Ohio School Takes Down Jesus Portrait

[Neo-Scholastic]

I am unaware of any public school banning the private reading of one's bible. Just so long as there is not a teacher-led prayer meeting/reading of the bible.

In 2010 a Racine student was banned from bringing his bible to school and reprimanded for talking openly about Jesus.

[The Grand Nudger]

Link us the details Chad.

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Meh, nvm, found it.

"A suspension document from the school states: “Student was told to stop preaching at school. Student continued after being warned several times.” It goes on to say: “Student will not bring Bible to school.”

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/...ticle-copy

We have a similar rules here on the forums. Sounds like shit-for-brains just couldn't keep his boner for jesus to himself. You might wanna read the full article, it's kind of amusing.

[Mister Agenda]

To me it just shows how petty militant atheists are. They go out of their way to be offended.

Offended by people breaking the law of the land because they think their religious majority entitles them to be exempt from the rules that apply to lesser beings. We don't have to go out of our way for that.

You can be a Christian without craving government endorsement. You can be a Christian and see the value of secularism.

I'm a little disappointed you're not that kind of Christian.

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I know right, petty, militant atheists and their unfathomable desire to see our country remain true to the notion that it's government doesn't have the right to promote the religious beliefs, rituals or values of any particular faith.

And are at the same time trying to suppress the free exercise of religion. You can have your chess club, but don't dare use the school library to study the Bible.

Could you not think of something more nonsensical to post? Can you cite an example of a student not being allowed to study the Bible in a school library?

Are you seriously claiming that your religion requires government endorsement to be freely exercised?

[Psykhronic]

To me it just shows how petty militant atheists are. They go out of their way to be offended.

How the fuck is this about being offended? We have a constitution or some shit.

[The Grand Nudger]

In case something about this is unclear, one of the reasons that we do not allow the arms of our government to promote any particular religious viewpoint is to -protect- your right to free excersize there-of. Now, if we were going to let our little christ loving soapboxer walk around spreading the good word - we'd have to let the wanna be imams, rabbis, pagan preistesses - the list is pretty much endless......and this - just maybe- just a little bit- might be entirely counterproductive to the business of operating....a school. You know, the places where our children go to learn? As opposed to churches, temples, or circles...places where they might go to be preached at?

[Mister Agenda]

I am unaware of any public school banning the private reading of one's bible. Just so long as there is not a teacher-led prayer meeting/reading of the bible.

In 2010 a Racine student was banned from bringing his bible to school and reprimanded for talking openly about Jesus.

So, an entirely different situation from being allowed to study the Bible in the library. The Fox News story doesn't say anything about the student being banned from bringing his Bible to school. Edit: found another story confirming the Bible ban, but it also shows the student had been previously warned multiple times about prosyletizing at school. Further Edit: the school denies forbidding the student from bringing his Bible to school.

And, again, I don't believe you can't freely exercise your religion unless you're allowed to prosyletize at public schools.

[The Grand Nudger]

No, they definitely told the kid that he was to leave his bible at home, in the same tone as they would have told him to leave his penis in his pants - because he was apparently waving the one around entirely like he might wave the other around.

You can be a Christian without craving government endorsement. You can be a Christian and see the value of secularism.

I'm sure that christians living in islamist nations can understand this well enough - if our resident christians have trouble with it, it's likely do to their priveledged spot at the table, comparatively.

[Mister Agenda]

Chad, I knew you were a Christian, but I'm a little surprised you're not a secularist, perhaps because you often seem so reasonable. Your comments seem a little knee-jerk anti-atheist here.

If you think religion and government should be mingled, I'm interested in hearing your reasoning. If you don't, maybe you're conflicted about it?

[JesusHChrist]

The issue here is simple. The government is barred from promoting one religion over another. A portrait of the iconic symbol of the dominant religion in this country hanging in a publicly funded, government institution is just such a promotion, however benign it may seem. I know I wouldn't want to see Jesus' smarmy mug looking down at me every day. Ceiling cat is bad enough.

The school district wisely chose to follow the lead of their insurer and backed down as they would almost certainly have lost this case should it have gone to court.

Government should/must remain neutral for the benefit of all citizens, not just those who feel they have a privileged position at the table.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Chad, I knew you were a Christian, but I'm a little surprised you're not a secularist, perhaps because you often seem so reasonable. Your comments seem a little knee-jerk anti-atheist here.

Not anti-atheist really. I'm against annoying do-gooders up to no good...of any stripe. They just happen to be atheist do-gooders in this instance. Does it really matter if there's a picture of Jesus on the wall? Who does it really hurt? No one. Absolutely no one. So the why not just take it down? you know...go along to get along. But why should you have to cave in to some unreasonable bully. Why don't they just go along to get along?

Secularism is about not having religious tests for elected officials nor declaring Methodism the official religion of Illinois, nor taxing people to fund religious causes. This kind of nonsense has nothing to do with being secular. It's just being a busy body and intentionally trying to poke believers in the eye.