Welcome to Atheist Discussion, a new community created by former members of The Thinking Atheist forum.

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Students forced to attend Xian assembly
#1

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
Quote:CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A group of parents and students are suing a West Virginia school district for allowing an evangelical preacher to hold a religious revival assembly during the school day earlier this month that some students were required to attend.

The suit, filed in a U.S. District Court in West Virginia on Thursday on behalf of families by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, says the Cabell County school system in the southwestern part of the state has a systematic history of disregarding the religious freedom of its students and instituting Christian religious practices.

"For years, school system employees have violated the constitutional rights of students by promoting and advancing the Christian religion, as well as by coercing students into participating in Christian religious activity," the suit reads. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a nonprofit that promotes the separation of church and state.

[...]

The Associated Press left a voicemail with Cabell County Schools spokesperson Jedd Flowers requesting comment Thursday afternoon. During an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Flowers said the assembly was supposed to be voluntary, but two teachers brought their entire classes to the assembly. Flowers called it an honest mistake by the teachers.

[...]

Students, including a Jewish student who asked to leave but was not permitted to do so, were instructed to close their eyes and raise their arms in prayer, according to the lawsuit. The teens were asked to give their lives over to Jesus to find purpose and salvation. Students said they were told that those who did not follow the Bible would go to "face eternal torment."

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/18/108167875...ly-lawsuit

Here's hoping the officials involved in arranging these illegal sessions are fired.
On hiatus.
The following 6 users Like Thumpalumpacus's post:
  • abaris, Thingymebob, julep, skyking, Antonio, GenesisNemesis
Reply
#2

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
[Image: quote-there-can-be-but-little-liberty-on...-13-44.jpg]
Robert G. Ingersoll : “No man with a sense of humor ever founded a religion.”
The following 4 users Like Minimalist's post:
  • Thumpalumpacus, Dom, skyking, Antonio
Reply
#3

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-18-2022, 03:41 PM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:
Quote:Students said they were told that those who did not follow the Bible would go to "face eternal torment."

Here, religious classes are still mandatory. Unless your parents opt you out or, once you turn 14, you opt out yourself. Which I did, when I reached that age. It's also not exclusively christian, but for all recognized religions. Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and jews.

But the above quote remind me of my early school days, when the religious teacher threatened us with god taking what's most dear to us, if we sin.

I was maybe seven at that time, but it was the first time, I started to question a god, who would do such a thing.
[Image: Bumper+Sticker+-+Asheville+-+Praise+Dog3.JPG]
The following 2 users Like abaris's post:
  • Thumpalumpacus, Antonio
Reply
#4

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
I just brought a book to this kind of thing. Teachers learned not to fight me about it. And the three day vacations were cool.
[Image: M-Spr20-Weapons-FEATURED-1-1200x350-c-default.jpg]
The following 1 user Likes Gawdzilla Sama's post:
  • Thingymebob
Reply
#5

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
Amazingly dumb decision by that school- such an assembly, during the school day? It's legal to have voluntary attendance religious meetings and clubs before and after school, but no way during the class day and no way compulsory. According to the lawsuit it's more than just a one-off thing, so hopefully punishments are severe since the school is willfully promoting this.
The following 3 users Like jerry mcmasters's post:
  • Thumpalumpacus, Dancefortwo, Gawdzilla Sama
Reply
#6

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
Unfortunately, courts only hand out punishments in criminal cases.  (Well, unfortunate here for us wanting the culprits punished.  It's probably a good thing as a general rule.)  The most you get from a civil case is an order from a judge to cut it out and/or restitution for damages.  What's more, it's the district being sued, not the individuals.  And while in theory this is something that qualified immunity could be revoked for, resulting in the responsible individuals getting stuck with the damages rather than the institution, the damages in question are just a few bucks.  Not much of a punishment.  The individuals don't get stuck with the court costs unless they, as individuals, decide to put up a fight in court.  The district, school, etc, are likely to draw up some new policy that they might actually enforce to prevent this from happening again, but aren't likely to punish the individual teachers or administrators who crossed the line prior to that policy going in effect.  There's probably existing policy in place that made it already against the rules, but ignoring that fact would be half the reason to make a big deal about needing to draw up new policy.

The smart call by the school district here would be to settle quickly, by way of a consent decree or something similar, before racking up legal costs that could be spent on schooling instead.  What I'm sure they're actually going to do is fight tooth and nail on the grounds of, "we acknowledge the mistake but the injunction being sought is an over-correction so let us fix it ourselves you should just trust us to get it right despite how we've clearly shown that we don't."

In the end it will take years of fighting to get the court order, the students and taxpayers will be the ones who suffer for it, the plaintiffs will get hit with a wave of hatred, death threats, and perhaps a few attempts on their lives Christian love from their communities, and the actual culprits will get to skip away scot-free while singing a gleeful, narrative-affirming chorus of "they're persecuting Christians!" so that all of Christendom will pay attention to them.

Liberty and justice for all, I guess.
"To surrender to ignorance and call it God has always been premature, and it remains premature today." - Isaac Asimov
The following 1 user Likes Reltzik's post:
  • Antonio
Reply
#7

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
Religious organizations will never stop pushing until they run the show . Then they will fight each other . For a blueprint check the middle east . The Christians will do the same . It's just a matter of time
 All I know is that I know nothing
Reply
#8

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-19-2022, 05:49 PM)Antonio Wrote: Religious organizations will never stop pushing until they run the show . Then they will fight each other . For a blueprint check the middle east . The Christians will do the same . It's just a matter of time

They've been doing it for years. I remember getting frog marched to Sunday school by a religious nut who lived on my street. She'd go around all of the estate rounding up all the kids, then she'd march us all in a line to the village hall where our brains were attacked by adults who really should have known better.
Looking back I wish that I could have got a few of the kids together and made a plan to sellotape her to a lamp post.
The following 2 users Like Thingymebob's post:
  • Dancefortwo, Antonio
Reply
#9

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-19-2022, 05:49 PM)Antonio Wrote: Religious organizations will never stop pushing until they run the show . Then they will fight each other . For a blueprint check the middle east . The Christians will do the same . It's just a matter of time

The Christians have already done it. It's called the 30 Years' War. I suspect it's a big reason why Western Europe is generally secular.
On hiatus.
The following 2 users Like Thumpalumpacus's post:
  • Minimalist, Antonio
Reply
#10

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
Yes, when the 30 Years War ended the Age of Enlightenment began.

If there is one thing that religitards cannot stand it is people who think for themselves.
Robert G. Ingersoll : “No man with a sense of humor ever founded a religion.”
The following 1 user Likes Minimalist's post:
  • Antonio
Reply
#11

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
Humans thinking for themselves, is B. L. Z. Bub's favorite stroke material.
The following 1 user Likes no one's post:
  • Antonio
Reply
#12

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 12:34 AM)Minimalist Wrote: Yes, when the 30 Years War ended the Age of Enlightenment began.

What 30 years war?
Reply
#13

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 02:55 AM)TinyDave Wrote:
(02-20-2022, 12:34 AM)Minimalist Wrote: Yes, when the 30 Years War ended the Age of Enlightenment began.

What 30 years war?

Quote:The Thirty Years' War was a conflict fought largely within the Holy Roman Empire from 1618 to 1648. Considered one of the most destructive wars in European history, estimates of total deaths caused by the conflict range from 4.5 to 8 million, while some areas of Germany experienced population declines of over 50%.
Wiki
The following 2 users Like Inkubus's post:
  • Thumpalumpacus, Antonio
Reply
#14

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-19-2022, 08:44 PM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:
(02-19-2022, 05:49 PM)Antonio Wrote: Religious organizations will never stop pushing until they run the show . Then they will fight each other . For a blueprint check the middile east . The Christians will do the same . It's just a matter of time

The Christians have already done it. It's called the 30 Years' War. I suspect it's a big reason why Western Europe is generally secular.

And christians will do it again and again until the humans are gone . It just repeats
 All I know is that I know nothing
Reply
#15

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 05:36 PM)Antonio Wrote:
(02-19-2022, 08:44 PM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:
(02-19-2022, 05:49 PM)Antonio Wrote: Religious organizations will never stop pushing until they run the show . Then they will fight each other . For a blueprint check the middile east . The Christians will do the same . It's just a matter of time

The Christians have already done it. It's called the 30 Years' War. I suspect it's a big reason why Western Europe is generally secular.

And christians will do it again and again until the humans are gone . It just repeats

Can I borrow your crystal ball? Mine just went on the fritz.

Seriously, the 30 Years' War is precisely why Western Europe turned to secular governance. After four centuries of secular governance, I don't see a Christian movement in West Europe with anywhere the strength to impose any sort of religious government on any country. Did you have one in mind?
On hiatus.
Reply
#16

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
The churches are emptying in Europe and in serious decline here.  The one hopeful sign I see in modern human culture for the future is the dismissal of silly superstitious shit.
Robert G. Ingersoll : “No man with a sense of humor ever founded a religion.”
The following 3 users Like Minimalist's post:
  • Thumpalumpacus, Thingymebob, Szuchow
Reply
#17

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 05:48 PM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:
(02-20-2022, 05:36 PM)Antonio Wrote:
(02-19-2022, 08:44 PM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: The Christians have already done it. It's called the 30 Years' War. I suspect it's a big reason why Western Europe is generally secular.

And christians will do it again and again until the humans are gone . It just repeats

Can I borrow your crystal ball? Mine just went on the fritz.

Seriously, the 30 Years' War is precisely why Western Europe turned to secular governance. After four centuries of secular governance, I don't see a Christian movement in West Europe with anywhere the strength to impose any sort of religious government on any country. Did you have one in mind?

I think you just answered your own question. It doesn't happen in months or years . It's decades and centuries of this or that . It's  not a crystal ball it's history
 All I know is that I know nothing
Reply
#18

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
We were ordered to attend at least one religious service every week when I was in boot camp, Summer of 1969. I took a book.
[Image: M-Spr20-Weapons-FEATURED-1-1200x350-c-default.jpg]
Reply
#19

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 10:19 PM)Antonio Wrote: I think you just answered your own question. It doesn't happen in months or years . It's decades and centuries of this or that . It's  not a crystal ball it's history

I don't agree that because it's happened before it must happen again. History is useful, but it is not always regnant.
On hiatus.
The following 2 users Like Thumpalumpacus's post:
  • Alan V, Antonio
Reply
#20

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 10:22 PM)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: We were ordered to attend at least one religious service every week when I was in boot camp, Summer of 1969. I took a book.

By 1989, we weren't ordered to do so, but the alternative was a GI party on the barracks, so I went to the services and caught up on my napping.
On hiatus.
The following 1 user Likes Thumpalumpacus's post:
  • Antonio
Reply
#21

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
Yeah, the punishment was obvious.
[Image: M-Spr20-Weapons-FEATURED-1-1200x350-c-default.jpg]
The following 1 user Likes Gawdzilla Sama's post:
  • Thumpalumpacus
Reply
#22

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 10:32 PM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:
(02-20-2022, 10:19 PM)Antonio Wrote: I think you just answered your own question. It doesn't happen in months or years . It's decades and centuries of this or that . It's  not a crystal ball it's history

I don't agree that because it's happened before it must happen again. History is useful, but it is not always regnant.

When the shit hits the fan people start praying . The shit will hit the fan . Eventually conditions will be right for a religious renaissance climate change and economic collapse seem likely
 All I know is that I know nothing
Reply
#23

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-20-2022, 10:56 PM)Antonio Wrote:
(02-20-2022, 10:32 PM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:
(02-20-2022, 10:19 PM)Antonio Wrote: I think you just answered your own question. It doesn't happen in months or years . It's decades and centuries of this or that . It's  not a crystal ball it's history

I don't agree that because it's happened before it must happen again. History is useful, but it is not always regnant.

When the shit hits the fan people start praying . The shit will hit the fan . Eventually conditions will be right for a religious renaissance climate change and economic collapse seem likely

Seed scattered on barren ground doesn't often bloom.
On hiatus.
Reply
#24

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
I have never prayed and I've had more reason than most to seek that route if I had even the slightest inkling that it would help. I threw a guy off my boat because he was praying instead of loading. I didn't look to se if he hit the water.
[Image: M-Spr20-Weapons-FEATURED-1-1200x350-c-default.jpg]
The following 1 user Likes Gawdzilla Sama's post:
  • Inkubus
Reply
#25

Students forced to attend Xian assembly
(02-21-2022, 12:20 AM)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: ... I threw a guy off my boat because he was praying instead of loading. I didn't look to see if he hit the water ...

That's too bad.  You missed him picking himself up atop the surface and walking to shore with dry feet.  He never looked back.
Reply




Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)