Falwell: Schools Continue to Discriminate Against Christian Students

[meegbear]

FALWELL CONFIDENTIAL
Insider weekly newsletter to The Moral Majority Coalition and
The Liberty Alliance http://www.moralmajority.com <http://www.moralmajority.com/>

From: Jerry Falwell
Date: January 26, 2007

Schools Continue to Discriminate Against Christian Students

You won’t hear it reported by the so-called mainstream media, but Christian students in our nation’s public schools are frequently finding a hostile environment when they attempt to live out their faith in the classroom, often in the simplest of ways.

Many of these cases of discrimination crop up when students attempt to initiate Good News Clubs at their schools. These clubs, sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship (which supports clubs in all 50 states and in 156 countries) are frequently met with hostility by local education officials who believe they must purge their schools of any Christian influence.

Here are a few recent examples of schools trampling on the rights of Christian students who have attempted to start Good News Clubs.

In New Jersey, a school board has decided to permit a Good News Club to meet at the Minue Elementary School after Liberty Counsel, an affiliate of Jerry Falwell Ministries, sent a letter to the district demanding equal access to the school gymnasium after school. The principal there had earlier blocked the meetings after learning that the Good News Club teaches morals and character development from a biblical perspective.

In Milwaukee, the Hi-Mount Elementary School has now removed its self-imposed cap on the number of students who can attend Good News Clubs and has agreed to distribute permission slips in the same manner as other secular groups. Again, Liberty Counsel intervened and sent demand letters to school officials there. Liberty Counsel says that after the district removed the cap, attendance at the clubs quickly jumped from 25 to 54. The clubs can now meet immediately after school and permission slips are now distributed in the same manner as with the secular clubs.

In Akron, Ohio, city schools have also reversed an earlier decision and are allowing the distribution of parent permission slips for Good News Clubs. While the school district earlier allowed secular after-school programs to distribute information and permission slips, requests for Good News Clubs were denied. After receiving a Liberty Counsel “demand letter,” the district has agreed to provide equal treatment to the Christian clubs. Bryan Rush, a local coordinator for CEF, now plans on starting Good News Clubs in all local elementary schools.

Mathew D. Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law, says, “Good News Clubs are good news for parents, children and public schools. These Christian clubs have a positive influence on the lives of young children. They are the best thing to happen in public schools in a long time.”

There are similar cases to these three that occur year-after-year across our nation, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Good News Clubs must be provided with the same access to school facilities as other after-school programs.

Civil libertarians have done a good job of falsely convincing school officials that Christian kids are to be treated differently. Many school officials subsequently don’t understand (or refuse to understand) that equal access means equal treatment for everyone.

But it is Christian students who often must initiate legal battles to gain this equal treatment because they are treated with contempt and disdain.

In other cases, school choirs have been forced to legally battle for their right to sing age-old Christmas carols during school pageants, or go to court to claim their rights to communicate their faith in Jesus Christ in the classroom or initiate lawsuits because their valedictory speeches have been expunged of any Christian or biblical reference.

We are living at a time when many in our nation wish to purge the public square of any and all references to Jesus Christ—something our Forefathers never intended. And they have made our public schools as one of the key battlefields to accomplish their godless agenda.

Thankfully, groups like Liberty Counsel are there to represent these students, their families and teachers who will fight to retain their religious freedoms. I’m proud to be on their side in this vital battle.

[Bluebear]

1. "the Hi-Mount Elementary School"

!

[NC_Nurse]

2. Blah, blah, blah...

Gimme a break. :eyes:

[Toots]

3. "It's Good News Week, Someone Dropped a Bomb Somewhere, Contaminating Atmosphere"

And Blackening the Sky...It's Good News Week...

[Nikki Stone1]

4. A little more on these "good news clubs" that are being discriminated against

http://www.cefonline.com/ministries/goodnews.php

What is a Good News Club?
Boys and girls ages 5 through 12 gather with their friends to sing interesting visualized songs. They enjoy playing games that help them memorize a verse from God's Word. Through the missionary time they learn of children around the world who are following Jesus. The visualized Bible story applies God's Word to what is happening in their lives. They play review games that help them remember what was taught. An opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as Savior is given. Activities that help them grow in Christ are presented.

Where Does a Good News Club Meet?
Good News Clubs meet in the neighborhood where children live. We want to make it easy and convenient for them to attend. They meet most often in the friendly atmosphere of a home. This home can serve as a link between the church and the child's home, bringing the good news right to where the child lives. They can meet in a community center or most anywhere children will gather together.

Who Teaches a Good News Club?
Christians who are concerned for boys and girls work together volunteering their time and energy to teach Good News Clubs. They are trained by Child Evangelism Fellowship to have a club that is exciting and informative so that children will want to keep coming. Teachers are asked to sign the CEF Statement of Faith and agree to abide by the policies of the organization.

What Can a Good News Club do for My Neighborhood?
A Good News Club can identify a home in the neighborhood that is safe for a child to go to in time of trouble. It brings the teaching of biblical morality to his neighborhood. It connects the child and his family to others where they live developing a good community spirit. When you leave your home on Sunday to go to church, others in your neighborhood know you are religious. When you teach children in your neighborhood God's Word, your neighborhood learns what you believe.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Now, why does this bother me?

"When you leave your home on Sunday to go to church, others in your neighborhood know you are religious. When you teach children in your neighborhood God's Word, your neighborhood learns what you believe."

Oh, it's maybe because I don't like my neighbors spying on me to see if I have the correct beliefs to live in their neighborhood!

And people who are into teaching biblical morality to the neighborhood kids are the LAST people I would want my kids to run to, given all the pedophiles who operate in just that way.

[StoryTeller]

9. See my response below yours...

I think you misunderstood their statement, which is understandable because it's poorly worded. I think they were trying to say that when people see someone who attends church, they may know that person is religious, but they may not have any idea exactly what that person actually believes. They're saying that when you take time to teach in these clubs, then people can understand what you believe.

It has nothing to do with anyone spying on anyone else. Sheesh.

And as far as pedophiles--I can't guarantee that one would NEVER get into a group like this, but I can say that most churches and Christian organizations that deal with children these days are all TOO aware of that possibility. They do background checks and require references, usually, and keep a close eye on all their volunteers. I don't know if CEF does this, but I would assume they do. I have friends who have been involved in CEF for years, and they are "second parents" to so many children. I would feel utterly safe leaving my kids in their care.

Don't be so cynical. The perverts make the news. But there are thousands of trustworthy, decent Christians who devote their lives to helping kids. You'll just never hear about them, but you're far more likely to run into them than the other kind. However, I do think it's a good idea for parents to always meet anyone who will be working with their kids and to keep a close eye on things. Blind trust is stupid, but not informed trust.

[StoryTeller]

8. I don't know what CEF has become,

but it was a very decent organization 20 years ago when I was a kid. I went to some of their summer camps and always had a lot of fun. Their good news clubs--especially the neighborhood back yard clubs--are actually fun and help a lot of latch-key kids and kids whose parents let them run the neighborhood to have a safe, enjoyable activity to keep them busy. My parents' best friends had one, and their house really did become a "safe house" for the other kids in their neighborhood, some of whom were shut out of their own homes during the day (summer break) because their parents were away at work. Just because they're coming at morality and decency from a faith aspect doesn't mean they're something bad or sinister. Quite the opposite, really.

For the record, CEF is actually a lot more conservative in their theology than I am, but as far as I know, they've never been crazy-fundy and aren't a corrupt organization. In this day and age, I'd never send my child anywhere without checking out the adult actually in charge of a particular group, but I'd trust the organization itself from my past experience with it.

And as loathe as I am to EVER agree with anything that comes from Falwell, these clubs DO have a right to meet in schools, as long as they are student-led and not teacher-led. That's a supreme court ruling that applies to all religious groups of any faith. There can be adult supervision by a teacher or parent, but the activities of the group itself must be at the initiative of the students. So if that provision is being met, there's really no legal reason why these schools should be barring these clubs.

[Nikki Stone1]

13. The problem is the aggressiveness and uniformity of the evangelical agenda

I remember when I was in high school we had a group of Mormon kids who met in a classroom before school hours for their religious ed class. They actually had a teacher there, so it wasn't officially student run. (This was before that Supreme Court ruling. ) Because they were a small group and kept to themselves, no one ever gave a damn. They never tried to convert people. (Not even us evil Papists!)

However, toward the end of my high school days, the current form of nutbag evangelism, which is now the norm in the GOP, began making inroads, and those folks were very aggressive in looking for converts. These conversions were done student to student, and kids like a friend of mine, who had been raped by a neighbor at 13 and had gotten into drinking and drugs, were targets for being "saved".

For me, the problem is not the religious aspects of a group meeting on school grounds, it's what that group's intentions are. The Mormons were into their own training, and in the absence of a local temple or stake house close by, they used a public classroom. The Mormons I knew were typically pretty upfront when they were evangelizing: all the kids had to do some kind of stint, often away from home. (And of course the blue suits and bicycles were fairly obvious too.) But the ones I knew never interefered with the school or the other students. I had a couple of Mormon friends back then and they never pressured me to change my faith. I was very Catholic and they never said word one to me or to anyone else I knew. On the other hand, the evangelicals wouldn't leave me alone--being Catholic wasn't enough for them. They tried to pressure me to be "born again". That's the difference, in my opinion, between a group that's just using a building for practical reasons and a group that is infiltrating to propagandize.

Just my 2 cents.

[StoryTeller]

17. I can understand your discomfort.

But as far as I know, there's nothing in the supreme court decision that speaks to this issue. So even if it's annoying, these clubs still have a legal right to meet. And I guess if the kids are being so aggressive that they're turning off their classmates and friends, then they'll have to put up with the social consequences of that.

I was taught a few of those sort of lessons myself even as young as 3rd and 4th grade. :)

But as much as I can sympathize with how irritating proselytizing is, I also know that for MOST evangelicals, it comes from a genuine enthusiasm for their faith and a true concern and compassion for people. Not all evangelicals feel this way--it's true. But even the ones who are annoying are usually not trying to be. And most of them will respond very well to a gentle, but honest, explanation of what their approach makes you feel.

I've obviously grown up in the evangelical culture, and as much as they tend to piss me off at times, I also know that they are mostly very decent people. I'm sorry that they've given themselves such a monstrous reputation, because it's really not who they truly are.

I hope you get a chance sometime to meet some of the really good-hearted evangelicals out there. :)

[Nikki Stone1]

19. You missed the point. It's about the purpose behind the group's use of public space

What are your thoughts on that?

[StoryTeller]

30. No, I understand that

I'm just saying that as far as I know, from a legal standpoint, there's no prohibition against groups having a purpose of proselytizing.

My own personal feeling, being in the evangelical community, is that evangelicals are being taught to evangelize at the expense of just simply valuing people and forming relationships and friendships with people. I don't like it when Mormons come knocking at my door, and I don't like it when evangelical Christians approach sharing their faith as if it were a mental or psychological invasion of the community.

The reason I don't like it is because it's not loving to treat people as if they are merely part of your agenda. As if they're a prize to be won.

And I don't think that this is really what sharing my faith should look like. My faith is about love and forgiveness and discovering the reason I'm here in the world. So I share my faith by loving, forgiving, asking forgiveness, and encouraging people that they are so very valuable. My goal is to care about people, not convert people. As it happens, occasionally someone will ask me more about my faith because they see that it is a powerful motivator in my life. Sometimes they will want to convert. I don't dissuade them. But this doesn't happen often, and I'm okay with that. These are my friends, not my projects. As my pastor says, our love should never have a "hook" at the end of it.

So no, I don't particularly like overt proselytizing--at school or anywhere else. But it's also not, as far as I know, prohibited by law for these groups to do so. I also think it's a mistake to paint the groups with too broad a brush. Some groups will be more zealous about proselytizing than others. And some groups will have decent kids in them who reach out to marginalized students because they really care. It's not something you can generalize.

[Nikki Stone1]

36. Actually, there is apparently a ban on this kind of activity in elementary schools

See the post #12 below on this. I'd actually to know for sure.

And this:

"The reason I don't like it is because it's not loving to treat people as if they are merely part of your agenda. As if they're a prize to be won. "

Amen. I totally agree.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't paint with a broad brush. I grew up Catholic and still consider myself "Her Majesty's loyal opposition" in regard to the church. But even in my most devout days, I never went up to anyone and said, "Come back to the one true church or you're going to hell." (Of course it was post Vatican II and nobody believed that anyway, but still....)

[knitter4democracy]

21. As a former Nazarene, I can see your point. But . . .

The poster has a point about the use of the space. Most evangelicals I know think there's nothing wrong with getting to teens in a space where their parents have little influence and aren't there and then using peer pressure to get them to convert. How would they like that kind of group from, say, the Wiccan faith or the Muslim faith doing that to their kids? Then, you hear a whole different argument.

[Nikki Stone1]

23. Exactly. I used to teach international students at a university

These kids were really vulnerable because they were away from home, experiencing culture shock, and were often lonely and depressed. A local nutbag fundie church (as opposed to decent evangelicals) went after these kids big time. This particular church used other international student converts (usually Korean) to pull the newcomers in. Not only were these kids "converted", they were also required to "tithe". Because these kids were not employed (they were on F-1 student visas), they ended up using their tuition money as a tithe. We had a number of students who fell out of F-1 status because they no longer had tuition for school. Eventually, they had to be sent home.

Decent evangelicals don't try to bankrupt people, especially the most vulnerable.

[knitter4democracy]

24. Wow. That's awful!

Someone should've stepped in to help them on that. Tithing is supposed to be income, so the pastor should've told them not to tithe, especially if putting their education in jeopardy while doing so was going to happen. I know our pastor often did that, taking college kids aside and telling them not to worry about tithing until they had an actual job with actual income.

[Nikki Stone1]

25. I actually said a few words on this to the students is my classes

I didn't like getting into religion because there are so many legal restrictions, but I did tell the students to stay away from people who asked for money from them, especially money they didn't have. I told them not to spend their tuition on anything else or they could fall out of status. I also gave them plenty of info on culture shock and told them about psychological services at the school that could help them or friends of theirs through it. I also kept an eye on the students I knew. If anyone had come to me asking about tithing, I would have told them exactly what you said, that tithing is based on income and that as students they had no income.

[knitter4democracy]

28. You did a good thing. You helped them through a hard time.

Culture shock is real. I did a semester abroad in college, and I dealt with it (hardest was leaving my boyfriend, now husband, behind). It's an easy time to hurt someone.

[Nikki Stone1]

29. Yeah. Anger, depression, physical illness, and even suicidal thoughts can occur

I actually did some research on culture shock and was amazed at how problematic it could be. I can easily understand how a church or other organization asking for money could get their hooks into these kids. Some of these kids were actually mainstream Christian or Catholic, and there were church groups on campus that we could tell them about. There was also a Buddhist temple not too far away--although it required a car--and the Buddhist kids were told about that, too.

I am all for students getting help from whatever source is good for them. Sometimes, a walk into your denomination's church can help you feel connected when you are feeling down. But, I told the students that if anyone asks you for money, especially money you don't have, to run in the other direction.

[StoryTeller]

31. It's all in one's point of view.

You see their attempts to get teens to convert as a bad thing. They see it as a good, compassionate thing to do.

That said, I don't like it when Christians try to use stealth maneuvers in order to influence kids to convert. I think any group that is working with children needs to be quite upfront with the parents about what they will be talking about with the children and what they will be teaching and/or asking the kids to do. I know that this is not often the case, and I agree that it's wrong. That sort of Machiavellian approach to faith has no place in Christianity, no matter how good the intentions.

However, until there is a law or court ruling that addresses this issue, there isn't any legal basis--as far as I know, to prohibit a student-led group to meet at a school, regardless of the group's faith or whether or not they're trying to convert students. If someone has information to the contrary on that, please let me know.

[Nikki Stone1]

37. Gotta be careful about that kind of relativism

Remember that one person's religion is another person's cult.

[knitter4democracy]

41. There's info on elementary schools upthread. It's still wrong.

In my experience, evangelicals have a hard time putting themselves in another person's shoes. They are so determined to believe that their church is the one and only church, the one and only way to Heaven, that they don't read enough on church history, don't listen enough to those around them who are offended by their actions, and don't spend enough time loving others as themselves.

When they do that, they become hypocrites because they do things they wouldn't want done to them. They hand out tracts on street corners (I've done it), go door to door (done that, too), have Vacation Bible Schools and invite children not just from the area but from other churches in the area (and then try to convert those kids to their version of Christianity without their parents present--I've seen this done more than once). What if another church did that to their kids? They'd be livid, trust me. What if it weren't a church but another faith entirely? They'd be writing letters, calling congresspeople, and fighting for their right to live in peace and raise their kids the way they want to. It goes completely over their own heads that they aren't to do to anyone what they wouldn't want done to them.

I don't take that kind of stuff lying down anymore. I was one of them and never comfortable with those tactics. I started speaking out in college and ruffled some feathers there. Now that I've converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, I make sure they don't get our kids for VBS and call up their pastors and tell them what I think of their tactics. Yes, we are to spread the Gospel, but they never seem all that concerned if the person already knows and believes the Gospel--it has to be their kind only.

[BlueJazz]

5. Good News Clubs...Huh....Ya....Well, Good News Clubs means you..

...either think exactly like we do or you're going to Hell you filthy, disgusting, piece of human garbage.

[StoryTeller]

10. No, it really doesn't.

I went to some of these clubs and summer camps when I was a kid. No one ever treated any of the kids like "garbage." They treated us with incredible kindness and respect. There were opportunities given to become a Christian, but no one ever coerced or manipulated any of the children. The summer camps I went to, most of the time was spent in the usual activities, like crafts, or swimming, or games, etc. Added to that were Bible stories, puppet shows, and song time--which included kids Bible songs as well as silly kids songs.

I don't remember as much about the Good News clubs, because I didn't attend those as often. But my parents' best friends used to hold them for the kids in their neighborhood. They never treated those kids with anything but kindness and love. Most of those kids did NOT become Christians, but they knew that even though their own home lives may be a mess, there was a family just down the block that would give them a glass of water or feed them lunch or let them use the bathroom. (Most of these kids were shut out of their homes during the day in the summer because their parents went to work. These kids were from 4 years old into their teens.)

They didn't do this because they were looking for converts. They did it because they cared about children.

[Nikki Stone1]

18. It is possible that things have changed. They now seem to be being used

by larger forces, like Falwell. It wouldn't be the first time that good organizations got hijacked.

[BR_Parkway]

6. Hi Jerry, before I send you a big check to keep those poor lil "Christains"

from being persecuted - can you tell me how many demand letters or cases filed by Liberty Counsel were seeking equal access for groups that teach character development from say a Muslim or Pagan perspective? Or how about groups that teach the moral value of tolerance and respect for groups you don't agree with? Like Gay Straight Alliance?

I won't hold my breath. And I'll happily send that check to the ACLU instead, to prevent the theocratic domestic threat you and your kind represent to this country.

[annabanana]

11. As long as they believe that to be a Christian REQUIRES

them to get in everyone else's faces.... they will feel persecuted that others might have legitimate objections to being harassed.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. As of today, it is unconstitutional to permit christian or other religious clubs

to be organized before, during, or after school in ELEMENTARY schools. They can form clubs in universities and high schools (Equal Access law and Merkens). The reason being that this age group is susceptible to pressure to join the clubs and does not have the capacity to understand that in order to adhere to club principles, one needs to agree with the religious dogma that is being propounded. The consequences include children questioning the faith (or lack thereof) to which their families are trying to expose them and balkanization of the classroom and playground. Children find enough reasons to break into cliques. Having religion as one more (and perhaps permanent) reason to associate with a particular child or children is not a role public schools should enable and assist. Not to mention the public schools become an institution paid with tax dollars that promulgates religion in violation of the Establishment Clause. (I never agreed with the application of Merkens to high schools as well as the Equal Access extension.)

[EvolveOrConvolve]

14. "Morals and character development from a biblical perspective"

Has Falwell even read the bible? Has he read any of the old testament? Those aren't the values I want taught to my kid.

[MindPilot]

15. Hang on a minute, something I'm not getting here...

The headline claims discrimination but then goes on to detail three instances where the clubs were allowed to form.

Am I reading it wrong or am I just--being a member of the vast majority of atheist persecutors--incapable of seeing the discrimination heaped upon the Christians?

[Nikki Stone1]

16. No, you are correct. But Falwell has to raise funds somehow

:b

[knitter4democracy]

20. Idiot. The ACLU has defended those kids, too, and won.

Liberty Council isn't the only group working for those kids--the ACLU has worked to make sure that schools don't go overboard in how they deal with any faith.

I was an evangelical in high school. Yes, I went through some crap because of that. I didn't go whining to anyone, I didn't go asking for help from anyone, and I took it as just normal kid crap because I was different. Well, I did go to my counsellor when I was required to watch an X-rated film in a literature class and the teacher went against school policy on films (I should've been given an equivalent assignment instead). I didn't go to the principal, I didn't ask my mom (another teacher at the school) to step in and fight my battle, and when the teacher made the entire class debate me on why the film was appropriate, I took them all on (the other evangelicals sitting on their hands, scared for their grades). My best friend did finally defend me, and we all finally agreed that the school policy was fair and should've been followed. The teacher didn't like that--but I didn't get anything in her permanent file, I didn't get her in trouble, and I didn't fight her the rest of the year.

Those kids are whiners. I'm so sick of hearing other Christians complain that walking their faith is so hard. That's a bunch of crap. Here in the States, it's almost too easy to be a Christian--that's the real problem. They need to get a clue and work on their own personal faith first before evangelizing and whining about how they're not being allowed to evangelize. It's not like they face death for converting anyone, as the early Christians did. They need to get over it.

[StoryTeller]

33. I agree with you.

I think evangelicals here in America fling around the idea of "persecution" WAY too easily. None of us are persecuted. I think it's demeaning to the many people in other countries who ARE being killed for their faith (any faith!) or losing their jobs, or being marginalized from their communities--that's real persecution.

Also, do you have any links or resources regarding times the ACLU has defended Christians or Christian groups? I would like to keep a record of that handy because I have a lot of evangelical friends who like to rip on the ACLU as being the devil's own organization. I'd like to be able to offer a rebuttal, but I don't have the info on hand to do it.

[knitter4democracy]

38. Someone here posted it awhile ago.

I remember that they found it on the ACLU website itself. Maybe a search here or at their site would help you find what you're looking for.

I used to counter with the case in which the ACLU helped a teacher be able to have a Bible on his desk. The union helped, too. Wow, those are some godless groups. :eyes:

[SaveElmer]

22. No Jerry, only against fat-turd pseudo Christians....

Trying to dictate to the rest of us how we should live our lives....

[leftofthedial]

26. what an unmitigated load of crap

someone should shove a sock permanently down the throats of these bible thumping, lying hypocrites.

[hyphenate]

27. I protest!

These clubs, and the legal eagles that pressure the school districts to allow them, sound positively revolting.

If these fucking asshole parents and students want to be involved in religious shit so much, send them to a parochial school and not a public one, where secularism is supposed to allow ALL students to have freedom FROM religion as well as freedon OF religion.

Hey, if there are any parents or students at any of the schools or districts mentioned or who are fighting such a movement, perhaps they should form a Wiccan club, or a Satanic cult, or an Atheism one just for good measure. Shit, perhaps even someone should introduce the FSM to a school, and see what the far religious right can do with that. Equality is only equality if everyone gets the same treatment, right?

[LiberalFighter]

32. So they don't pay any taxes and they want to use public buildings

FT

[MadHound]

34. In other word, schools are treating Christianity as they would any other religion

And are somehow discriminating:eyes: Falwell keeps sliding further and further off his rocker. I'm tired of these whiny RW fundies who think that if they don't get preferential treatment then they're being persecuted. Face it people, despite your brainwashing this country is NOT a Christian nation. Get over it.

[walldude]

39. You nailed it, the victim hood of the majority

Republicans do exactly the same thing, you'd think they all use the same whiners playbook.

[mitchum]

35. Give me that old time religion...bring on the lions!

[Synnical]

40. STFU

Ever heard of the Establishment Clause, asshole?

That's all.

[knight_of_the_star]

42. Your Hell Jerry, you BURN in it!

Honestly, until this gasbag is out of a job because of his religion or denied housing or anything serious like that, he can shut his big fat fucking face. Pagans suffer more than Christians do in this country, he has no FUCKING clue what real persecution is like. He can tell that to Tempest Smith's mother thankyouverymuch, I think she would tell him to stuff it :grr: