Religious Valentines?

[Kelya]

http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/2 ... |FRONTPAGE

Mother sends son to school with "christian valentines" (aka tracts, from what it looks like) and is pissed when the public school won't let him hand them out. Opinions?

I'm pissed that someone thinks this is acceptable to do- they didn't even disguise it as a valentine, its just a piece of paper with a bible verse on it and some candies, at least put some effort into your subterfuge. I'm also annoyed another parent would attempt to provide religious instruction to my child in a public school setting, really, who the fuck do you think you are? Epic bad parenting on the mom's fault in this, oh no your kid felt singled out since he couldn't send his valentines, next time send him with actual valentines and you wont have any trouble.

[Patsy]

Melissa Wolf, Dexter's mother, said she didn't know the Christian message, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life," would be objectionable by the school.

:roll: She had no idea that some people aren't Christians! That's why she was openly prosletysing to help them become Christians.

[AudreyE]

I'm sure she'll love my valentine in support of gay marriage... with candies.

[Eoywin]

I don't have a school aged kid but isn't Valentine's just suppose to be a little card? With all the food allergies that people have, I could see the candy being an issue too.

But I think the school officials were within their rights - crappy 'Valentine' that is just a Christian message. And I'm guessing it is a public school - separation of church and state is still in effect, I believe.

[GeoBQn]

Wolf said Driscoll took her son aside and tried to explain to him why his valentines couldn't be handed out, but the result was an embarrassed and confused kid.

"I would have preferred to be the one to deliver the message," she said. "I feel like there's a way my son wouldn't have been the one singled out, made to feel isolated. He's extremely confused."

Lady, if your son is embarrassed and confused, it's your own fault for thinking that something like this would be allowed in a public school.

[mnb357]

Crud. I miss the days when the kids' Valentine's actualy came with envelopes in which to put them, each kid in the class was assigned a treat to bring, and some kid always, ALWAYS puked up pink frosted chocolate cupcakes all over the math workbooks.

Edited for grammar.

[ladypuglover]

Crud. I miss the days when the kids' Valentine's actualy came with envelopes in which to put them, each kid in the class was assigned a treat to bring, and some kid always, ALWAYS puked up pink frosted chocolate cupcakes all over the math workbooks.

Edited for grammar.

:shock: My oldest would throw up at least once a month during math class during his grade school years. I told him that math does that to some people. :whistle:

[Mama Mia]

Sigh... brings back the memory of the boy I was crushing on in 3rd grade who I made a very elaborate valentine for, sadly he was Jehovah Witness and didn't take anyone's Valentines. Grade school must absolutely suck for Jehovah Witness kids.

[JesusFightClub]

I'm sure she'll love my valentine in support of gay marriage... with candies.

We had one of those!

The government in Scotland is running a consultation to see about changing the law so gay people can get married (they can already have civil partnerships). Hundreds of folk marched down to parliament in support on Valentine's Day and they brought a big Valentine for the First Minister. I don't know if they got him any candies though ;)

Inside it said something like:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

We'd like to get married!

Please make it come true...

[kunoichi66]

We had one of those!

The government in Scotland is running a consultation to see about changing the law so gay people can get married (they can already have civil partnerships). Hundreds of folk marched down to parliament in support on Valentine's Day and they brought a big Valentine for the First Minister. I don't know if they got him any candies though ;)

Inside it said something like:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

We'd like to get married!

Please make it come true...

THAT IS AWESOME....

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I dunno. "I love you... as Jesus loves you" has GOT to be worse than even "I just think of you as a friend."

[MonkeyMomma]

http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20120216/SHE0101/202160443/School-bars-student-from-giving-religious-valentines?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Mother sends son to school with "christian valentines" (aka tracts, from what it looks like) and is pissed when the public school won't let him hand them out. Opinions?

I'm pissed that someone thinks this is acceptable to do- they didn't even disguise it as a valentine, its just a piece of paper with a bible verse on it and some candies, at least put some effort into your subterfuge. I'm also annoyed another parent would attempt to provide religious instruction to my child in a public school setting, really, who the fuck do you think you are? Epic bad parenting on the mom's fault in this, oh no your kid felt singled out since he couldn't send his valentines, next time send him with actual valentines and you wont have any trouble.

Also, from reading the article, it's not clear if these Valentines were mom's idea or the kid's idea. It said that all of her kids handed out the same Valentines at their schools, so I'm going with mom's idea. So I would add that I think it's shitty to use your kid to proselytize.

[emmiedahl]

It's one of those situations where the child's right to free speech (probably the mother's right, really) butts up against other people's rights. I feel like I have a right to determine the religious education of my children and opt out of school messages that contradict it. Christians should understand this as they want to opt out of science for the same reason. :? I feel bad for the kid. My husband pointed out that this is probably a ploy on the mother's part. First, you know that kid wanted to bring Captain America or Star Wars valentines and that this was the mom's idea. Second, she lawyered up fast and it sounds like she is suing the school, which is appalling considering they obviously meant no harm and there were no damages, emotional or fiscal.

[GeoBQn]

Here's the article about her lawyering up.

http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/2 ... |FRONTPAGE

I really don't think they have a leg to stand on. Student religious speech in school is protected as long as it is outside of structured class time. If the kid had given out the valentines before or after school, this probably wouldn't be an issue, but valentines are usually given during a class period, when students have no option to refuse a valentine. I'm assuming after this, the school is going to adopt a very strict policy on what is allowed in things like valentines.

[Kitty]

Honestly the fact that religious valentines were handed out doesn't bother me. Well, it does, but what bothers me more is the fact that this isn't about the kid at all, this is All About Mom.

Because really? Who bought those valentines in the first place? Who sent them to school with her kid to hand out? Now who's lawyering up and whining about "kiddo's" right to free speech? Kiddo is just a pawn for his mother's batshit insanity.

[smores]

Please save yourself the brain cells and don't read the comments on that article. If I read one more person who doesn't understand law, history, the constitution or says "Christians are so persecuted!" today, I might just have to scream.

[Dixiebelle]

Ugh. I used to be the mom who would have done that. :oops:

[ladypuglover]

Honestly the fact that religious valentines were handed out doesn't bother me. Well, it does, but what bothers me more is the fact that this isn't about the kid at all, this is All About Mom.

Because really? Who bought those valentines in the first place? Who sent them to school with her kid to hand out? Now who's lawyering up and whining about "kiddo's" right to free speech? Kiddo is just a pawn for his mother's batshit insanity.

QFT!

[twin2]

QFT!

QFT^2

That Mom knew darn well what she was doing. She was looking for a fight and attention and she got it.

[Elle]

This mom would be leading the mom with torches and pitchforks if I sent my kid to school with messages on god being a fairy tale like Santa, the Easter bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, which is my religious belief. She'd have a heart attack if a Jewish kid's Valentine's included messages about how the savior hasn't yet come. What this mother wants is for CHRISTIANS to have the right to pass out religious material and no one else.

As a kid, I hated Valentine's Day. I hated the obligation to give out cards with sentiment on them I didn't feel. Since I was a well-behaved kid, I gave out cards saying, "I like you, Valentine!" on them to the kids who would be waiting after school to try beating me up, kids who wouldn't give me the stupid cards in return (much as I hated the cards, it was worse to open my box and have two envelopes in it, one with a card from my friend in the class, the other with a note calling me names). It got to the point that my parents let me stay home from school on card days.

[JesusFightClub]

Ugh. I used to be the mom who would have done that. :oops:

It's alright, Dixiebelle, you stopped! :)