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They often meet at schools
Posted on 01/23/2005 11:10:15 AM PST by Cornpone
STAUNTON, Va. -- Lunch is over and some classes already are at recess when a group of schoolchildren at McSwain Elementary stands up, puts on coats, walks 200 feet across the playground and files into Memorial Baptist Church.
Over the next half-hour, the Bible shapes the lesson plan.
Jack Hinton helps third-graders Brian Smith, left, and Noah Balsley with an assignment during their Bible class in Staunton, Va. (Katherine Frey -- The Washington Post)
The children pray, sing and play games with a Christian theme...(snip)...
Then they don their coats again, leave the church and trek back to rejoin the few classmates whose parents declined to enroll their children in the weekday religious classes.
The scene is repeated with different groups of children four times a day, each Monday and Wednesday, at McSwain and three other public elementary schools in Staunton.
For 65 years, weekday Bible classes have been part of the fabric of growing up in this town of 24,000 in Augusta County and in a score of other small towns and hamlets in rural Virginia. It is such an accepted tradition that 80 to 85 percent of the first-, second- and third-graders in Staunton participate.
But now, the practice is being challenged by a group of parents who have asked the School Board to end or modify weekday religious education. Not only do they fear that their children are stigmatized for not attending, but in a decidedly 21st-century twist, they also argue that interrupting class for Bible study hinders efforts to meet state and national standards for test scores.
"I just think a Christian outreach program doesn't belong in the school day," said Beverly Riddell, one of several parents who protested to the School Board.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Catholic ping
I remember when I was a kid we had an actual bible class, in a rural VA public school. Every now and again I wonder if they still have it. We would ride in a bus to a church and everything.
This seems like it should be more of an after school thing, but even though I'm vehemently against mixing church and state this doesn't seem like it crosses that line.
I don't agree with brining that back, but I see no problems with what these kids are doing. It is a free period they are using. It is not on school property.
My fourth grade year, the Bible teacher actually came to our classroom (also rural VA).
Granted, that was before we had electricity...but still. Seriesly it was 67-68.
My how times have changed.
Why should this be an after school thing? In my school district we have buses that take kids home for lunch because their parents would rather they eat at home and share a family meal rather than eat at school. They find it more nourishing. Now, in the story in question we have family's that are also care about the nourishment of their children's souls. Are they to be denied? Perhaps I should ask the school board to prevent parents from feeding their children school time lunch at home. Seems to be the same argument to me. Better yet, why don't we just cut out school lunches since the time wasted interferes with attaining standards of learning scores. BS.
Nothing appears to deny the rest of the children to have prayer and worship for their own gods or to play chess or dodge ball. Free time is free time.
It interrupts the school day, and it doesn't include all of the children in the class. It would work just as well for it to be a half-hour after school as it would a half-hour during.
You got my point exactly. Except we have a new generation of liberal fascists who think the government should tell us what to do with our free time in case we spend it doing something they might not approve of with their high and mighty, self-pontificating opinions.
If parents/school boards want a religious curriculum they can have it.
I live in NYS. This is the same thing we did when I was a kid (1950's). Our wonderful parish priest walked to the school to pick us up and we walked to the parish church. He then walked us back to school. His dream was to start a Parish school which he did. He died in a fire at the church. He was trying to remove the chalice and hosts from the tabernacle. I consider him a saint.
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They often meet at schools
It does not interrupt the school day. Its done during recess. Recess is free time and in my experience it is more of an individual or peer group activity. Not a class activity.
Actually, the church visit doesn't interrupt the school day, it's that nasty lunch break, that's what you should be targeting to get rid of...and get rid of recesses while you're at it. The school day is already iterrupted, they're just using that time.
It would work just as well for it to be a half-hour after school as it would a half-hour during.
That's not true. What about students that need to ride buses to get home...if they stay after for a program at the church then they miss the buses and can't get home.
This seems like it should be more of an after school thing, but even though I'm vehemently against mixing church and state this doesn't seem like it crosses that line.That's my view too. As long as the school doesn't encourage attendance, there's no school credit granted, and other groups (at least theoretically) are given the same privilege, Separation is not violated.
-Eric
"I just think a Christian outreach program doesn't belong in the school day," said Beverly Riddell, one of several parents who protested to the School Board.
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It sounds like another marvelous program under attack by anti-religious zealots.
Whenever someone complains about violence on TV impacting kids, you get the same retort - if you don't like it, hide your kids from it yourself... but try to do something more wholesome for kids, and the institutions fight tooth and nail against it.
The right answer for this complaint is:
If you dont like - don't send your kids to it.
As for the time involved: Our kids are at a private Christian school and are performing well above grade level.
There is plenty of time for bible study if other 'fluff'
is left out of the school day and if the focus is on excellence.
The parents should be called intolerant for wanting to stifle this program and deny other kids access to it ... "In order to prevent the stigmatization of a few who choose not to pursue a given path, we deny the majority of those who have followed a chosen path of free will to worship for generations." ... Yes. The rights of a few to avoid religion tramples on the rights of the many to incorporate it into their lives.
Because this is Virginia?
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