294 Comments
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RegularJoe's avatar

Those released time woo programs should require all involved to be mandatory reporters as well.

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Joe King's avatar

Hmm. Whining about having to pass background checks and being prohibited from bribing children with candy and toys. It's as if they 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 that there are predators just waiting to take advantage of this, and they are willing to enable them.

And then they complain that the guidance tries to ensure that the children do not ever miss important instruction. Do you think the goal of the reich wingers is to replace actual education with their distortions?

This is why release time is a horrible idea all around.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

Joe Jervis - JoeMyGod - has been cataloguing the predator priests and pastors for years. He has usually, one a day. I seem to recall one day with 4 not too long ago. If the parents want daily religious instruction for their kids, explain to me why this couldn't be done after school?

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Maltnothops's avatar

Sportsball!

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Bob Oz's avatar

Here's a crazy idea: The kids' parents can take them to a SUNDAY SCHOOL at any church they want and then the schools don't need to be involved.

Revolutionary or what ?

The fact that these christos feel the need to get to the kids in schools tells us that they know their religion is failing and failing fast. The Pew research numbers keep showing that.

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oraxx's avatar

Why is it ever okay to present something to children as fact, an educated adult would most likely reject if hearing it for the first time? It isn't limited to Christianity, but the obsession of religious institutions with indoctrinating children before they reach the age of reason speaks directly to just how weak their messages ultimately are.

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Linda Bower's avatar

Right. One should ask themselves why they can’t seem to win over a single heart or mind with their message? That’s why Christians (and other major religions) have always relied on numbers in terms of feeling powerful.

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oraxx's avatar

Children instinctively trust the authority figures in their lives. If those authority figures never managed to break free of their childhood religious indoctrination, then the institution preserves itself for another generation. That said, bit-by-bit, the churches are losing the long game. I think this is why they are so desperate to get government to backstop their beliefs.

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Joe King's avatar

They've been trying that for a few centuries, ever since they lost the power of the state.

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Linda Bower's avatar

Honestly, what’s keeping me going is understanding that “the resistance” is actually coming from the so-called religious right and not the other way around. I have to think this way. A last hurrah if you will and death march into obscurity.

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oraxx's avatar

I don't think it's very likely religion will die a sudden death, but will slowly fade away to the point it's no longer relevant.

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larry parker's avatar

"but you've got to jump through 895 fiery hoops"

The ethics hoop is the fieriest of them all.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

How is it a first amendment violation to require adults in contact with schoolchildren that are under school district responsibility to be fully background checked? How is it a first amendment violation to limit propaganda and food that hasn’t been approved by the school in the school?

The organizations can give these things to the students for the students to take home, but the school can keep these things out of the school. The school has a responsibility to protect the students and keep distractions to a minimum. Including ensuring that students aren’t missing classes that affect their grades.

And of course there are people who don’t want their children pulled out of school regularly, who don’t want their children indoctrinated by folks outside their religion, or who don’t want their children exposed to adults who don’t want oversight.

If you fight against oversight for adults around children, I’m automatically going to assume your intentions are bad. These are simple, sensible precautions and the religious groups are fighting against them, what are their true intentions? Nothing good. They know they’re wrong, that’s why they want to lower the standards.

Let’s get the war on so we can move on from this nightmare and correct this kind of blatant predation.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👆👆👆🎯

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Tinker's avatar

A group that has had more allegations of child abuse than Fox News has pretended happened in libraries wants to get children without a simple criminal background check? Sounds a little sus to me. Are they picking them up in a windowless van that says "free puppies" on the side?

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RegularJoe's avatar

Come along, kiddie-winkies!

Here we are children, come and get your lollipops, lollipops, come along my little ones.

They're all free today, cherry pie, cream puffs, ice cream, treacle tart.

https://i.makeagif.com/media/6-05-2017/De7tli.gif

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

What is that from?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

From the mind of Ian Fleming, believe it or not.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Yep, the only Fleming book I haven't read. I've also used it as a question to stump people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dadls8Hce8U

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NOGODZ20's avatar

I was surprised to see Benny Hill turn up in the movie. :)

Family Guy spoofed one of CCBBs songs ("Me 'Ol Bam-Boo") to call for legalizing pot in Quahog

youtu.be/NpS4ebEtLUE

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Joe King's avatar

Actually, the van is marked "free ice cream".

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NOGODZ20's avatar

What does it say about the "strength" of a religion that it has to resort to tricks, deceit and outright bribery to ensnare vulnerable public schoolchildren with its message? A message Christian children can get at home, at Sunday school or even *gasp!* at church.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Gee, this sounds like the very grooming Christians falsely accuse others of (especially LGBTQs and drag queens).

But it CAN'T be. That would be projection/hypocrisy, wouldn't it? Heaven forfend!

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Joe King's avatar

Projection? I guess IMAX didn't have enough job openings...

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Xtian projection would power a multiplex.

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Crowscage's avatar

Christain projection could power the bat signal from epsilon irundi.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

"Hey, little girl! Do you want some CANDY?"

SERIOUSLY? Is this what LifeWise has reduced themselves to, in order to get kids to their released time BS? If they had something that genuinely interested school children, one might expect a rush to their classes. If they feel they have to use external inducements, all that does is show the weakness of their position.

Meanwhile, I would expect continued fun-n-games in the courts. Don't forget the popcorn and beer!

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

NEOLA— northeast Ohio learning Associates. And yet, it’s precisely about the kids not learning anything but religious indoctrination. It’s almost as if right wing groups stand for the opposite of what they say they are standing for.

First amendment rights to practice their religion? They absolutely have those rights. What they don’t have are the rights to a platform to spread their religion.

And they don’t have the rights to use public schools for the purpose. That’s what home, family, and church are for. That’s what street corners are for.

Background checks are just too onerous for them? Is that because they don’t really care if kids are physically diddled because they just want to do it mentally, or because the kind of person who is attracted to this kind of a thing is so like likely to be a child molester?

Nobody saying it, so I will: the 4 to 14 window. Get the kids while they’re young and you’ve got a chance that they will be Christian when they get older. It’s not about education at all, but we all know that. It is about indoctrination. There was a time when perhaps—PERHAPS— this wasn’t the worst idea ever. But now we know about the connections between conservative religion and child molestation. We know about the fornication between church and state that conservative religion advocates. We know about the theocracy in our secular republic.

The founding fathers were very concerned about separation of church and state. And now we can see exactly why they were concerned about it.

It’s too early in the morning for me.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

NEOLA was trying to set standards for the schools to help minimize the damage from the law requiring release time, they were the ones trying to rein in LifeWise and religious orgs and protect schools. Other than that, your comment is bang on.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

"What they don’t have are the rights to a platform to spread their religion."

To which I comment:

𝐴 𝑏𝑎𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚.

-- Darante' LaMar

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Jarred Harris's avatar

NGL, this has "man angry he can't use candy to lure kids into his panel van" energy to me.

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Len Koz's avatar

For a veeerrrry good reason...

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Jarred Harris's avatar

Yeah, the same reason I chose that comparison. ;)

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Bouchard's avatar

They can't handle anything getting in the way of what they see as the double-win of brainwashing the kids while simultaneously denying them an education.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👆🎯

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Kay-El's avatar

🎶 Who can make disgust rise

Sprinkle it with Ewwww

Cover up the criming with an accomplice or two

Religious candy man can 🎶

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Claudia's avatar

Insisting that - what's the proper name for the people who'd be leading these 'release' classes? They're not really teachers, they might be pastors/ministers but not necessarily? Anyway.

Insisting that these people have satisfied proper vetting is not 'unnecessary high hoops' it is just plain, common and garden sensible caution. Given how many of these kind of people have been caught engaging in inappropriate behaviour with non-consenting adults and - even more damningly children - this step is very necessary!

Personally, I find the whole idea completely bonkers, school is school and there's plenty of time for such activities before or after school or during holidays and weekends.

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Len Koz's avatar

Sex offenders? Or am I jumping to conclusions?

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

That's not a jump. It's barely a STEP!

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Nailed it.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Indoctrinators.

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Joe King's avatar

Predators.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

If you don't like this movies franchise, say it. Don't compare them to christains.

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Donrox's avatar

You even do snark!

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Shana's avatar

Lifewise also fired their director last December, for inappropriate messages to a 14 year old girl. This company is disgusting and predatory

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Joe King's avatar

No wonder they don't want background checks. Are their white windowless vans company issued?

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

and that is just the one they caught!

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Old Man Shadow's avatar

So... they are fighting for the right to offer kids candy to hop in a classroom with a pedophile?

And they think they're the good guys...

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

The absolute worst people are always that delusional.

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