TN Court Says School Supported Religious Parent Group
Friday May 30, 2008
You may recall a while back when a Tennessee school district got sued because some parents were concerned about religious activities taking place at Lakeview Elementary, a public school. The parents filed suit when a group called Praying Parents was allowed to sponsor events such as National Day of Prayer and See You at the Pole. The group also got its own link on the school website and was permitted to run announcements in the school newsletter and leave notes for teachers and students, saying "you've been prayed for."
Now, it looks like the Tennessee court thinks the school was indeed crossing the line, and that Praying Parents can no longer be given preferential treatement over other organizations, and "that teachers and administrators could no longer wear "I Prayed" stickers at school". However, Judge Robert Echols did say that Praying Parents may still meet on school property "in the same manner as other groups" and can still be allowed to "distribute materials about its activities", as long as they are held to the same standards as other organizations.
Echols also say that any future fliers and signs from Praying Parents must include a disclaimer that the school district is not endorsing or sponsoring the group's events or activities.
Now, it looks like the Tennessee court thinks the school was indeed crossing the line, and that Praying Parents can no longer be given preferential treatement over other organizations, and "that teachers and administrators could no longer wear "I Prayed" stickers at school". However, Judge Robert Echols did say that Praying Parents may still meet on school property "in the same manner as other groups" and can still be allowed to "distribute materials about its activities", as long as they are held to the same standards as other organizations.
Echols also say that any future fliers and signs from Praying Parents must include a disclaimer that the school district is not endorsing or sponsoring the group's events or activities.
Comments
The ACLU tried and failed to use this case to ban See You At The Pole prayer services, student Bible clubs, prayers at graduations and a list of other voluntary religious activities at the school. The federal courts upheld all these activities.
And the court did not ban Praying Parents either! All it said (rightly so, I believe) was that the school had unfairly favored this group over others by allowing Praying Parents access to the teachers’ mail boxes and allowing it to meet on school property during the day. The judge merely required that the group be limited to meeting after school hours. The group may still reserve school classrooms to meet and the Praying Parents may continue to access the teachers’ mail boxes.
The ACLU is trying to spin this as a win, but they lost big time on all they asked… except for the only valid point they raised which I agree with. This was a victory for religious students and parents and for the expression of faith at school.
I agree with the judge. It was a wise decision.
Is anyone else as offended as I am when I hear I am “being prayed for?” To me it means that someone assumes I NEED prayer for some reason and I find that insulting. If I think I need prayer, I can take of it myself and it’s no one else’s concern unless I specifically ask them. I have asked people please to not include me in any prayers and they tell me they’ll do it anyway. If they just included me I would never know the difference, but instead they make sure that I KNOW they are praying for me when I asked them not to.
I think that allowing this group access to teachers mail box is a violation of the teachers right to maintain a separation of their private life with their professional life. If you allow one group access then another group that may be offensive to the teacher could end up in the mail boxes as well. A school mail box should be only used for school news and events and not for the perpetuation of propaganda even if it is sanctioned by the courts.
What say we Pagans try to have a religious meeting in the same school and see how that flies?
Methinks there would quickly be discrimination and favoritism proven.
When I shared my happiness of getting a Pagan children’s book published with my fundie mom, she told me a few days later that “everyone at her church was praying for me”. I was indeed offended.
I should have told her “Fine! Ask them to pray that my book sells like hotcakes!”
In Light,
Raine Hill
I live in the next county over from where Lakeview Elem is located. I feel that “Praying Parents ” have indeed crossed the line. Kids in elementary school are being influenced to becoming Christian in very subtle ways. Yes, the group is not openly converting the kids, but they are pushing their propaganda at them. As a parent, if I had a child in this school I would be very upset at this situation. My children’s religion and practices are my choice…not some group trying to take over the school.
School is for learning academics not for the distribution of religious pamphlets, newsletters, etc. If you want your child subjected to Christian dogma while at school, then by all means, send them to a Christian school.
As far as praying for me goes…thanks, but no thanks. I don’t believe in god or any gods for that matter. I know Christians mean well when they say this, but really, am I so pitiful that I need an imaginary being intervening in my life? The thought is almost laughable.
Willow wrote: I feel that “Praying Parents ” have indeed crossed the line.
What line is that? You will agree that the federal court allowed praying parents to continue to meet at the school on the same basis as any community organization without favoritism. This is only fair.
Perhaps you mean that Praying Parents violated your own personal line thus somehow offending you. If so, I respect your right to “feel offended” and am grateful you did not call for censorship.
Her is wishing your child a happy and successful school experience. May she meet a variety of interesting people.
I have no problem with any religious or other group meeting in a school. If one group is given access to the teachers’ mailboxes, all should have access. If one group is allowed to be part of the school website, all should be. Let’s be fair about it. No one group should have a preferred status.
If someone wishes to pray for me, I welcome it. There cannot be too much prayer in the world!
I am currently living in TN and I am prayed over and prayed for all the time. This is a VERY strong Bible pounding state and I hate to say, has lots of very closed minds. I find it offensive when my 9 year old comes home from school and tells me the Devil is going to get her if she doesn’t go to such and such church and that I will go to hell if I don’t go too. Sorry buy church and public school don’t mix. EVER!!!! I have to undo the brainwashing…….
Rose, you wrote: “I find it offensive when my 9 year old comes home from school and tells me the Devil is going to get her if she doesn’t go to such and such church…”
This is not the Bible-believing Christian message. The Bible-believing Christian good news is that God Himself died as your divine Substitute so that you will not have to pay the price yourself. The issue is NEVER church membership. The issue is ONLY your relationship to Christ.
It is amazing what a student will tell another. Sorry for the misinformation. I am glad to present the real story.
I grew up in the bible-belt midwest USA, I still remember a teacher telling us that “They’ve got some silly idea that Africa use to connect with America at one time….”
That was how a good Xtian teaches plate tectonics in Missouri. She had to teach it & that was how she presented something that is a fact. I would like today to go back & ask her what she thinks abut Galileo getting a life sentence by the inquisition for teaching the earth revolves around the son?
I too live in TN & this is no doubt an issue about to become “even closer” to my family. I can assure you that none of my local schools of any grade is about to let me come into a classroom to “perform spells,burn candles,
celebrate the Summer Solstice,or anything else considered “Witchy”. So why is my child being subjected to a “Prayer Group” by any faith?
We adopted a child, with positivily NO religious background of any kind who will start school this Fall.
While she knows I am Wiccan & daddy is an understanding Christian who believes in God, the Bible & yet also believes in his Wife/Me she & Daddy seems to blend both values from each faith.
Yes, I know there is a Higher Being, a God. Yet my child (by & in her own words)chooses to call God SHE. She also believes in Magic, is kind to animals, is polite to others, is generous to a fault,sharing with everything in her life from her favorite toy to her last morsal of candy,still prays to her She God,holds her hand out for the Bees to land,feeds squirrels,hummingbirds,places a worm back into the dirt so he won’t be hungry.
I agree that TN as a whole is mostly not tolerable to any non Christian faith, I find most of my peers accept me with open arms. I have attended their church functions such as yard sales,weddings, funerals,baby showers,let the little ones attend their vacation bible schools, bought their baked goodies and so on.
Only once was my faith attacked & that was at the home of a self professed female minister who told me that “Tarot Cards are the work of the Devil”.
My faith, my daughters & my husbands can ALL be different, but we are still a family. I don’t have to teach a religion, we LIVE ours every single day and our teaching is in Doing, Being, Accepting,Helping,Nurturing,and Loving others.We have taught her how to respect the Earth, Nature, All livings beings, the Dead who watch over us,and to
be kind to Strangers, for we don’t know what burdens they carry upon their own shoulders.We taught her responsibility in taking care of her pets, belongings. We taught her not to waste as some people have nothing. She has a big heart as wide as TN is long and I trust that she will grow to be the kind of person we will be honored to
have as our daughter and are so Blessed to be entrusted with.She came in this lifetime when our hearts were in need of healing from the death of my son. She has brought us all that and more.
What I do not expect nor want is for someone to take it upon themselves to assume we want a little carbon copy religious figure returned to us that now believes in a form of religion we did not have a chance to decide on as a family and may have been shoved down her throat.
Religion has no part in school.When I send my child to school in the morning I am trusting the bus driver to keep her safe until she reaches her destination and school personnel to keep her safe at school. Among the things I expect her to do there is to be taught fire drills,patience by waiting her turn, how to stand in line quietly with classmates, addition, subtraction, English, Literature, and please teach my child algebra, trig, or even French. Whatever I cannot teach her here at home. Other than that I can pretty much cover everything else she will need.
And who knows, perhaps one day your own children may be attending HER CHURCH, HER SCHOOL.