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(New Jersey) Teacher Fired for Giving Student Bible
Fox News ^ | January 14, 2013 | Todd Starnes

Posted on 01/15/2013 7:22:11 AM PST by Zakeet

A longtime substitute teacher in Phillipsburg, NJ, has been fired after he shared a Bible verse with a student – and upon request gave the child a Bible.

The Phillipsburg School Board voted Monday night to terminate the employment of Walter Tutka. He was accused of breaking two policies – distributing religious literature on school grounds and another policy that directs teachers to be neutral when discussing religious material.

“It’s unfortunate the Phillipsburg School District chose the path of religious hostility and intolerance against a retired man serving his community and simply responding to a student’s intellectual curiosity,” Hiram Sasser, director of litigation at Liberty Institute, told Fox News. “What’s next – are they going to ban Shakespeare because his plays have Bible quotations?”

Joe Imhof, a close friend of Tutka, was at the school board meeting.

The school board, he told Fox News, was basically telling God to “go to hell.”

“Just because this guy gave a student a pocket New Testament on his lunch hour – that’s enough to throw you out of school,” Imhof said. “They have said tonight, ‘God, we don’t want you in this school.’”

Imhof and Tutka serve together in Gideons International – a ministry known for providing Bibles to school children across the world.

“One of the Gideons in our local camp is from the Soviet Union,” Imhof said. “In most countries overseas we are allowed to go into public schools and give Bibles to students. But since this is America – you can’t do it here.”

“When the Soviet Union fells, Bibles were allowed in the schools, people could pray in the schools,” Hussey said. “It seems we have more persecution in America than they do in Russia.”

(Excerpt) Read more at radio.foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: 666; bible; churchandstate; education; firstamendment; persecution; religion; schools; teachers
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We need more gun control ... so we can have better Bible control ... so that people will quit praying to what's-His-name and worship me!

1 posted on 01/15/2013 7:22:15 AM PST by Zakeet
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To: Zakeet

Well, at least the lesbian mommies book has been returned to the school library. Sheesh!


2 posted on 01/15/2013 7:33:14 AM PST by BykrBayb (Somewhere, my flower is there. ~ Þ)
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To: Zakeet

But a teacher stomping on the American Flag is given paid leave. Different state maybe but the same Department of Education mentality.


3 posted on 01/15/2013 7:34:47 AM PST by cotton1706
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To: Zakeet
I am so sick to death of this Satanic pus. I hope every School Board member who voted for this contracts some flesh-eating bacteria on their genitals, and their hospital nurses set them up with a viewing mirror so they can watch their own junk consumed in horror and agony.

Yeah, that would fit the crime...

4 posted on 01/15/2013 7:34:47 AM PST by Gargantua ("Barbie O'Bunga ~ America's First Fly-Strewn, Maggot-Gagging Fag President")
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To: Zakeet

Challenge the policies in court!

None of his actions constitute the “esablishment of religion”, and all are protected under the free expressions clause.


5 posted on 01/15/2013 7:35:14 AM PST by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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To: Zakeet

Should have had a fake Koran cover to the Bible. Then it would have been okay.


6 posted on 01/15/2013 7:48:20 AM PST by SkyDancer (Live your life in such a way that the Westboro church will want to picket your funeral.)
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To: Zakeet

Well, it’s not like she gave her a condom or the Morning After pill./sarc


7 posted on 01/15/2013 7:55:41 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: G Larry
Your comments are completely apt. This incident is simply more evidence of how idiocy predominates in public education, today.

On the Religious issue, see:

Leftwing Word Games & First Amendment.

William Flax

8 posted on 01/15/2013 8:08:40 AM PST by Ohioan
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To: Zakeet

wanna bet that if he had molested a child... he would be getting 3 months paid time off instead?


9 posted on 01/15/2013 8:10:09 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: SkyDancer

That really is the question isn’t it. If it were a koran everyone would be upset as well. It is that slippery slop problem.

I don’t think however it is a firing offense since molesting that child would have only gotten him a paid early retirement.

Pretty sad.


10 posted on 01/15/2013 8:10:42 AM PST by edcoil (Manage your own lawsuit: www.jurisdictionary.com?refercode=KK0012)
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To: FReepers
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11 posted on 01/15/2013 8:12:55 AM PST by deoetdoctrinae (Gun free zones are playgrounds for felons.)
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To: Zakeet

Reminds me of that old poster I saw in college:

“If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Seems Walter passed the test. Your reward is in Heaven, sir.


12 posted on 01/15/2013 8:18:32 AM PST by OrangeHoof (Our economy won't heal until one particular black man is unemployed.)
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To: Zakeet

Change this to communist manifesto or the middle eastern death cult handbook, and he is given tenure.


13 posted on 01/15/2013 8:20:40 AM PST by I want the USA back
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To: BykrBayb

I wonder what would be the fate of “My Two Lesbian Mommies Read the Bible”?


14 posted on 01/15/2013 8:27:27 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Querty ergo typo.)
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To: Zakeet

pure evil..you have to be a fool to send kids to today’s public schools!


15 posted on 01/15/2013 8:32:18 AM PST by fabian (" And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo in laughter")
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To: edcoil

‘Slippery slop’. Love it! LOL.


16 posted on 01/15/2013 8:40:24 AM PST by squarebarb ( Fairy tales are basically true.)
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To: All

Wow... too close to home.

Walter would have been better off passing out condoms and instruction on “fisting”.


17 posted on 01/15/2013 8:40:43 AM PST by Rodamala
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To: Zakeet
"another policy that directs teachers to be neutral when discussing religious material."

I have no idea what that means.

18 posted on 01/15/2013 8:55:14 AM PST by circlecity
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To: circlecity

It means whatever they want it to mean and the meaning will change to suit their needs.


19 posted on 01/15/2013 9:11:06 AM PST by Ratman83
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To: Zakeet

so do the school districts fire themselves when they break their own rules by ‘distributing religious material’ by givign kids books that contain relgious quotes from the koran or hindhu or whatever4 other religion they choose to include in the textbooks? Or when they send te kids home with assignment papers that include ‘religiosu tolorance subject matter’ that includes any discussion about muslim religions or whatever? Apparently a neutral teacher can’t distribute Christian material for assignments but would be perfectly fien if they had distributed muslim material- Let that be a lesson to you pittsburg- God must not be allowed in schools unless it’s a hindhu or muslim god- then it’s perfectly ok-


20 posted on 01/15/2013 9:13:47 AM PST by CottShop (Scientific belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge)
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