While I'm more than glad to hear that the AHA won this one, I must say I really do wish these shenanigans had been stopped sooner. The damage has already been done to so many children, and I rather doubt most of them are going to get any help with it.
Christians complain entirely too often about the alleged persecution they have to live with, but never acknowledge all the privileges they get to enjoy. This is an abuse that was allowed to exist and continue specifically because the religion involved was Christianity, as Hemant has already pointed out; any other faith would have been shut down before anything could start. Seems to me that half the problem with Christians these days stems from either an inability to be honest with themselves, or a desperate need to control everyone else and force outsiders to behave like 'proper Christians'.
Allowing Christians that kind of authority over children isn't even on the table, I'm straight up unwilling to see it without complaint. Children are vulnerable to all kinds of stuff adults do, and preaching in the classroom is taking advantage of kids specifically because they're susceptible. No. This is never acceptable under any circumstances. Take your precious bibles back to you church and stay out of the public educational system for good, Christians; the article shows that kids will lie to you just to make you go away so you're not 'winning people for Christ' anyway. Save some gas and some pollution, and stay away.
P.S.:I believe there are passages in the Christian bible about the conversion of the extremely young, but I'm not looking it up right now.
"The Missionaries class consists of singing songs and playing games..."
I'd really like to know more about those fundie "games." Did they play Pin the Tail on the Muslim? Blind Man's Sin (That Caused Him to be Blind)? Jump (the Lynching) Rope? Cowboys and Infidels (with real guns, of course)? Did they have a game where one child was "It" and had to pretend to pick up sticks on the Sabbath while everyone else threw rocks at them? Did kids learn how to start a fire by rubbing sticks together, to burn witches, Jews and gays alive? Yessirree, those games must have been a barrel of fun.
"It was appalling behavior that went on for too long, in part, perhaps, because no one knew it was wrong or no one wanted to rock the boat."
A classic example of Christian Privilege. They're not ignorant, they're ARROGANT. They definitely knew it was illegal, but they think the law should not apply to them because... Jesus. They enlisted the kids, some unwillingly through intimidation, to be accomplices in keeping it a secret. "Don't say that God isn't real, or you'll get in trouble," really was "...or we, your teachers will get in trouble."
"As of this writing, no public statement has been posted on the district’s website."
The Surgeon General has warned that holding one's breath waiting for that could be hazardous to your health. And don't assume that any of the other requirements, such as the staff re-education will be promptly fulfilled either. Check back again and again. And once it all seems to be over and everyone's behaving, They're going to start something else just as inappropriate. If it took a lawsuit to get them to stop this, they haven't changed their privileged attitude. It's still in there.
How much actual learning is going on in this school district when they spend this much time indoctrinating children throughout the year? I mean, just the simple time restrictions of the school year are daunting enough to cover all the curriculum required to move one grade to the next, to cut out this much time for this is unconscionable. How many kids from this district started college (or even trade school) at a fatal disadvantage?
How bad is your religion when a five year old, hearing about it for the first time, can see it for the obvious scam it is? It is so unbelievable a toddler can dismantle it.
Thank goodness for this family and I hope they can stay safe as they now navigate a hostile Christian environment.
Conservative Christians never stop trying to mark their territory in the public schools paid for with everyone's tax dollars. Their burning need to indoctrinate children with ideas an educated adult would almost certainly reject if hearing them for the first time, speaks directly to just how weak the Christian message is. It is never the job of the public schools to backstop anybody's religion.
I remember when I was at high school – and there's no formal church state separation here you realise – the Gideons I think it was, came round and gave everyone in the school a little red New Testament. By the end of the day the school grounds looked as if they had measles. As one of our unfortunately dead comedians – and probably the only decent one we've ever produced put it "little red dots about the size of an MP's brain."
I'll believe the State Department of Education actually distributed instruction on how to *avoid* violating the First Amendment, when I see it. I expect, at best, they distribute information on how to not get caught.
Unwarranted christian privilege and grooming is how the grift of christianity survives. It certainly doesn't survive on its merits. It requires tax exemptions and special treatment to exist. Xtian entitlement in this country is sickening.
The attempted indoctrination occurred in 2019, and it wasn't until 2023 that the district finally had the whack upside the head it so clearly needed? Yeah, it's Oklahoma, where apparently news still travels by Pony Express, and it appears that the pony must've died somewhere along the way, but even so ... FOUR YEARS MORE this BS was allowed to continue?
Wow, that's a little more blatant than average. Wish there was a way to hold the individuals and not the school district as a whole liable, but I'll take what I can get. Heh.
OT
Before I forget...
Happy 86th Birthday to George Takei. Ohhhh, my!
While I'm more than glad to hear that the AHA won this one, I must say I really do wish these shenanigans had been stopped sooner. The damage has already been done to so many children, and I rather doubt most of them are going to get any help with it.
Christians complain entirely too often about the alleged persecution they have to live with, but never acknowledge all the privileges they get to enjoy. This is an abuse that was allowed to exist and continue specifically because the religion involved was Christianity, as Hemant has already pointed out; any other faith would have been shut down before anything could start. Seems to me that half the problem with Christians these days stems from either an inability to be honest with themselves, or a desperate need to control everyone else and force outsiders to behave like 'proper Christians'.
Allowing Christians that kind of authority over children isn't even on the table, I'm straight up unwilling to see it without complaint. Children are vulnerable to all kinds of stuff adults do, and preaching in the classroom is taking advantage of kids specifically because they're susceptible. No. This is never acceptable under any circumstances. Take your precious bibles back to you church and stay out of the public educational system for good, Christians; the article shows that kids will lie to you just to make you go away so you're not 'winning people for Christ' anyway. Save some gas and some pollution, and stay away.
P.S.:I believe there are passages in the Christian bible about the conversion of the extremely young, but I'm not looking it up right now.
"The Missionaries class consists of singing songs and playing games..."
I'd really like to know more about those fundie "games." Did they play Pin the Tail on the Muslim? Blind Man's Sin (That Caused Him to be Blind)? Jump (the Lynching) Rope? Cowboys and Infidels (with real guns, of course)? Did they have a game where one child was "It" and had to pretend to pick up sticks on the Sabbath while everyone else threw rocks at them? Did kids learn how to start a fire by rubbing sticks together, to burn witches, Jews and gays alive? Yessirree, those games must have been a barrel of fun.
"It was appalling behavior that went on for too long, in part, perhaps, because no one knew it was wrong or no one wanted to rock the boat."
A classic example of Christian Privilege. They're not ignorant, they're ARROGANT. They definitely knew it was illegal, but they think the law should not apply to them because... Jesus. They enlisted the kids, some unwillingly through intimidation, to be accomplices in keeping it a secret. "Don't say that God isn't real, or you'll get in trouble," really was "...or we, your teachers will get in trouble."
"As of this writing, no public statement has been posted on the district’s website."
The Surgeon General has warned that holding one's breath waiting for that could be hazardous to your health. And don't assume that any of the other requirements, such as the staff re-education will be promptly fulfilled either. Check back again and again. And once it all seems to be over and everyone's behaving, They're going to start something else just as inappropriate. If it took a lawsuit to get them to stop this, they haven't changed their privileged attitude. It's still in there.
How much actual learning is going on in this school district when they spend this much time indoctrinating children throughout the year? I mean, just the simple time restrictions of the school year are daunting enough to cover all the curriculum required to move one grade to the next, to cut out this much time for this is unconscionable. How many kids from this district started college (or even trade school) at a fatal disadvantage?
How bad is your religion when a five year old, hearing about it for the first time, can see it for the obvious scam it is? It is so unbelievable a toddler can dismantle it.
Thank goodness for this family and I hope they can stay safe as they now navigate a hostile Christian environment.
Conservative Christians never stop trying to mark their territory in the public schools paid for with everyone's tax dollars. Their burning need to indoctrinate children with ideas an educated adult would almost certainly reject if hearing them for the first time, speaks directly to just how weak the Christian message is. It is never the job of the public schools to backstop anybody's religion.
I remember when I was at high school – and there's no formal church state separation here you realise – the Gideons I think it was, came round and gave everyone in the school a little red New Testament. By the end of the day the school grounds looked as if they had measles. As one of our unfortunately dead comedians – and probably the only decent one we've ever produced put it "little red dots about the size of an MP's brain."
I'll believe the State Department of Education actually distributed instruction on how to *avoid* violating the First Amendment, when I see it. I expect, at best, they distribute information on how to not get caught.
GOOD!
OT
GOP leader, who voted to expel TN Three, resigns; found guilty of sexually harassing interns
Rep. Scotty Campbell resigned about six hours after NewsChannel 5 confronted him about the sexual harassment allegations
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/revealed/revealed-gop-leader-who-voted-to-expel-tennessee-three-found-guilty-of-sexually-harassing-interns
Unwarranted christian privilege and grooming is how the grift of christianity survives. It certainly doesn't survive on its merits. It requires tax exemptions and special treatment to exist. Xtian entitlement in this country is sickening.
The attempted indoctrination occurred in 2019, and it wasn't until 2023 that the district finally had the whack upside the head it so clearly needed? Yeah, it's Oklahoma, where apparently news still travels by Pony Express, and it appears that the pony must've died somewhere along the way, but even so ... FOUR YEARS MORE this BS was allowed to continue?
Wow, that's a little more blatant than average. Wish there was a way to hold the individuals and not the school district as a whole liable, but I'll take what I can get. Heh.
Christian missionaries? In Oklahoma? Were they trying to convert the Methodists and Presbyterians?
Sounds like taking coals to Newcastle to me.
OT:
YouTube strips ad revenue from The Matt Walsh Show after repeated vitriol against Dylan Mulvaney
Walsh has been leading an effort to boycott Bud Light for its collaboration with the TikTok star, whom he previously called “weird and artificial”
https://www.mediamatters.org/matt-walsh/youtube-strips-ad-revenue-matt-walsh-show-after-repeated-vitriol-against-dylan-mulvaney
Gosh, it'd be a shame if these parents told other parents... and they tell two parents and they tell two parents and so on, and so on, and so on.
And all of a sudden the school district will hurt for that precious public money. But they didn't think about that, did they... muahahahaha!