I resent you're statement that sex is not a casual plaything.
Posted on 05/16/2005 1:51:31 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW YORK (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that the federal government has improperly used taxpayer dollars to fund Christian religious activities in a nationwide program called the Silver Ring Thing that uses music and comedy skits to promote premarital abstinence among teens.
The Silver Ring Thing - which has held events in dozens of cities over the past five years - is an offshoot of the John Guest Evangelistic Team, a Christian ministry based in Sewickley, Pa. Since 2003, the program has received more than $1 million from the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the Bush administration's initiative to expand abstinence-only education.
Though many of the grant recipients have religious affiliations, they are not supposed to use the federal money for religious proselytizing. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, alleges that the Silver Ring Thing crosses this line and uses grant money to encourage young people to commit themselves to Jesus Christ.
"The courts have repeatedly said taxpayer dollars cannot be used to promote religion," said Julie Sternberg, an attorney with the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project. "The Silver Ring Thing blatantly violates this principle."
Chris Downing, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said HHS doesn't comment on pending litigation while Denny Pattyn, the Silver Ring Thing's founder and president, had no immediate comment when reached by telephone.
In an interview two years ago with Agape Press, a conservative Christian news service, Pattyn was quoted as saying the federal funding "is a blessing, but also puts some restrictions on what the ministry can do with its sexual abstinence program."
"We don't ever want to take the gospel out of our message because we believe the power for abstinence is a changed heart, not a ring on a finger," Pattyn was quoted as saying.
The Silver Ring Thing says more than 30,000 young people have committed themselves to premarital purity after attending the program's three-hour multimedia presentations. In its latest newsletter, the program reports on the number of youths who "made commitments to Christ" at the conclusion of recent presentations - for example, 95 at a March event in Detroit, 65 at a February event in Immokalee, Fla.
The ACLU lawsuit says youths attending the presentations are given the opportunity to divide into secular and religious groups for the final portion of the event. The suit contends that students are encouraged to choose the religious option and to enroll in a Bible-based follow-up program - and it alleges that organizers make no effort to use the federal money only for secular purposes.
The suit also complains that the silver rings sold to youths who take the abstinence pledge are inscribed with a reference to a biblical verse which says, "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your own body and live in holiness and honor."
In a previous lawsuit, the ACLU obtained a court order in Louisiana requiring the state to keep religion out of a taxpayer-funded abstinence education program. The ALCU is currently seeking to have the state held in contempt, alleging that religious material remains on the program's official Web site.
Beyond the question of religion, there has been extensive debate over the effectiveness of abstinence-only education. Critics, including the ACLU, say there is no conclusive evidence that such programs work; the government and conservative groups defend abstinence as the only strategy guaranteed to protect a youth from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.
In addition to its U.S. programs, the Silver Ring Thing has staged events overseas, notably in Britain and South Africa. It was the subject of a British Broadcasting Corp. news special last year entitled "American Virgins."
Any 'good' they do is easily offset by their methods and long-term agenda of stripping any vestige of moralty or religion from this nation as a whole.
Sex is soooo evil!
How about truth in advertising. Atheists against Christians fits.
so the ACLU is basically saying that the government must establish HEDONISM as the only state sanctioned sex ed program.
The ACLU is a communist group NEVER FORGET THAT FOLKS.
I know a couple of the lawyers in the local chapter and they are literally commie advocates.
No, no, you have it all wrong ! They are really against Muslims because Muslims don't allow premarital sex or in fact any contact between the opposite sexes before marriage.
The ACLU should be ashamed about their anti-Muslim bias !
/sarcasm off now
What's evil are people who treat sex, an important activity that can change your life forever, as if it were a casual plaything.
Leave it to the ACLU to be wrong AGAIN!
I resent you're statement that sex is not a casual plaything.
I resent you're statement that sex is not a casual plaything.
And I'm getting sick of them pushing their religion down our throats!!! Their anti-moral dogma is a religion.
How so??
re·li·gion (r-ljn)
n.
1.
a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
I don't thisnk it's so wrong to make sure tax money is not being spent to prostelytize. By their own admission it seems pretty clear they are.
"In its latest newsletter, the program reports on the number of youths who "made commitments to Christ" at the conclusion of recent presentations - for example, 95 at a March event in Detroit, 65 at a February event in Immokalee, Fla."
Not that I'm against youth coming to christ, I'm not, I am against state sponsorship of religion.
You have a problem with kids not having sex? How in the world did we get to the point where people argue for sexed up kids?
It's really none of my business.
I wasn't that long ago I was a horny teenager.
Muslims and ACLU now thats a pair
And just today someone was telling me that there are no people on Free Republic who mock those calling for morality.
Not that I'm against youth coming to christ, I'm not, I am against state sponsorship of religion.
***
The state is not sponsoring a religion.
Under this definition, maybe the ACLU should sue to prevent themselves from receiving any government funds.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.