Conservative group, teachers union launch faith-in-school effort

[truthpusher]

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050808/APN/508080972

Article published Aug 8, 2005
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Conservative group, teachers union launch faith-in-school effort
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By JEFFREY McMURRAY
Associated Press Writer
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The concert in Alabama is sponsored by a conservative Christian group that helped rally the vote for President Bush last year. But the brochures were produced by an Alabama teachers' union whose parent organization strongly backed John Kerry.

A contradiction? Not at all says Randy Brinson, a Montgomery physician who is the organizer behind a new effort to find political common ground on what expressions of faith are and aren't allowed in public schools.

On Tuesday night in Montgomery, Brinson is launching a new initiative in Alabama with a concert by the Christian rock band Casting Crowns. He expects about 1,300 to attend.

"There was this polarization between people of faith and public education," said Brinson, who has lived in Montgomery for 18 years and in 1999 was active in bringing the Christian radio station WAY-FM to town. "We felt like, as a spiritual commandment, we need to promote education. But as a practical thing, this is our future workforce."

During the 2004 election, Brinson's group, Redeem the Vote, got 78,000 evangelical Christians registered to vote through concerts and other events. While several Democrats were among those registered, Brinson is convinced the group's efforts pushed Ohio - and ultimately the election - to President Bush.

Although that effort was designed to be nonpartisan, this one definitely is, Brinson said. In fact, several Democrats have joined the cause and the Alabama Education Association produced brochures to be distributed to 50,000 school teachers outlining how to handle issues of faith in schools, such as the legalities of prayer groups and other rights for students and teachers.

(snip)

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050808/APN/508080972

[nosmokes]

1. oh, oh, alabama, the devil fools w/ the best laid plans

shame on the teachers union. when i was in school back there the AEA had some pretty radical members, it was one of the few progressive mainstream organizations. of course that was 30 years or so ago, but jeeze, this is sad.

[GreyPilgrim]

2. Unbelievable

So typical, though. It never fails to surprise me, as a teacher, how many of my fellow coworkers can be so conservative. I think it's just ingrained in the fabric of society down here, it seems.

Sadly, this doesn't scare me as much as Roy Moore running for Gov. <<shudder>>

[HockeyMom]

5. On the opposite side of the spectrum

When my daughter was a Junior in HS five years ago, her homeroom teacher tried to start the school day with the whole class standing for a "moment of silence." The first day she did this the entire class just sat. The second day she tried to do this, 20 of 22 students got up and walked out of the classroom. My daughter and another boy were the two who stayed and sat there staring at her.

The school switchboard was swamped with angry phone calls from not only the parents of the students involved, but as word spread, they received nearly 500 phone calls in one day. As my neighbor said, "If I wanted my child to "pray" in school, I would send him to a parochial school of MY choice". That was the prevalent view of the parents.

The teacher was reprimanded and stopped. The following year she was gone from the school district.

I can only imagine what would have happened if she had actually tried to SAY a prayer. I would guess there would have been quite a few lawsuits in the works judging from the response of the parents.

[Iowa]

6. I like the parents in your area...

I wish some of you would move here. Fortunately my kids are adults now. When my youngest graduated last year, things were really going downhill. The superintendent was handing out bibles, the best teachers were leaving, and the wing-nuts were filling the job openings. I'm glad to be done. I feel for you younger folks who must worry about these psychos pushing their religion on your kids. Fight like hell and realize that many of us older folks are behind you all the way.

[GreyPilgrim]

7. "Moment of Quiet Reflection..."

Here in Alabama, the schools are required to give the students a "Moment of Quiet Reflection," where of course, kids can say a prayer to the god of their choice, pick their nose, stare blankly, what have you... I have an uneasy feeling that here in the Bible belt, that school sanctioned prayer is only one step away from being a reality. Being the Southeast, they will be able to get away with it. That's the thing here.. there would be no lawsuits if someone lead a prayer in a school. I daresay it's already happening here, though not publicly sanctioned. Again, I dread to say, I so much fear the possibility of Roy Moore as our Gov.

[HockeyMom]

8. We have that here on 9/11

The principal comes on the PA (I am a TA) and asks for a moment of silence to remember (and he does say REMEMBER, NOT PRAY) those who died on September 11, 2001.

That is quite different from what this teacher tried to do.

[GreyPilgrim]

9. Wow

Yes.. that's amazing. I've become so accustomed to it now, that to hear other stories just.. surprises me! I wish we could get more people down here that thought that way.
God and politics are so interwoven now... especially here, but thanks to *, it's also starting at the Federal level.

[Fovea]

3. Great!

now where do I sign up to teach Wicca?

[Trillo]

4. No, private schools are mostly about hypocrisy.

"There was this polarization between people of faith and public education," said Brinson, who has lived in Montgomery for 18 years and in 1999 was active in bringing the Christian radio station WAY-FM to town. "We felt like, as a spiritual commandment, we need to promote education. But as a practical thing, this is our future workforce."

So, what did private schools do in the past? They fail to respect constitutional rights. What does that teach the students? That constitutional rights aren't important. Curiously, they teach about the constitution and its importance, but when push comes to shove, they're willing to ignore its principals in order to make an example of a student for all the rest of the students to see.

This means that private schools are one great source of hypocrisy in our civilization today.

[VegasWolf]

10. Wonder if they still BELIEVE in Santa Claus too? nt

[Bigmack]

11. I've always loved this "letter" about prayer in schools....

Dear John,
    As you know, we've been working real hard in our town to get prayer back
in the schools.  Finally, the school board approved a plan of teacher-led
prayer with the children participating at their own option.  Children not
wishing to participate were to be allowed to stand out in the hallway during
the prayer time.  We hoped someone would sue us so we could go all the way to
the Supreme Court and get that old devil-inspired ruling reversed.
    Naturally, we were all excited by the school board's action.  As you
know, our own little Billy (not so little, any more, though) is now in the
second grade.  Of course, Margaret and I explained to him no matter what the
other kids did, he was going to stay in the classroom and participate.
    After the first day of school, I asked him, "How did the prayer time go?"
    "Fine."
    "Did many kids go out into the hallway?"
    "Two."
    "Excellent.  How did you like your teacher's prayer?"
    "It was different, Dad.  Real different from the way you pray."
    "Oh? Like how?"
    "She said, 'Hail, Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners...'"
    The next day I talked with the principal.  I politely explained I wasn't
prejudice against Catholics but I would appreciate Billy being transferred to
a non-Catholic teacher.  The principal said it would be done right away.
    At supper that evening I asked Billy to say the blessings.  He slipped
out of his chair, sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, raised his
hands palms up and began to hum.
    You'd better believe I was at the principal's office at eight o'clock the next morning.
"Look," I said.  "I don't really know much about these Transcendental Meditationists,
but I would feel a lot more comfortable if you could move Billy to a room where the
teacher practices and older, more established religion.'"
    That afternoon I met Billy as soon as he walked in the door after school.
    "I don't think your going to like Mrs. Nakasone's prayer, either, Dad."
    "Out with it."
    "She kept calling God 'O Great Budda...'"
    The following morning I was waiting for the principal in the school parking lot.
"Look, I don't want my son praying to the Eternal Spirit of whatever or to Buddha.
I want him to have a teacher that prays in Jesus'  name!"
    "What about Bertha Smith?"
    "Excellent."
    I could hardly wait to hear about Mrs. Smith's prayer.  I was standing on
the front steps of the school when the final bell rang.
"Well?" I asked Billy as we walked towards the car.
    "Okay."
    "Okay what?"
    "Mrs. Smith asked God to bless us and ended her prayer in Jesus name, amen - just like you."
    I breathed a sigh of relief.  "Now we're getting some place."
    "She even taught us a verse of scripture about prayer," said Billy.
    I beamed.  "Wonderful.  What was the verse?"
    "Let's see..." he mused for a moment.  " 'And behold, they began to pray;
and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God.'"
    We had reached the car.  "Fantastic," I said, reaching for the door handle.  Then I paused.
I couldn't place the scripture.  "Billy, did Mrs. Smith say what book that verse was from?"
    "Third Nephi, chapter 19, verse 18."
    "Third what?"
    "Nephi," he said, "It's in the Book of Mormon."
    The school board doesn't meet for a month.  I've given Billy very definite instructions that
at prayer time each day he's to go out into the hallway.  I plan to be at that board meeting.
If they don't do something about this situation, I'll sue.  I'll take it all the way to the Supreme
Court if I have to.  I don't need the schools or anybody else teaching my son about religion.
We can take care of that ourselves at home and at church, thank you very much.
    Give my love to Sandi and the boys.
                                    Your buddy,
                                               Juan

[Erika]

12. A true classic

Thank you for posting it.