There is NO religiously neutral action possible for this compulsory government school! For this reason government schools need to be shut down, and K-12 education privatized.
What are the only 3 possible choices?
1) It can refuse to distribute the bible. In doing so the government is promoting and establishing a the Secular Humanist, agnostic, and atheistic religious worldview.
2) It can distribute the bible. If it does so, it implies that government employees have given this book an official government sanction. By doing this the government exposes some children ( against their parent’s will) to a religious worldview that undermines the values taught in the home.
3) It can make all religious, political, and cultural books available by any political or religious activist group in the community. Again, the government exposes the children to religious belief that undermines the values taught in the home. Do this and you will see the Koran, Book of Mormon, and Al Gore’s book! Also, the enemies of freedom will use this loophole to destroy us.
We see cases like these come before the courts frequently, and the underlying problem is NEVER addressed! IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A RELIGIOUSLY NEUTRAL EDUCATION !!! (
(Yes, I am shouting! Why are judges and the American people so dumb about this??)
Government schools are a First Amendment nightmare! For this reason as well they should be shut down.
Government should NOT be in the business of herding citizens into its indoctrination centers under police threat and ordering them to shut up; suppressing their religious practice and expression; controlling what they print and distribute; choosing the people with whom they will associate; and subjecting them to a religiously non-neutral education!
There really is a better way: Get the government out of the education business!
I could not possibly agree more. People don't seem to understand that this (where "this" is religious disagreements, health education disagreements or moral disagreements or really, anything else) is a natural result of publicly funded education. Teaching involves making moral decisions. Let's not pretend that it doesn't.
Morals & learning go together and we will never be able to separate them as long as we accept the idea that the State has the right or obligation to help raise and educate our kids.