victory for separation of church and state

[bishop]

i'm sure the bible thumpers are crying apocalypse over this ruling..

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/06/08/bi...g.ap/index.html

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (AP) -- A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that argued weekly Bible classes are unconstitutional in the public schools of Rhea County, the same county where the "Scopes Monkey Trial" pitted creationists against evolutionists 79 years ago.

[LogicaLunatic]

NICE!

And if anybody starts spouting crap about how their religious freedoms are being taken away I'm going to blow a gasket.

[dotcoma]

Another turn of the knife in the heart of our creator...

[Sonart]

Which creator?

[dotcoma]

Whoever he or she happens to be...

[bishop]

we're always free to pray, just not have it sanctioned by the state.

[LogicaLunatic]

I agree, Bishop. I'm also free of prayer :)

[dotcoma]

Originally posted by bishop, we're always free to pray, just not have it sanctioned by the state.

I'm from Chattanooga. The people in the community want the classes. Do they have that right?

"The 30-minute classes were held weekly for about 800 students in kindergarten through fifth grade at the county's three elementary schools. Parental consent was not required and students were allowed to participate in alternative activities if they objected to the classes."

[Sonart]

What, your Church's Sunday School and Bible studies aren't enough? Besides, the US Supreme Court has already ruled that students can attend After School Bible studies. It simply cannot be a part of a public school ciriculum.

Why do you insist on forcing this on everyone else?

[dotcoma]

students were allowed to participate in alternative activities if they objected to the classes."
First off, we should not even have public schools, ur, I mean Govt. Training Camps as David Rockefeller calls them. Second, does the local government not have the right to say "F you" to the FEDS when they overstep their authority? The local community wants the classes. All it takes is one sniveling little Clinton worshipping liberal to screw things up for everybody. No one is forced to take the class. It's available. "students were allowed to participate in alternative activities if they objected to the classes." And it doesn't matter. The school is not going to obey the black robed lords/ Federal judges that think they have the right to control a community they don't even live in. Like it or not, you wouldn't have the opportunity to be an athiest if the country wasn't founded on Christianity. You'd be dead or in a gulag (most likely).

[bishop]

the federal constitution does apply here. the law of the land is that there is a separation of church and state - "state" including both the federal and state governments.

bible thumpers want to push their agenda on everyone just like all the other "special" interest groups - gays, feminazis, etc..

[Sonart]

Why do you insist on forcing this on everyone else?

[LogicaLunatic]

"The people in the community want the classes. Do they have that right?"

Do they have the right to want those classes? Of course. Do they have the right to get the tax payers to pay for them?

That's relatively simple. No. Who do you think should enforce the Constution? Should we let every city and township run itself according to it's own interpretation of it? Every county? Every state? To the last one I'd generally say yes but that's not how it works today.

That state that community belongs to pays for that school and that logically un-sound, brain-washing, alienating class, not JUST that community.

If this community wants a religion class held in the school they can rent the room and pay for the teacher out of their own pockets.

Too many tax dollars are wasted on religion and war. It not suprising since their both very closely related to eachother.

LL

[Scribbler1]

Originally posted by roxdog, Another turn of the knife in the heart of our creator...

I've gotten heat for this question before but I'll have to ask it again. Do you somehow lose your faith when you enter a school building, or is your God so weak that a court order by men can keep him OUT?
This is one of the biggest questions I have about religion in general. Why do you feel you need to display your religion like a badge at every opportunity, appropriate or not? This has nothing to do with taxes in my opinion, but more like parading it in front of the world for reasons unknown to me.

It's a simple question. Why do you feel the compulsion to drag religion to ANYWHERE outside of your own house of worship as if you'll suddenly turn atheist if you don't shout out your religion everywhere you go?

Also, the school day is finite, which makes me wonder which classes the kids would have ordinarily taken in place of a bible study class (or study hall for those pesky non-believers who opt out), and what amount of education they are doing without so some people can reinforce their apparently weak spirituality?

Simple questions. Please explain.

[Poetic_Justice]

I see this ruling as a loss for humanity... Unless we can learn to study different religions than our own without being offended, we'll never have true tolerance...

However, in a public school, all religions should be studied, not just the Judaeo-Christianic set...

[Sonart]

However, in a public school, all religions should be studied, not just the Judaeo-Christianic set...

Well, since it's the Christian right that keeps pushing prayer/creationism/bible studies in public schools, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for them to endorse Studies in World Religions.

That's the road straight to hell, dontcha know.

[Paavo]

Wait, you're not saying US-schools don't teach other religions than christianity...are you?

[Comrade]

If public schools are "training/indoctrination camps," Roxdog, why would it be good to have religious studies there? I'd rather not be conditioned to be a religious zealot.
You can attend your religious training camps every sunday and/or wednesday, if you are so inclined...

As for "they could've chosen to do something else," do you really think teenagers are going to do something like that, separate themselves from "the crowd," and risk ridicule?

[Compugasm]

Yea! Another victory for separation of church and state.

[LogicaLunatic]

Comp,

The 9th Circut is going to kill that one too, thankfully.

LL