Can you imagine the outcry if the kids were to be taken to a mosque to read passages from the Koran?
Then there would be a huge outcry about the separation of church and state wouldn't there?
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Meanwhile in Michigan public schools.
Can you imagine the outcry if the kids were to be taken to a mosque to read passages from the Koran?
Then there would be a huge outcry about the separation of church and state wouldn't there?
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Unconstitutional.
ReplyDeleteReleased time programs are constitutional.
DeleteIn 1952, the case of Zorach v. Clauson came before the Supreme Court. The case involved the education law of New York State, particularly a regulation by which a public school was permitted to release students during school hours for religious instruction or devotional exercises. In a 6 to 3 ruling, the high court upheld the New York law.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Released_time
That is almost as egregious as the 'charter schools", who take public money to run private schools that are often religious in nature.
ReplyDeleteThe Christians in the USA are so used to being 100% accepted by nearly everyone, that they have gotten privileged treatment for centuries
It's about time they start getting taxed on their billions, and adhere to the IRS rulings on not being involved in politics
Keep your religion in the church and your home, and keep it out of the courts, the government, and the public square
Released time classes put me back into parochial school 1 hour a week through all four years of high school. PTSD trigger weekly, good times.
ReplyDeleteAccording to RBM Ministries:
ReplyDelete- http://www.rbmministries.org/rtbc.php
"Now, by state law, a new and effectual door has opened called 'released time'. What is that? Let's take a look at Michigan Administrative Code R 340.71. This law states that ...
'The board of education or its duly authorized representative, upon written request of the parent, guardian or person having control or charge of any child or children, shall release from attendance at the public school any child or children to attend religious instruction classes not to exceed two hours (120 minutes) per week.' "
Also check out RBM's What We Believe link:
http://www.rbmministries.org/whatwebelieve.php
Upshot: Introduce the children to the concept of eternal damnation and perpetual burning in Hell and then offer them the antidote, which is (surprise!) the religion that they're selling.
Does this two-hours per month 'release time' apply to other (or all) religious groups who apply? Do parents have the opportunity to have off-campus time with their children in 'religious' studies of their own choosing?
ReplyDeleteOR is this simply an after-school once a month extra curricula activity. (or is it two hours per week)?
dowl
Heather, you might be a lot more believable if you would get an education.
ReplyDeleteWhy do they need this "released time" ? What's wrong with going to religious classes on their own time like after school or maybe on Sundays?
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly!
DeleteBecause then other people wouldn't know how religious they are.
DeleteExactly - I spent every Sunday from age 3 - 17 at Sunday school - first as a student, then as a teacher. I eventually left the church, but do remember enjoying those Sundays.
DeleteInfo on the released time program in NYC:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jewishhour.org/
The Released Time Program provides free Jewish education and religious instruction to Jewish children in public schools throughout the five boroughs of NYC
What's you point?
DeleteNon-Christian religions exploit released time.
DeleteWhen did they sneak this through? I am in Michigan and gave heard nothing about this. Let me guess. Our distinguished shamed Christian couple, who were dismissed from office but are running again, helped vote thus into law,in another midnight session with no discussion. I will be checking this out.
ReplyDeleteI live in Mi and this is the first time I have heard of this also. Too bad the info on the church is redacted. Is it even a real church.
DeleteSince most parents are working or consider school free babysitting time, how are these kids getting to and from bible study, with public school buses?
I can't believe they walk because the children in my neighborhood don't even walk to the corner bus stop.
When my children were in local public schools, they were considered "gifted" and were removed from the regular classroom to attend gifted classes once a week. They were required to find out what was taught and make up any work that took place while they were out of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteDo the children leaving school have the burden of finding out what was taught and make up missed work? Or, do they get a "religious" pass?
This has been going on in Ohio for many years. One district even has a very nice building on the edge of their campus just for this purpose.
ReplyDeleteWhen my oldest was in first grade, I was a room mother. I went in for a Halloween party a little early and the "story tellers" who came every week were still there, so I was invited to listen to them.
They had these beautiful pumpkins. As the head lady told the story about each pumpkin doing something bad..like telling a lie or talking back to their mother, her simpering sanctimonious assistants would drape a black scarf over a pumpkin. At the end she said that the pumpkins were the kids souls. If you die with a black soul you go straight to hell forever. A very graphic poster of hell was held up. Kids were crying. I was aghast and horrified.
One of the story tellers was our Principal's wife, so I knew he would be no help. The Superintendent was also saw nothing wrong with this. I did attend the next school Board meeting. None of them saw any problem either. My first of many lessons about living in the Bible Belt. My sister was a secretary for Ohio ACLU, so I called her. Her boss wrote a letter to our school board. The story tellers were moved to a local church, and parents had to agree to let them go. Since they had to go over their lunch hour, not many kids wanted to give up recess. It still goes on today, but the last time I asked, I was told only a few kids go. In my opinion, that is still too many
The more afraid the public becomes, the more they turn to the invisible pilot in the sky. Harking back to prehistoric times.
ReplyDeleteThe Dominionists are taking full advantage of public fear, much of that fear initiated by those same Dominionists. Fear is a prime motivator.
Try asking one of your Xtian 'religious' friends if they would favor an Xtian theocracy to run this country. I was appalled by the responses I got when I did so.
Release time for religious studies has been around for more than the last 70 years. Each year when I was in school in the 1940's and 1950's, while in one school district, every child was released to their family's church or synagogue (there were no other religions in our small town) each and every Wednesday morning from 8 to 10 am during the school year, and if their family didn't belong to a church, they were kept in school during that time. Today that would also allow children to be released to a mosque to study the Koran -- it applied to all religions equally.
ReplyDeleteNot in California.
ReplyDeleteIf they want their child indoctrinated, it will have to be after school.
We have way too many different religions represented in our schools. If we allowed them all equal time there would be no time for actual school curriculum.
I went to elementary school in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Once a week, we left class, walked across the dirt road adjacent to the playground, and went into a trailer for Weekday Religious Education. Did that from second through fifth grade. It was, really, like more than Sunday School during the week. I had a couple of classmates who didn't attend. I think, at the time, I probably wondered why.
ReplyDeleteRecently I looked at my elementary school from orbit thanks to Google Maps. The building is still there. No idea if it's still used.