Study: Bible breaks good for school kids

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Thursday, July 31, 2003

[JohnHuang2]

Can Bible study during public school hours produce better students? A secular group that recently completed an independent study thinks so.

An evaluation by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, released Monday, indicates public school students can improve academic performance and build character through off-campus religious instruction for one hour during the school day.

School Ministries Inc., producers of a program called Released Time Bible Education, asked the group to examine a program operating in the Oakland, Calif., public school system.

NCCD studied about 75 fourth- and fifth-graders who skipped one class period a week to attend a Bible class taught by volunteers. The students are required to get permission from their parents.

A comparative review of all fourth- and fifth-graders in the schools where the program operates showed the Released Time students perform better than their classmates as a whole in almost every category, the report said.

NCCD said the Released Time students improved after one year – between the academic year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 – in three categories of literacy skills: comprehension, spelling and vocabulary.

The program also provides youth with strong adult mentorship and bonding, according to the study, and reinforces positive moral and character development in an environment where teachers and administrators struggle with unruly students.

The Oakland Tribune reported last year, citing state statistics, the city's public schools continued to rank among the most dangerous in the state, with increases in violence, drugs and weapons on campuses.

Released Time Religious Education was started in 1914 by a public school superintendent in Gary, Ind. It was approved by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1952.

"Released time is no panacea, but it is certainly helping these kids," Barry Krisberg, an author of the study, told the Sacramento Bee.

A regular critic of religion in schools downplays the program's spiritual impact, however, and believes it poses constitutional pitfalls.

"I expect we would have seen the same results with a secular reading program," said Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, according to the Sacramento paper.

The study, however, notes a correlation between poor academic performance and a history of delinquent behavior.

Lynn said while some groups have demanded public schools help promote released-time programs, the 1952 Supreme Court decision upheld the program on the condition the schools not be involved in organizing or promoting them.

School Ministries says about 250,000 students in at least 32 states participate in the program, which is taught mostly by Protestant instructors.

The Sacramento paper noted, however, Jewish and Roman Catholic students participate in the program on the East Coast, and Mormons attend the classes in Utah.

Instruction usually is held in a teacher's home near the school, and some programs are in nearby churches, the Bee said.

The study said 46 percent of the students are African American and 31 percent are Latino. Among teachers in the program, 85 percent are African American, and almost all grew up or live in Oakland. Instructors are almost exclusively female, and about 75 percent are age 55 and over.

[JohnHuang2]

Thursday, July 31, 2003

Quote of the Day by NewRomeTacitus

[blackbirdphleps]

Does that include pray at the begging of the school day?

[Quick1]

Dunno, but kids are free to pray whenever they want.

[blackbirdphleps]

not in oklahoma any more.
When I was going to school. Before class would start we all get up and pledge to the flag and have a minute of slience to pray.

Now days they don't even pledge to the flag or have the minute of slience before class starts.

I was in high school when the parents were fighting to keep the minute of slience in school.

If a child is caught praying on school grounds now, their parents name is put in the town paper and they are charged a fine and I know of one parent that was put in jail for three days cause they wouldn't pay the fine.

[Quick1]

If a child is caught praying on school grounds now, their parents name is put in the town paper and they are charged a fine and I know of one parent that was put in jail for three days cause they wouldn't pay the fine.

I haven't heard anything about this. Link?

[xm177e2]

A regular critic of religion in schools downplays the program's spiritual impact, however, and believes it poses constitutional pitfalls.

"I expect we would have seen the same results with a secular reading program," said Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, according to the Sacramento paper.

The study, however, notes a correlation between poor academic performance and a history of delinquent behavior.

Wow, the razor-sharp wits at WND sure refuted Lynn's point.

Translation: "Barry Lynn says a secular reading program would be just as good. However, let's talk about something completely unrelated and pretend like we're refuting what Lynn said."

[xm177e2]

She just signed up today.

[blackbirdphleps]

this is the link to our local paper

http://newsdirectory.com/go/?f=&r=ok&u=www.brightok.net/sulphurtimes/

school is out right now but you should be able to look back some it's under the area of local crimes.
They list all from dui's to distrubing the peace to warrents issed for that week. Can't for the life of me remember what crime they call it.

Not even sure if they put that section of the paper on the internet, but if not I will see if my pack rat of a father has a back issue of the paper with one of them in it.

[Quick1]

I'm not going to look it up. I need some kind of proof before venting some kind of righteous outrage at it. But personally, I doubt that the school actually fines prayer by school children on their own time. I'm pretty sure there would have been more of an uproar about it, and I would have heard something.

[blackbirdphleps]

May of just signed up today, but have been reading for a little over a year. My father would find something interesting and send me a link to read.

A woman can't just sit on her hands forever. She wants to put her two cents in too.

Beside a pregant woman who has been order to do no heavy working and get plenty of rest gets bored of looking at the walls.

[blackbirdphleps]

It's not the school that fines the parents.
It the county that does the fines.
There was an uproar but who was mostly heard were the ones that school and religion should be sperate. That religion had no place in the school. That it was the parents place to teach the child about religion not the school.
It was a big thing all over oklahoma.

Did you hear about the big uproar over Oklahoma and their right to raise chickens? Cause the Chickens caused more of an uproar then the minute of slience being removed from the schools.

Which is funny you might think. But a Chicken is more imporant to an Okie then religion.

[xm177e2]

Then maybe you can show some evidence that this is true:

If a child is caught praying on school grounds now, their parents name is put in the town paper and they are charged a fine and I know of one parent that was put in jail for three days cause they wouldn't pay the fine.

?

Can you name a "town paper" that indeed follows this practice?

It seems something like this would be newsworthy. Can you point to a news article about this happening?

[blackbirdphleps]

The best evidence is to be seen first hand.
When you get a chance, you come to Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Plan to spend about two weeks, and don't forget to bring your bible.

When you get here make sure you are carrying your bible out in public so people can see it. Either in hand or under your arm.

It may take a couple of days of you walking around with your bible in hand but somebody is bound to tell you.
That if your going to carry your bible with you. Do so with it concealed in your jacket or brief case.
Cause it's against the law for a person to carry their bible in hand in the public.
And I'm told that law was placed in the books when my father was a child.

Did I carry my bible to church in hand as a child? Yes!
Did anyone pull me aside as a child and tell me I can't carry my bible in public? No.

It seems something like this would be newsworthy.

Sounds crazy? :-0
Do you know all the laws that are on the books in your county?
Ever looked into what it takes to have a law ammended?
Why aren't the people doing something?
Beats me. But then I hadn't heard about the carrying lawing until about two weeks ago. When a friend who is a witness came to visit, and was asking if we knew about the law.

Pray belongs back in the school. And I hope someone will come along who cares enough and can get others to care so they can get through all the red tape to get pray back in all the schools across the united states.