Licking Valley School Again Pressured By Atheist Group

[rug]

Posted: Nov 10, 2014 10:02 PM EST
Updated: Nov 11, 2014 9:46 AM EST
By: Mike Bowersock

HANOVER, Ohio - In a part of Central Ohio where the city definitely becomes the country, the local school district is once again being told it can't, and the district is saying it can.

The importance of faith is obvious in Licking Valley Local Schools.

Directly across the road from the high school stand three large crosses.

In September, there was a rally at Licking Valley's elementary school from a Christian organization called the Jubilee Gang, which prides itself in getting children to become "born again."

http://www.nbc4i.com/story/27349277/superintendent-says-message-was-not-religious

I wonder what their mascot is.

[rurallib]

1. man, that superintendent is a special kind of stupid.

[unrepentant progress]

2. That superintendent is correct

The law does not forbid reading the Bible as literature in English class, nor does it forbid religious leaders or organizations from speaking/giving presentations in schools. It doesn't even necessarily forbid an explicitly religious message. However, that sort of thing usually falls under the auspices of the Equal Access Act which does not hold that an assembly constitutes either a limited public forum, or a limited open forum. However, if a school allows the formation of an evangelical Christian student group, then it must also allow a Jewish club, a militant atheist happy hour, tea time with a custodian of the Guru Granth Sahib, or any other comers. It can be complex.

But I don't know anything about this particular case, and the linked story isn't very detailed, so there may be more going on than meets the eye.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has a good free booklet on the legal issues: https://www.au.org/resources/publications/religion-in-the-public-schools

AU is a great org, although they've really had to scale back in recent years.

[Goblinmonger]

4. This isn't just about open forum considerations

Jubilee Gang's own website claims: "In Newark, Ohio we did a public school assembly and were privileged to encourage over 350 children to be all they can be in life. Then, we did a Sunday morning at More Life Church and had seven children come forward to be born again."

They did their thing as an assembly to captive students. That's kind of crappy. And, as the article indicates, this is not an isolated incident at this school. They seem to have often crossed the line.

[unrepentant progress]

5. They can brag all they want

But school assemblies don't fall under open forum considerations. As long as they weren't openly preaching the gospel, e.g. Jesus is the only way to salvation, and students were able to opt-out based on religious objections, then I think they're probably in the clear.

It really depends on the content of the presentation. Like I said, there's not enough information in the article to decide.

FWIW though, I agree it's crappy. When I was in high school, our principal allowed a branch of something similar to Campus Crusade for Christ to deliver their little multimedia presentation as a school wide assembly multiple times. The presentations themselves were really quite good, incorporated mainstream rock music, were safely secular enough not to ping on the religion radar, and had a generally positive life-affirming message. I think the principal, who was fairly clueless, thought they were something fun for the whole school for the afternoons just before a long holiday when nobody was concentrating anyway. The thing is though, those presentations were recruiting tools.

"Oh hey, if you liked that, we have a fun after school group which meets up for pizza every week, and has monthly parties. If you're interested, talk to Cindy on your way out."

Once you got to their off campus events that's where the proselytizing started -- in spades. I attended one because a friend invited me. It was Jack Chick creepy. D&D gonna steal your souls, backwards messages in the music, etc.

[cbayer]

6. I think these cross the line into advocating a specific religious message.

The Jubilee Gang is specifically about "one way", just as you describe. They brag that 350 children "came forward".

Although the principal claims it wasn't religious, that is really hard to believe.

Check out the Jubilee Gang's website. They have an indisputable agenda.

http://www.jubileegang.com

Their section on public school assemblies is very carefully worded, but there is no way you could invite this group and not be aware of their underlying agenda.

As you say, these are recruiting tools. And this assembly was for 3rd - 5th graders.

I support the FFRF's objections.

[unrepentant progress]

7. After looking at their Youtube channel I agree

Ugh. This is way beyond anything I've seen before. And once again I have to ask what the hell is it with evangelical Christianity and puppets?

[cbayer]

8. OMG, that is really scary stuff.

That they target really young children is really disturbing.

[rug]

9. That's a pretty funny comment.

And once again I have to ask what the hell is it with evangelical Christianity and puppets?

I hadn't noticed it before but sure enough . . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_puppetry

http://www.puppets-etc.com/blueprint_index.htm

[unrepentant progress]

12. But what is it about puppets that's peculiarly attractive to evangelical Christians?

Oh sure, everybody loves puppets, but not to that degree. I mean, there was Shalom Sesame, but there's no Jewish Puppetry wiki page. I think we can all be thankful though that puppetry hasn't caught on in the New Atheist and Atheist Pluser circles.

[cbayer]

13. I think it's all about proselytizing to children.

This group seems to have made an art out of putting together a show that children will get really charged up about. But I think they are also using a degree of fear and puppets can be scary.

As for atheist puppets, be afraid.

[unrepentant progress]

14. I stand corrected

Oh well, at least Dawkins and Harris haven't released a stop-motion Claymation holiday special yet.

[cbayer]

15. But there are bobble heads.

You can get this one on easy for $1,051.89 MXN

[Cartoonist]

10. King of the Hill

The animated TV show has a great recurring take on the puppet thing with Manger Babies.

[unrepentant progress]

11. I forgot all about that!

I got tired of that show after a few years, but the first few seasons were really funny and insightful.

[cbayer]

3. Looks like they are going to have to sue them to stop them.

[rug]

16. Meanwhile, has anybody found out what the school mascot is for Licking Valley?

[cbayer]

17. Sadly, it is just the Panthers.

[rug]

18. Lol! Well that picture explains it then.