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Forced bible reading in public school

Posted By: Sign the petition! on 2005-06-16
In Reply to:

The Bible is without question the most recognizable and known literary works in the history of literature. It has been read time and time again by people of all races, nationalities and religions all over the world for hundreds and hundreds of years. It is the most prominent, dominating pieces of writing in cultures around the globe.


Yet apparently, it is exempt from that pesky little law of the separation of Church and State in the United States of America.


In Boca Raton, Florida, at West Boca Raton High School, the book of Genesis is on the required reading list for all incoming 11th graders to the school. It is not suggested or recommended, but is mandatory.


The school claims that no laws have been broken, as state law permits studies of the Bible as long as it is studied for its literature purposes, rather than as history. And this is the loophole which is allowing the school to force its students to read from the Bible, as it is seen as preparation for literary reading in the school year to come.


Wait a second … Students are being forced to read the Bible, because the school thinks it is pertinent to their reading in their particular grade level? And no one sees the problem with this?


Separation of Church and State was established to prevent religious beliefs and practices from interfering with activities within the government. And last time I checked, public schools fall under the category that is protected from religious teachings. While the Bible may have many great stories, and the style of writing and language may be absolutely fascination, why must students be required to read it? It is clearly the most blatant symbol and teaching tool for religion, despite its values as literary work.


Students should be recommended to read the Bible if the school feels so strongly in its “practical” use as literature teachings. Or have the teachers explain the important stories and style of writing, suggesting that the students follow along if they wish. But to down right require students to read it is a slap in the face to everyone who has valued the importance of keeping religion out of the government.


Would the school ever consider requiring the reading of the Koran? Or what about the book of Mormon? Of course these literary works would never be considered, mainly because of the overwhelming influence Christianity has on today’s society.


What could students possibly get from reading the book of Genesis that they couldn’t get from any other great work of literature? I managed to breeze through my 11th grade English class without ever having to pick up a bible, and I seem to be doing okay as far as literature knowledge goes right now.


Also, what will happen to the students who refuse to partake in the required reading? They school already stated that their will be quizzes and tests on the material (the book of Genesis), so does that mean if a student feels it is wrong to be forced to read the bible and doesn’t do it, he is out of luck come test time? If so, wouldn’t you think that those students wouldn’t care less of their grade by that point? If that was the case, then the school’s ploy to teach students the writing of the Bible would be a lost cause.


Requiring students to read books to better understand the English language and literature as a whole is a normal part of school. Teachers are supposed to assign work … that is their job. But to force religious teachings and preaching onto students isn’t the work of teachers or a school board … it is the work of pastors/ministers/priests.


And until West Boca Raton High School becomes a private school, requiring teachers to take the place of spiritual leaders is a crime.


We at the Noyse are furious and disappointed that this is taking place. While we value and respect the religious beliefs of everyone, we do not feel it appropriate to force religion or religious teachings upon anyone.


So we are taking action. We are doing this for all the unheard voices of the upcoming 11th grade class, who will read the book of Genesis because they have to and are unable to say no … or unable to be heard when they do say no. We are doing this for all the students who are bound to fail their tests because they refused to read the Bible as instructed. We are doing this for everyone who believes in the first amendment: The freedom of speech, the freedom of press and the freedom of religion. We are doing this for everyone who is frustrated with the State misinterpreting and reshaping the beliefs of the Separations of Church and State. And we are doing this for everyone who thinks this is down right wrong.


We are prepared to go to war over this issue. We are not afraid to make noyse, and are anticipating being heard only after we hear a lot in return. We are going to fight, and will not back down, slow down or shut up until this issue is brought into question by those with the authority to remedy the problem.


First off, we have started a petition, that we encourage everyone to sign if they wish to help us in this battle. You can view the petition here. Please, sign it and pass it along to everyone you know. The more voices who speak up, the louder we will be.


Also, we will be sending a letter to West Boca Raton High School, as well as the school district, stating our grievances, intentions and expectations. We will give them an opportunity to respond to our mission if they so choose to do so. We will inform them that while we may be a small army, we are not easy-influenced or easily intimidated, and will not go away quietly.


We will also be sending out press releases to all local media outlets (news stations, newspapers, etc.) in the Boca Raton area, exclaiming our business and informing them that a battle will be waged and to prepare for us to make some noyse. Also, everyone and anyone reading The Noyse who wishes to stand on the battle lines with us will be encouraged to contact their local media outlets as well and inform of them our mission.


Students heading into the 11th grade will be notified of our intentions and informed that they can either submit to the requirements, or stand up and make noyse along with us.


And finally, the government of Florida will be notified of the problem we see in this situation, and asked to reevaluate it as a whole. We will not beg, not plead, but insist that action be taken to prevent the students at West Boca Raton High School to be required to read the bible.





LINK/URL: Sign the petition!


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Perhaps she would not have been forced into making it public...
had not the left gone to the blogs trying to claim that Trig was Bristol's and they were passing him off as her brother. To let that stand would do more damage to her daughter, don't you think?
OMG! (lol!) In the public school system,
Thanks for a good laugh!
Not sure what Bible you are reading........... sm
but the quote I posted (paraphrased) is actually attributed to Joseph Dunniger.  Correctly quoted, it reads "For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice."

Talk about needing to check one's sources! 

Prayer and reading the Bible
I agree with you and if every person who calls on the name of the Lord Jehovah who sent His Son Jesus (Yeshua) votes for McCain, I believe this nation will stay a free country.  We just need to continue to read the Bible and prayer fervently to the the Lord Jesus and perhaps He will heal our land.
huh? He did this after school hours, in the catholic school...nm
nm
Are you reading the same thing I am reading? sm
Did you read Mein Kampf?  Would that be good enough evidence for you, because he wrote about it in there. Good grief, you people won't admit when you are wrong and frankly, that is pretty darned frightening!
Right, but who should be forced to help her? The
nm
Why must you be FORCED to do

something that you acknowledge a desire for, and is the right thing to do?  This only gives credence to the theory that govenment has to solve our problems for us. 


I was raised by smokers (one of which died of lung cancer). As a child, every family gathering was a nightmare because all the aunts and uncles were smokers as well.  I've never smoked, hate smoke, and am pretty happy that it's now banned in businesses in my state. If it it were not a health issue, it's still an annoyance and I never understood why for most of my adult life I was required to put up with it in a restaurant or an office.  At outdoor events it's still legal. This is a courtesy issue; just because you legally may smoke does not mean it isn't rude to do so when surrounded by people in a stadium. 


But that's about as far as I am willing to go. I don't care if someone wishes to smoke in their own personal space.  Somebody who has been smoking smells nasty to me (on a par with b.o., intestinal gas, or overwhelming perfume) .  Some hypersensitive people actually are sickened by these odors on others, but if I get an occasional whiff of it, this is merely offensive and will do me no particular harm.  Some folks are quite unaware of (or do not care) how they smell. It's another courtesy issue.


To argue that there are larger societal impacts to many of our personal behaviors such as smoking, overweight, transfat and sugar consumption, and alcohol use has validity in terms of health care costs.  But to the extent that these behaviors directly harm only ourselves,  I still think that we should be permitted to reach these conclusions on their own, and take measures to correct them without the intervention of a nanny government.   


Millions of people quit smoking or drinking, change their diet or lose weight of their own volition and I think that a sense of accomplishment should accompany these successes, not the sense that somebody just nagged or taxed you into it. 


Being forced to own up. Not impressive.
nm
we are not being forced into socialism -
Obama is not a socialist.

I might would agree that we woudl be socialized if Hillary had won, but I do not consider Obama a socialist.
Not forced. Not compulsory.
"Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free."

Money for college in exchange for voluntry community service. What's so "disgusting" about that?
Yes, they SHOULD be forced to filibuster.

I was shocked to learn that these Republicans DON'T have to stand there and read the telephone book, etc.


And the Democrats are in "control" of Congress?


Okie-dokie. 


GM may be forced into bankruptcy......... sm

Looks like it might happen anyway.  Remember the heated debates over this on this very forum a while back?


http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52428I20090305?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


Exactly - just as your viewpoint is being forced
It works both ways, ya know.
Forced into that positin by your favorite...
political party, the DEMOCRATS. McCain told them this was coming in 2005. Sponsored legislation to look closer at Fannie/Freddie. The Democrats (big money buddies with Freddie/Fannie) blocked it. And here we are...Freddie/Fannie started the freefall. And let's not forget Barney Frank...another Democrat...pushing Fannie/Freddie to make those subprime loans to minorities and low income folks who did not have a hope in heck of paying it back. Most with no credit or bad credit. And THOSE are the people we are bailing out. Wonder how many of THEM are Democrats??

Yes, it is form of socialism, but at least we do not have SOCIALISTS in charge of it. If we elect Obama, we WILL have a hard core socialist in control.

Be careful what you ask for.
if kids are forced to do it, then adults should be too
x
If the religious freaks forced me to have it, -
I'd stomp on it the moment it popped out.
Dems forced to stoop way low while speaking
su
"You're not forced to read this" is what I was
nm
Gay cirriculum forced on elementary schools

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521209,00.html


Talk about your double standards here.  You can't pray in school, pass out Bibles in school, or talk about God at all but hey....talk to them about being gay.  Once again, if you want me to keep my beliefs out of public school, stop forcing homosexuality upon my kids.  They are wanting to teach this to kids as young as 5 years old.


Why can't they just talk to the kids about not being mean and making fun of others without bringing the whole subject of homosexuality into it? 


It should be the parent's job to talk to their kids about homosexuality....not public schools. 


Obama and Ayers forced radicalism in schools...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122212856075765367.html

Wow, this is explosive stuff!

Also, James Johnson, who headed Obama's VP vetting committee...one of the Fannie CEOs who walked away with a several million golden parachute. Obama is on the Fannie list of donation recipients...#2 on that list, topped only by Chris Dodd. Wow...that is explosive stuff. Another advisor...Franklin Raines...another fired corrupt CEO from Fannie...walked away with a golden parachute in the multimillions...wow...explosive stuff.


excuse me....show me the person who forced Ohhbaaamaaa....
to ANSWER it the way he did??? Keep trying to hide the elephant in the room.
agree, but to be fair if 1 person is forced, then everyone (adults too) should be
x
Rahm Emanuel wants forced civil service

Listen to the link.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfV8iXiB9Xg


DH said its disgusting that he's laughing about it.


also, courts ruled the draft was not forced servitude in Butler v. Perry. nm
x
Public or Private?
This is a direct quote from the TOS, accessed through the above link provided by Goldbird: *All posted articles and replies are PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE on the Web*

...yet in one of the MQ threads, Goldbird stated this board was PRIVATE and financial discussions, real or speculative, were not allowed.

So is MTStars a PUBLIC board or a PRIVATE board? Choose one -- Can't be both at the same time.
It's like John Q. Public. Another way of saying...
average American.
Public Library
I read his papers at the public library. They are 10 years old at least.
I had thought that such information was not available to the public.
This is a privacy issue, and therefore an ethical issue.  If such personal information as ISP numbers are freely availale to other posters on this board I would no longer wish to post here. And if this is the case it needs to be posted.
Not according to what the public is saying out there...women are upset...sm
Palin is the complete opposite of Hillary being pro-Choice. Hillary voters are not voting for just any woman...go to other sites and read for yourself...

McCain's desperation is out in the open now and his judgement is in question.
This is a public board and any information that...sm
is posted here needs to be confirmed at nonpartisan sites. You need to be very savy on the internet, people can say they are Jesus and they are just the opposite. A 65 year old pedafile can pose as a 16 year old looking for a friend. You need to keep your wits about you and not believe everything that is posted on the internet.
Can you say violation of public trust?
Can you say hypocrite? Attack dog under fire. How sweet it is.
the informed voting public
http://www.bpmdeejays.com/upload/hs_sal_in_Harlem_100108.mp3

Give this a listen.
This public insurance is not free -
it will still have premiums attached to it - it will just be made available to more people.
This is all internet talk. On one has said this in public where...sm
he would need to address it. It is all just speculative talk by people trying to scare you into voting for McCain. None of it is true. Beware of the sources you get your information from. In other words, believe none of what you read and only half of what you see. When you are sure your sources are credible, then make your decision.
All public figures are scrutinized, especially

presidents because they supposedly represent we, the people. It's not just O that is being scrutinized. Past presidents were too, along with movie stars, sports figures, you name it. If you have a big name, are in the public eye, you will have your life spread all over the media.


I think you give the public too much credit!
They won't even know about it until someone shows up at the door to take their kids to the "campus." The American public is too apathetic to act in their own best interests AND too easily fooled by pretty words.
Document NOT to be released to the public?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-BvWg3e1I&eurl
I just read an independent study that says that only 20% of the public believe

or associate Democrats with christianity.  It's actually down and has been consistently going down.  Of course, I know a lot of Christian Democrats.  None of them seem to post here, but I know many in my private life. They are far to the right, though, like Democrats use to be


I figure I have been on the Public Enemy List...
 for years. I started becoming very involved during the Viet Nam War, the civil rights movement, the ERA, all those things of the 70s. I have been arrested 3 times (and proud of it) for unlawful assembly, marching without a parade permit (someone was really fine combing there),  and sitting in at a government building. These were all en masse arrests but I am sure I have an FBI file. I also was active in AIM back in the day, American Indian Movement and now am involved with Free Leonard Peltier, so I know I am wired, tapped, followed, whatever it is they do to dissidents like me. I also was at a Friends Community House meeting here in Florida where protestors of the present debacle gather. One of these meetings was tapped; made national news.  I will go to Harry's site and sign anything they ask me to. I sign petitions all the time from MoveOn, Not In Our Name, Women in Black, Amnesty International...so I really don't care about that part. I used to think I would just wait until it is finally over, the Bush administration that is, but now I am beginning to think this world may not make it until November 2008.  A melt-down is coming, take your pick, global warming or nuclear warfare,  I tend to think the nuclear will be first. If we nuke Iran, the rest of all hell will break loose and America wil be responsible for too numerous to count deaths worldwide. If anyone thinks that guy in Iran and his compatriots will take that sitting down, they are as dumb as dirt.  We knew from the beginning that Iraq would turn out just exactly as it has, and Iran will do the same, only bigger and badder.  The times, they are a-changin'.
If the American public votes that into office, then

Our public education system, somewhat off topic.

I  have heard so much about our education system and I'm sure some of it is true.  However, I would like to relay a recent experience I had......


Living in a small community that is loaded with history, I and a couple of other "older" ladies hosted the local 4th and 5th grades on a field trip regarding the history of a couple of landmarks.......anyone interested can visit my website http://www.ozarkmountainmemories.com and read about them. 


I was to do the historical presentation on the Cane Hill College Building.  My good friend was to do the presentation on the Old Mill.  Before I knew that there were 212 students plus teachers and parents, I opened my big mouth and said I would make cookies and Kool-Aid for the kid's field trip.  I ended up having a lot of help there!!!


Both my friend and I were very apprehensive about this field trip.  Well, I want to tell you that those were the best behaved kids I have seen in a long time.  This field trip was to prepare them to write an essay for the Arkansas Historical Society.  They were attentive and, asked very pertinent and intelligent questions.


One of the teachers called me yesterday and said that she was going to bring me some of the essays the kids had written.  She read one to me and it started out with "You may think the Cane Hill College is just a 2-story brick building...." and the student proceeded to write what  I would consider a very excellent essay.  I will post some of these on my website when I have them in hand.


I might also say that there were a good many parents present for the field trip.  I came away from that field trip with a whole different perspective on the local school, which is reputed to be one of the worst school districts in the state with the highest teen pregnancy rate.  I think if these 4th and 5th graders continue through high school with teachers such as I met and parents who are involved in their education, each and every one of them will be just A-okay.


maybe they knew and did not care that it was public information - nm
x
If your in public office, you have no private life (mn)
.
Yes, Obama prefers ignorance from the public.
nm
Public schools are NO place for pushing the
--
Public opinion made him step down...(sm)
You do remember the circumstances?  Gingrich was having an affair at the same time that he was on Clinton for his indiscretions?  Yeah, keep on talking about morals Newt.....
Jeb's son arrested for public intoxication, resisting arrest

Is the entire FAMILY a bunch of drunks and drug addicts?  (Or, as neocons would say, Yea!  Let's make him president!)


Jeb Bush's son arrested for public intoxication, resisting arrest

The Associated Press

September 16. 2005 5:32PM

John Ellis Bush, the youngest son of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was arrested early Friday and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest, law enforcement officials in Texas said.

The 21-year-old nephew of President Bush was arrested by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission at 2:30 a.m. Friday on a corner of Austin's Sixth Street bar district, said spokesman Roger Wade.

John Ellis Bush was released on $2,500 bond for resisting arrest, and on a personal recognizance bond for the public intoxication charge, officials said.

Alia Faraj, the spokeswoman for Jeb Bush said the incident is a personal family matter which the governor and his wife are dealing with privately.

It's not the first time Florida's first family has experienced legal problems with one of their children.

Noelle Bush, the governor's daughter, was arrested in January 2002 and was accused of trying to pass a fraudulent prescription at a Tallahassee pharmacy to obtain the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. She completed a drug rehabilitation program in August 2003 and a judge dismissed the drug charges against her.

Noelle Bush was sent to jail twice for violating rules during her rehab stint. She was jailed for three days in July 2002 after being caught with prescription pills and served 10 days a month later after being accused of having a small rock of crack cocaine in her shoe


It's not a crime to state your religious views in public.

We don't have to keep it in our homes or our churches.  Freedom of religion covers that too!


I agree. No one should be pushing their ideals in public schools.SM
Just the regular math, science, drama, choir, social studies works for me.

Parents are responsible for educating on religion, sex (though a little sex ed is not a bad thing), politics, etc.
This is good news. It is a reflection of public opinion of the..sm
republican party and how they are running the country. Hope this tide keeps on rolling.