Posted on 05/08/2024 8:50:49 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Atheist zealots have managed to shut down a Christian club at an elementary school in rural Florida. The school dismantled the group after an atheist organization sent a letter whining about the existence of the religious club.
Hamilton County Elementary School shut down its chapter of the North Central Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes, according to the Christian Post. The move came after the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization known for attacking Christians in various areas of American society, wrote a letter accusing the school of violating the U.S. Constitution.
FFRF, which touts itself as the largest atheist legal group in the U.S. and has sued on behalf of The Satanic Temple regarding its after-school clubs, routinely sends letters to public schools demanding them to remove Christian groups, imagery or music.
Citing a Facebook post showing a photo of the FCA chapter gathering at the school, FFRF Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence wrote in her March 29 letter that the school was guilty of a “constitutional violation” by allowing the Christian club to happen.
While the 1984 Equal Access Act allows public high schools to permit a religious school, the law does not apply to elementary schools, Lawrence argued.
In the letter, the FFRF complained that “Hamilton Elementary is allowing a religious club for children at the elementary school during the school day” and demanded that the district “immediately investigate this situation and ensure that the FCA club at Hamilton Elementary is disbanded.”
The organization also argued that students at the school “have the First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination in their public schools” and that “Elementary students are too young to truly run a club entirely on their own initiative” without input from adult members of school staff.
An attorney representing the school district responded to the FRFF’s letter, explaining that the investigation found “a small group of fifth graders” were part of the FCA club. The attorney pointed out that “While these same students will be eligible to participate in FCA on the campus of Hamilton County High School in a few short months as sixth graders,” the school disbanded the club “in an effort to avoid any perception that such a gathering on the campus of Hamilton Elementary is being organized, promoted or endorsed by the District or its employees.”
So, this particular instance appears to be an empty victory for the FRFF. The kids the organization sought to prevent from being part of a Christian group will soon be able to do so in a few months, which means the atheist zealots haven’t accomplished much.
Nevertheless, the group celebrated this supposed triumph in a press release.
“Students have the First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination in their public schools. While the Equal Access Act protects students’ right to form religious clubs in secondary schools, it does not apply to elementary schools,” a legal fellow for the FFRF wrote.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor also scolded the school for allowing students to be “indoctrinated” by religion.
“The Hamilton County School District ought to know better than allowing a religious group free access to students during the day,” Gaylor added in the release. “School districts exist to educate, not indoctrinate into religion.”
The move was met with criticism from Christian organizations.
Justin Butterfield, who serves as senior counsel for the religious liberty nonprofit First Liberty Institute, was critical of the school’s response to FRFF.
“Banning students from having a religious club at a school while permitting other, secular clubs is a travesty that teaches children their faith is unwelcome and must be hidden,” Butterfield said in a statement.
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that students’ religious viewpoints are protected by the First Amendment and that students do not give up their free speech rights while at school — including elementary schools,” Butterfield continued.
“When groups like FFRF pressure schools to ban religious student clubs like FCA while permitting secular clubs, those groups are pressuring schools to break the law,” he added.
The FCA on its website defended students who wished to maintain a Christian club on campuses. It argued that the organization “has the legal right to meet on high school and college campuses across the country where other student-led groups meet as well.”
Why the hell does anybody still listen to whiny Mikey Weinstein?
This decision will be reversed because people are tired of the few telling the majority they can’t do something because they are offended. It will end up in court.
***...after an atheist organization sent a letter whining about the existence of the religious club.***
Ever notice that a book composed between 1900 years ago and 3500 years ago still makes certain people foam at the mouth?
Some have been destroying Bibles since Jehoiakim Burned Jeremiah’s Scroll.
For the Bible to be just a book of fairy tales and myths it sure causes Kings and rulers to become unnerved by it.
Antiochus Epiphanes sent his troops to destroy the Jews and especially their bible. What was in the book that shook him up? It’s just myths and fables!
Three hundred years later the Caesars sent the Legions of Rome to destroy the Jews, Christians and especially that book of myths and fables! What was in that book of myths and fables that shook the Caesars so bad?
Three hundred years later out of Arabia came the Moslems demanding you accept THEIR KORAN or die! They destroyed the Bible every chance they got. This fight is still going on today and bibles are still forbidden in Arabia.
Over time the bible became the property of the elites of Christendom as most people could not read Greek and Latin. As soon as men began to get better educated it was suggested it be translated into the common language of the people, and the battle lines were drawn between the elites and their Greek and Latin bibles and the common people who wanted it in their own languages. What was in that book of myths and fables that the Elites did not want the commoners to see?
Today the Bible is translated into over one thousand local languages but is till forbidden in parts of the world. What is in a book of myths and fables that upsets them so?
Now think, WHAT BOOK of myths and fables can you think of that YOU would give your life to protect so people could read it? Aesop’s Fables? Mother goose? Origin of the Species?
Why did so many men allow themselves to be tortured and torn apart by wild animals in the coliseum just to protect a book of fables!
And today that book of myths and fables upsets the liberals so bad they actually foam at the mouth and revile it and burn it! Why, if it is just a book of myths and fables.
Maybe it it is more than just a book of myths and fables. Why not read it and see. It just might scare the HELL out of you.
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