Thanks for your comments. I left the sarcasm tag off, should have probably put it on.
Just curious, what would one give an atheist? a gift book or maybe a road atlas so they can find their own way?
It doesn't sound like anyone was actually forced to take the offering of the Gideons.
More so that the offering was made that was offensive to a few parents.
if anyone is at fault , it is the school board, but then the question will be if they are within their bounds to act as they have or should an outside org. be able to exert undue influeence over what is ideally a local operation. the parents can always move if they were that offended is what comes to mind, or maybe homeschool.
it seems when the few are allowed to determine how the majority should live, no one is satisfied.
i don't feel too good about that myself. when choice is gone , so is hope, it seems.
we'll have to see how this plays out or if it just peters out.
I knew you mean it that way; I just decided to run with it in a different direction.
> Just curious, what would one give an atheist? a gift book or maybe a road atlas so they can find their own way?
Give 'em a Bible; atheists have been known to be converted by reading. I think what you meant was, what would an atheist -hand out- to others? I like the road atlas idea.
It doesn't sound like anyone was actually forced to take the offering of the Gideons.
I agree -- Gideons are very unforceful, in my experience.
> More so that the offering was made that was offensive to a few parents.
As I pointed out, there are many things I would prefer not be offered to my daughter, at school or elsewhere.
> if anyone is at fault , it is the school board, but then the question will be if they are within their bounds to act as they have or should an outside org. be able to exert undue influeence over what is ideally a local operation. the parents can always move if they were that offended is what comes to mind, or maybe homeschool.
I think homeschooling is a terrific option. I bet we see increasing amounts of it as time goes on.
> it seems when the few are allowed to determine how the majority should live, no one is satisfied.
I think it's not right for any group to determine how another group should live. The beauty of the State model is that you get your choice of State to live in. Unfortunately, too much power is aggregating at the federal level.
> i don't feel too good about that myself. when choice is gone , so is hope, it seems. we'll have to see how this plays out or if it just peters out.
Yep. I pray that folks lighten up. Might take decades, though, and I'm 54...
The captive audience of a school aside, a Bible is fine if the intentions are sincere. That's how I got a couple of mine.
"Just curious, what would one give an atheist?"
There are few atheists in the fifth grade, I think. Most people come to their atheism as adults, and I don't know a single atheist who doesn't own a Bible. I have several, in different translations and languages.
Most atheists have read the Bible. Some have studied it closely.