ACLU Halts Bible Donations in North Carolina Elementary Schools
Posted on November 20, 2007
Gideons Keep Out of North Carolina’s Elementary Schools!
A North Carolina school district is putting an end to the donations of Bibles to elementary school kids.
The Cumberland County school system says state law limits the practice strictly to high schools and has issued instructions banning it at 54 elementary schools in the metro Fayetteville area.
The move comes after a parent complained about the stack of Bibles left in her son’s classroom earlier this month. The same parent filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Fayetteville Observer said that while a 1998 court decision allows outside groups to make Bibles available to high school students, the ACLU contends it doesn’t apply to elementary kids who might see the practice as promoting Christianity over other religions.
The Bibles came from the Gideons, the group best known for supplying Bibles to hotel rooms.
Gideons be warned. The ACLU are likely to jail you if you try to share the gospel to kids. What? You thought the Constitution protected freedom of religion? Not according to the ACLU’s version. Maybe you should try pro-Palestian, or pro-Communist propaganda. Or maybe install some footbaths to accomadate Muslims. The ACLU seem to think these are protected speech.
The ACLU have a long history of going after the Gideons, but talk about splitting hairs. I thought their argument was based on public schools being government funded. Whats the difference between Elementary and High Schools on that basis? A biased loophole is all. Once again the ACLU lives up to its reputation as America’s number one religious censor.
I wonder if parents of an elementary school student in NC could sue the state now and claim there is age discrimination by only allowing Bibles for teenagers. They seemed to be the ones now discriminated against. The ACLU is once again picking and choosing their ridiculous battles.
Lobo emails this article on it as well and says:
“The ACLU also argued that the case did not support Bible distribution in elementary schools. >>>Those students are impressionable<<< and would likely think that the school was promoting the Bible by making it available, said Katherine Lewis Parker, the legal director for the ACLU of North Carolina."
Is the ACLU admitting that students are "impessionable" when it comes to the Bible but NOT when it involves teaching and advocating Islam in our schools? Or homosexuality? etc.
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Church And State, News
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11 Responses to “ACLU Halts Bible Donations in North Carolina Elementary Schools”
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This again? Doesn’t it get hard to maintain outrage over the same things? There’s a lot I hate about our government, but I certainly couldn’t afford to go around pissed off and dismayed all the time.
For as long as the establishment clause holds any weight, you’ll be able to do anything you want with those bibles except using a government body to distribute them. You disagree with that interpretation and that’s fine, but you really should stop being surprised by it.
Wanna fix the problem? Let’s privatize the 100,000+ schools and then we’ll all be happy. I don’t care if that book is required reading in every school in the country, so long as that’s the decision of the people, not the government.
My view is that the Bible is a book. It should be found in all libraries considering the historic contributions of the Bible. Would the pinkos in the ACLU be crying foul if it was the Koran being handed out?
I’m sure it’s already in most libraries. It’s the table full of Bibles with a sign that says “Free: Take one.” that causes a problem.
Jeff Molby,
It should not be a problem unless you force people to take one. The only possible problem I can see is whether elementary children are considered old enough to consent without parental support. That of course would be true of high school children also.
I’m forced to fund the building and they’re forced to attend, kerwin. You can try to do all of the end-arounds you want, but at the end of the day, you’re using government force to put your message in front of my child’s face. Whether he reads it or not is immaterial. I’ve already stated that I don’t care if the book is in the library. Good for him, if he finds it there and decides to read it.
There is no way, however, that you can morally justify using my tax money to give any group a platform to preach to my child.
So, jeff molby, you have NO probs with the Koran
being made widespread use of in the public schools?
#6″There is no way, however, that you can morally justify using my tax money to give any group a platform to preach to my child.”
hmmm
I just remembered… Its not just your tax money at play. Perhaps your above it all attitude was to far above that fact.
I guess your right.. we shouldn’t allow ANY group to preach to our children at school.Lets see theres the special interest groups that shun Straight Clubs and joyously support the gay clubs. Then there principles signing out girls to go get abortions all the while daddy n mummy dont even know. Yep PLANNED PARENTHOODWINKED
I think those certain GROUPS you don’t want YOUR tax money spent on already get their hand out.
My statement applies to the Koran as well. If it’s used to advocate a single religion, it’s a problem. If it’s a world culture/comparative religion/philosophy class, it’s cool. Check Google if you think I’m not consistent on this issue.
That’s why it’s not my name on the complaint, but there was a successful complaint, so I’m comfortable with my attitude.
If your sensational description is accurate, I’ll side with you on those issues. I doubt it is and I’ve already spent too much time in this thread, so I’ll trust that you’re already on the case and my interests are being served.
So Jeff, if literature from other outside groups is permitted at the school, would you support a targeted ban on Bibles?
Probably not. There might be a devil in the details, though.
“There is no way, however, that you can morally justify using my tax money to give any group a platform to preach to my child.” Jeff Molby
As long as the school does not show bias toward any one group then there is nothing wrong with it. Technically if the schools bans the distribution they could be accused of favoring Atheism which is of course a no no.
There is of course my point that children are still subject to their parents’ authority. You brought that up also.