Mother sues to stop Bible classes in West Virginia schools

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Michael Virtanen, Associated Press Updated 3:59 pm, Friday, January 20, 2017



MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — A kindergartner's mother sued her public school system in West Virginia, saying a 75-year practice of putting kids in Bible classes violates the U.S. and state constitutions.

The woman, identified as "Jane Doe" in the federal lawsuit backed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said her child will be forced either to take these weekly classes at her Mercer County elementary school or face ostracism as one of the few children who don't.

"This program advances and endorses one religion, improperly entangles public schools in religious affairs, and violates the personal consciences of nonreligious and non-Christian parents and students," the suit said.

. . .

According to the lawsuit, 19 elementary and middle schools in the county system offer the course, which was revised in 1986 after the parents of eight students filed complaints. Then-state Attorney General Tom McNeel issued guidelines, saying Bible instruction could be given in public schools subject to certain guidelines. Since then, the county Board of Education has administered it with standard curriculum that includes teaching creationism.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Mother-sues-to-stop-Bible-classes-in-West-10871984.php

[marybourg]

1. Amazing! nt.

[secondwind]

2. These folks never give up, do they.

[tenorly]

3. An uphill battle if there ever was one.

The Bible is considered the law of the land in those parts - particularly the more hateful verses (the Golden Rule, not so much).

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. "It is an elective course that students opt to take."

How elective? Not taking away from other instructional opportunities, elective?

I'm holding judgment for now.

[Wounded Bear]

8. Even "elective" courses can carry strong peer pressure...

as was noted in the excerpt. Religious differences can be a huge source of bullying.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

9. If it's done during regular school hours at all, then it shouldn't happen.

I don't really like it after-hours either, like an extra-curricular activity, but I probably wouldn't raise a stink about that.

Bullying shouldn't be allowed at all.

[politicat]

15. There is no such thing as an elective for a 5 year old.

They don't have experience to even come close to making a decision, and it's a deeply isolating event for one 5 year old in a classroom to have to go to another room from all if their classmates.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

17. I don't know enough about it to comment, really.

If it's happening during regular school hours, there's no way it should happen.

I don't like religious teaching in a school (I'm an atheist), but I thought it might be an extra-curricular and parent-consent program of some kind. You're correct that kids shouldn't be expected to decide. I think it's a shame that little kids have religion forced on them by their parents at all, really, but that's not going to be stopped.

[politicat]

18. Which is why we've had 70 years of USSC decisions pulling religion out of public classrooms

Because it's not just about the children of nontheist parents. It's about the JWs and the Quakers getting bullied because they don't stand for the pledge, or the Adventists getting crap for being vegetarian, or the Mormons being able to effectively have an easier route to a higher GPA, because in places where they have a release hour, their seminary grade does not count in their GPA, and they have one less class of homework than the gentile minority in the same grade.

The Morgantown school district should have known this. (And in fact apparently did, between the late 1970s and late 1980s, when someone close to me was in that school district, and who has a relative who taught in that district from the mid 80s to the late 90s.) This isn't actually new. Getting away with it doesn't mean they didn't know.

[procon]

5. Besides the misuse of taxdollars, how is this legal under the Constitution? nt

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Amazing this has been going on for 30 and 75 years

I don't think elementary school kids understand 'elective' very much,
you just do what you're told at that age

[shenmue]

7. A public school is not a church

[not fooled]

19. Not yet

Just wait until little Betsy gets done playing with public schools.

[hollowdweller]

10. Talk about underwater basketweaving.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

11. So what are the problems with the course?

◾The District requires that teachers of this course have “a degree in Bible,” whatever that means.

◾One lesson “includes images of Jesus being whipped and tortured, Jesus’ scarred body dragging a cross, Jesus being nailed to a cross, and Jesus ascending into heaven.” (That goes far beyond the mere teaching of the Jesus story in a secular way.)

◾The goals of the curriculum included helping students develop a “positive attitude towards biblical literature,” “harmonizing the Matthew and Luke accounts of the birth of Jesus,” and “harmonizing the four gospel accounts of the last days of Jesus.” Again, all are endorsements of the Bible.

◾Students who opt out of the course are not necessarily receiving reasonable “alternative instruction” as the District requires.

◾The curriculum promotes the false doctrine of Creationism, including the belief that humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time. Here are some excerpts from the lessons:

“Moses was saying that when a dolphin had a little baby — it didn’t have a baby octopus. It had a baby dolphin that was like itself. When a shark had a baby — it didn’t have a baby eagle or a baby sea turtle — the shark had a baby shark that was like itself.”

“So picture Adam being able to crawl up on the back of a dinosaur! He and Eve could have their own personal water slide! Wouldn’t that be so wild!”

“If all of the Israelites had chosen to follow the Ten Commandments, think of how safe and happy they would have been. They would never have been afraid someone would go into their tents and steal something. They would never have been afraid someone was lying about them. They would never have been afraid that anyone would hurt them — or someone they loved.”

(That last bit skipped the whole part about being put to death for working on the Sabbath.)

Those are just some of the problems. It’s appalling that this course has been taught for so long, but when you realize how many students take the classes, it’s no wonder some parents might have been afraid to speak out until now.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/01/19/atheists-sue-west-virginia-school-district-over-75-year-old-bible-indoctrination-classes/

[Judi Lynn]

14. Amazing! So that's what the "educated" people in West Virginia have learned! Impressive.

No wonder W Va. is known world-wide as the "Genius State."

[center]

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[hollowdweller]

16. I live in WV

I went to school in Kanawha County and we never had anything like this.

[QED]

12. Betsy DeVos, DJT's nominee for Education Secretary would allow this.

She's a dominionist who supports public funding of private religious schools. She's horrible.

[leanforward]

13. We are with her.

The bible needs to stay out of the public schools. The bible should be recognized as having an impact on history.

The Constitution has a separation clause. Correct me if I'm wrong. Read history, the French had an extremely bad experience with the Church. Why do you think they have constitutional restrictions on the separation of church and state?

This is why I'm leery of Pence. Some of the articles I've read about him and then watch him on the news makes me nervous. It is what he's not saying.

I know a lot of legislators rely on the church congregations for their continuing support. But those same legislators need to come clean. No bibles in schools.

[smirkymonkey]

20. +1000

[marshall]

21. They should also,address the bullying peer pressure

That is really a larger issue because it potentially encompasses every aspect of school and social life