religious clubs and this. This is local churches setting up a ministry in public schools.

I'm getting this information directly from their Facebook page and website. I'm going to go to a meeting on Monday hopefully with a Jewish atheist friend. I want to go as a non-trinitarian or incredibly liberal. I know a friend who attends these meetings is an evolution-denier, young earth creationist, fundamentalist.
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(May 4, 2013 at 3:34 am)Undeceived Wrote: Are you suggesting that presenting a message of love and hope is going to turn kids into monsters?

I believe the point here is that the message is irrelevant... but the manner in which it is presented is concerning.

But then, you can never know with these anti-theists

(May 4, 2013 at 6:32 am)Godschild Wrote: It seems to me you have a lot of info on this group and it's all negative, this type of program is happening in many schools across the country and there is nothing illegal about it. Have you attended enough of these meetings to discover what you're tell, or is it just things you're being told, second hand biased opinions.

Says the person who has done no research in the matter whatsoever.