School Refuses to Promote, Privilege Christianity; Citizens & Parents Protest
Shirley Cooper, of Hope, acted as spokesperson for the group. “We would like to express our concern about refusal to let the Gideons offer Bibles to fifth graders; it is not as if they are forcing anyone to accept one, only offer,” Cooper said. “This has been done as long as we can remember. I remembered how I treasured my little red testament and I still have it and how many of you still have yours?
Source: Hope Star
Many Christians seem to think that the absence of overt force means that some behavior is constitutional, but that is not correct — nor is it reasonable. It is true that schools do not threaten to punish students who don’t take Bibles nor do they offer any positive inducements as rewards. This, however, is not the limit on what is constitutional state action. The state has no legitimate authority to communicate in any way that the Gideons or the Bibles are favored, supported, or encouraged.
By so quickly trying to support her case with a reference to "tradition," Shirley Cooper effectively admits a lack of any real legal arguments. People always rely on "tradition" when trying to prop up special, illegitimate privileges and inequality — it's all they have.
“It is heartbreaking to think we can go into other country and they are begging for God's word, but here in America and in our own home town, it is refused,” she said. “We feel things like this are exactly what's wrong with our country and our town. What do we have to lose? We have never been sued over this before and if anything should come up we would have to pursue it further, but I know the Lord would fight this battle for us.”
Shirley Cooper is not being entirely truthful here because there are many avenues for Christians to promote their religious beliefs. All that's happening is that the state will no longer be participating by helping them do this in public schools. Why would anyone protest the fact that they and their religious organizations must shoulder the full burden of proselytization... unless they fear that without state support, they won't get very far? This is the fear that one's beliefs can't stand on their own in equal competition against alternatives. People who want the state to tip the scales in their favor are admitting their own doubts and insecurities.
Board President Joe Short and member Virginia Culley explained the board's position on the matter. Members did not approve the passing out of the Gideon Bible based on what Short referred to as the Establishment Clause to the U.S. Constitution. A few comments of many from Short and Culley eased some tension among the group.
“It is not the idea of religion - we can't allow the Gideons to come in and distribute,” Short said. “The establishment clause means the school can't establish a religion, right? That is an establishment of religion. Praying over the school microphone before an event is also an establishment of religion, right?”
Short responsed to what he recognized were heartfelt pleas from audience members and students. “The students can do whatever the students want to do. It has to be during non-instructional hours,” Short said.
Unlike Shirley Cooper, the school board seems to know that they would lose a lawsuit. Rather than promise that God would fight for them, maybe Cooper should commit to funding a defense against a lawsuit — even if it leads to personal bankruptcy. If she really has faith in her god, then she should have faith that this god will rescue her. Then again, maybe that lack of faith is why more Christians don't put their own money and financial futures on the line when demanding that public entities risk lawsuits?
Comments
In effect, their whining over losing bible-thumping privileges in a compulsory public institution is an implicit admission that they understand the compulsory nature of public schools, that they wish to exploit that to maximize exposure, and exposure to a particularly impressionable demographic at that.
Christian or not, it should be easy to identify when a group abuses such a situation to push their agenda, and that in itself should raise a red flag to bible-thumpers regardless of their message.
It would be as absurd as imagining christian missionaries exploiting war-torn areas to spread their ideologies wrapped up in food and medical supplies. Oh wait…
What’s interesting is that if students decided to ask the Gideons for Bibles and distributed them at the school of their own initiative, this wouldn’t be a problem. This shows that it’s about power, not passing out Bibles.
Mrs. Cooper refers to people in another country begging for God’s word. I thought the purpose of international proselytization was to convince people to abandon their own beliefs and accept one’s own. The people in other countries have their own fairy tales and superstitions they want to defend, generally, against Christianity. Only by latching onto young, defenseless, outcast and needy people can missionaries spread their beliefs. This is how the Pentecostals are advancing in mainly Catholic Brasil, the Mormons are converting the multitudes in Polynesia, and Wahhabi Islam is established in northern Pakistan.
Interesting comment, I find no lack of athiestic propaganda being shown in public schools, in fact, a good majority of the secularist world has hijacked the schools to impress atheism on our youth, isn’t it a tad bit hypocritical? Also it isn’t the school that distributes the Bibles, it’s Gideons, a seperate organization.
You act as if the U.S. government exists to indoctrinate our children in a certain way, and all other beliefs are considered “private” and are to be kept “out of the way” of “real” education?
Feel free to point out any, if you can find it.
The Gideons supply the Bibles, but they are given to students during school time and under school auspices. The impression being conveyed is that the school approves of them — otherwise, why isn’t every group given the same privileges?
Feel free to point out where I have ever expressed such a position.