Bibles not allowed in schools, encouraged in prisons

[SpeakNow]

A fundie-lite friend of mine posted this on Facebook.

[Mama Mia]

I saw that too, by someone I don't think is even particularly religious.

[Nobodysdoormat]

Yeah, all those atheists in prison...

[Rebelwife]

Not to mention, the last time I checked bibles ARE allowed in schools. Students, teachers and administrators alike are all more than welcome to carry whatever religious texts they'd like and read them whenever it wouldn't interfere with what they're supposed to be doing.

Now, the Christian bible isn't allowed to be TAUGHT in schools but the last time I checked prisoners were also protected from unwanted proselytizing.

This whole meme about Christians not being able to follow the tenants of their religion in school drives me up a wall. No, what you mean is you're being prevented from imposing it on everyone else!

[scc12]

I took Biblical History in (public) HS.Is that not allowed to be taught anymore? We could either bring our own bibles,or use one from a supply the teacher had out.

granted,that was in 1982,so I may be out of date.

There were also Christian clubs that met bf school,as well as a prayer group.

[Rebelwife]

I took Biblical History in HS.Is that not allowed to be taught anymore? We could either bring our own bibles,or use one from a supply the teacher had out.

Legally religious history can be taught, as long as it's being presented in an educational context. Despite being raised Catholic, I learned all about the differences between transubstantiation and consubstantiation and salvation by works vs. faith in AP European history, not CCD.

This was all in the context of the Protestant reformation, by the way.

[Trynn]

I went to public school only in kindergarten, and then in 7th grade.. Because of this nonsense I thought I wasn't supposed to carry a bible around... Not, to be honest, that I really wanted to. Textbooks are heavy enough as it is, and these were the days before kindles and iPhones. MAYBE the first kindle had come out, but very few people had one.

[ADoyle90815]

I graduated from high school 20 years ago, and one thing I do remember is that in your senior year, you had a choice of English classes to take, and one of those was Bible as Literature. Religion sometimes came up in history classes, but only in the historical context such as the various wars that were based on religious differences.

[dairyfreelife]

I went to public school only in kindergarten, and then in 7th grade.. Because of this nonsense I thought I wasn't supposed to carry a bible around... Not, to be honest, that I really wanted to. Textbooks are heavy enough as it is, and these were the days before kindles and iPhones. MAYBE the first kindle had come out, but very few people had one.

No one at the public schools uses kindle books yet that I have seen. Still using the good old hardback textbooks. :lol:

And we didn't have a Bible Lit course in high school, but I graduated almost 7 years ago. Haven't seen one in college yet either.

[louisa05]

I took Biblical History in (public) HS.Is that not allowed to be taught anymore? We could either bring our own bibles,or use one from a supply the teacher had out.

granted,that was in 1982,so I may be out of date.

There were also Christian clubs that met bf school,as well as a prayer group.

It can be taught if it is not taught as religion. Some high schools in my area also teach the Bible as literature, use it as a text for comparative religion courses, and a number of other things.

This is just propaganda to get people wound up. As has already been said, Bibles are allowed in schools.

A local public school required parents to purchase a basic Kindle as a school supply beginning a few years ago so they could use ebook texts. Not a good idea in terms of costs being forced on parents, IMHO. If they wanted to use it, they needed to provide it.

[bumblebee]

And yet if a Muslim campaigned for the Qu'ran in schools the same people would pitch a fit and almost demand he be in prison just in case.

[Full enough quiver]

My brother in law posts that one a lot. He unfriended me when I said " if the only reason your children don't go on a crime spree is because they read the bible, then you may want to reevaluate your parenting. My children don't read the bible, yet they do the right thing anyway, simply because it's the right thing to do, not because they believe god will punish them if they don't." It annoys me that Christians believe they have a monopoly on morality. Some of the most moral people I know are atheists.

[thoughtful]

And we didn't have a Bible Lit course in high school, but I graduated almost 7 years ago. Haven't seen one in college yet either.

We had one in my high school in the early 1970s. It was strictly comparative lit, and how the Bible inspired other literature, is dramatized, quoted, etc. No belief pushed, needed, or, if I remember correctly, even mentioned!

It was a new course, and considered successful and interesting enough that the teacher was asked to design a second semester -- we got to help.

[FJismyheadship]

This was on my feed. From TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE!

[Antimony]

Where do schools not allow Bibles? What?

[Rachel333]

So we should treat kids in school the same way we treat prisoners? Should we get them to separate by race and form gangs too?

[gezykah]

If Bibles can't keep children from getting molested in churches then I don't see what good they'll do in schools.

[FloraDoraDolly]

I knew a kid in junior high who carried a small Bible in his back pocket. He took it out one day when another kid said he would swear on the Bible that he didn't do something (I forgot what exactly).

Kids can bring Bibles to school and read them during their free time. Teachers just aren't allowed to teach out of the Bible. They aren't trained ministers, anyhow.

[Boogalou]

I knew a kid in junior high who carried a small Bible in his back pocket. He took it out one day when another kid said he would swear on the Bible that he didn't do something (I forgot what exactly).

Kids can bring Bibles to school and read them during their free time. Teachers just aren't allowed to teach out of the Bible. They aren't trained ministers, anyhow.

Even if teachers were allowed to teach the bible there would be a lot of controversy and outrage. What translation of the bible should they use? Do they teach it as the literal word of God, inspired by God, a historical document, or some combination of all of those. Do they teach Calvinism or something else? I think in reality most fundamentalists wouldn't want the Bible taught because it would not be taught to their exact religious beliefs.

[Ruby Slippers]

I knew a kid in junior high who carried a small Bible in his back pocket. He took it out one day when another kid said he would swear on the Bible that he didn't do something (I forgot what exactly).

Kids can bring Bibles to school and read them during their free time. Teachers just aren't allowed to teach out of the Bible. They aren't trained ministers, anyhow.

This is incorrect. Teachers of literature, Euro history, and other humanities can and do teach Biblical stories.

[JellyHope]

Ugh! This is 1 of my biggest pet peeves amongst the far right-wing. Bibles are OF COURSE ALLOWED! But just like anything else brought from home, it can't be a distraction in the classroom. Like, say kid is supposed to be taking notes, but is reading the bible instead. And not bc it's the bible, that'd be true if it were a copy of War & Peace.

Oh, these same people seem to also think the pledge of allegiance isn't said anymore. It is.

[socalrules]

Most people who want their kids to learn religion at school send them to religious schools. This one of the reasons I went to Catholic School as a kid. So what if a kid doesn't learn the Bible at school? Their parents can teach them at home or send them to Sunday school or to church. It is how the majority of Christians will learn about God. No one is being deprived by not being taught the Bible at public school. Notice no one is arguing that the Koran or Torah should be taught at public school. Nope, let's just please the conservatives and make sure everyone has their Bible.

[Rachel333]

I went to a public high school (in the south, but a very liberal city compared to surrounding areas) and a lot of people would bring Bibles to school and there were a few different Christian clubs. A few times a year the Gideons would hand out Bibles in front of the school and then there would be Bibles all over. I remember several people using their class presentations to talk about their faith and while it would get some eye rolls from other students, it was fine with the teachers as long as it still met the criteria for the assignment. Others were allowed to practice their religion as well (the Muslims could use the library for midday prayers), but if anything the schools were too Christian-friendly. Some of the sports coaches would pray with their teams before games and try to "save" the non-Christian players, both of which I think were actually quite inappropriate.

Has any kid ever gotten in trouble just for having a Bible at school? Given my experience, I have a very hard time believing that Christians are oppressed in public schools.

[Antimony]

Been three years since high school but we still had even the moment of silence thing (so you can pray or whatever you so choose in the morning). Still had the pledge but I bet fundies would be aghast to find that my government teacher used a different deity (or religious figure) each day. "One nation under God/Vishnu/Allah/Gaia/Yahweh/Satan/Nobody" -- whatever he thought of that day.

Even the bible was sometimes taught about -- cause try reading The Crucible without understanding some bible stories.

[morfydd]

(pedant) And if the people in your FB feed had paid attention in school instead of worrying about non-existent persecutors, they *MIGHT* have learned the difference between may and might. Grr.(/pedant)