Religion in schools, by whatever means...
May 24th 2009 17:16
The concept of "Released Time" is something school districts around the country have to grapple with. It's becoming a tool for Christians to re-introduce religion back into school, albeit through off-campus "classes."
In the Portland, Oregon school district, the proselytizing occurs under the umbrella of a group called PREP4kids, at www.prep4kids.org . On the homepage of their website they have the biblical quote "We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders he has done." Psalms 78:4.
While Released Time has been around for awhile, it seems to be drawing new emphasis as proselytizers see it as a way to grow their church populations by using students to get to families who the group describes as the "unchurched." What's wrong with that?
First, it takes students out of class, making the teacher either have to adapt the curriculum to the absence or for the student to have to make up. Of course, that's not as hard to overcome as the disruption to the flow of learning is from the teacher and student standpoint. Especially when the time spent in Released Time is, as often occurs, used to encourage students to go back and proselytize.
A site reached through links from the Portland site, www.schoolministries.org , shows just how insidious the mission really is, if you read through the mission statements and belief pages. what is clearly stated is that Released Time is meant to be a back door into public schools. There is no difference between what goes on at Released Time and a regular church on a Sunday morning. The mere fact of a small separation of distance from the school doesn't negate the effect. And that site reports that in South Carolina Released Time can be used to get actual high school credits! Anyone else see something wrong with that?
Churches have meetings on their holy day as well as throughout the week. Children and families in any community have the chance to go to whatever meetings they like. There is no need to disrupt the school day. I wonder what my boss would think if I asked for Released Time from work. There is a time and a place, in other words.
Released Time has been challenged and upheld by the Supreme Court, as long as nothing takes place on school grounds. It's time for legislatures to look at codifying some clarification, especially in light of the constraints being placed on school districts because of budget woes. Can any school afford to allow weekly absences?
As an Atheist I see Released Time in the same way I see a virus, trying to infiltrate wherever it can by whatever means it can. I understand not everyone will see it that way, they might even think of Released Time as purely innocent. But any citizen should be concerned. We as a nation are supposed to be committed to a separation of church and state and the concept of providing a good and equal education.
The true test of Release Time and it's proponents would be if other groups started using it. Right now it's a Christian evangelical movement. What if Islamic clerics started using it as a tool? Or Wiccans? Or, what if I, as an Atheist, started an off-campus instruction class that talked about the evils of religion? Let that happen and see how committed they are to the idea of openness.
After all, the Portland site has the quote "We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation." So I should be equally allowed to bring students out of class to learn how they can join me in my damnation, right?
In the Portland, Oregon school district, the proselytizing occurs under the umbrella of a group called PREP4kids, at www.prep4kids.org . On the homepage of their website they have the biblical quote "We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders he has done." Psalms 78:4.
While Released Time has been around for awhile, it seems to be drawing new emphasis as proselytizers see it as a way to grow their church populations by using students to get to families who the group describes as the "unchurched." What's wrong with that?
First, it takes students out of class, making the teacher either have to adapt the curriculum to the absence or for the student to have to make up. Of course, that's not as hard to overcome as the disruption to the flow of learning is from the teacher and student standpoint. Especially when the time spent in Released Time is, as often occurs, used to encourage students to go back and proselytize.
A site reached through links from the Portland site, www.schoolministries.org , shows just how insidious the mission really is, if you read through the mission statements and belief pages. what is clearly stated is that Released Time is meant to be a back door into public schools. There is no difference between what goes on at Released Time and a regular church on a Sunday morning. The mere fact of a small separation of distance from the school doesn't negate the effect. And that site reports that in South Carolina Released Time can be used to get actual high school credits! Anyone else see something wrong with that?
Churches have meetings on their holy day as well as throughout the week. Children and families in any community have the chance to go to whatever meetings they like. There is no need to disrupt the school day. I wonder what my boss would think if I asked for Released Time from work. There is a time and a place, in other words.
Released Time has been challenged and upheld by the Supreme Court, as long as nothing takes place on school grounds. It's time for legislatures to look at codifying some clarification, especially in light of the constraints being placed on school districts because of budget woes. Can any school afford to allow weekly absences?
As an Atheist I see Released Time in the same way I see a virus, trying to infiltrate wherever it can by whatever means it can. I understand not everyone will see it that way, they might even think of Released Time as purely innocent. But any citizen should be concerned. We as a nation are supposed to be committed to a separation of church and state and the concept of providing a good and equal education.
The true test of Release Time and it's proponents would be if other groups started using it. Right now it's a Christian evangelical movement. What if Islamic clerics started using it as a tool? Or Wiccans? Or, what if I, as an Atheist, started an off-campus instruction class that talked about the evils of religion? Let that happen and see how committed they are to the idea of openness.
After all, the Portland site has the quote "We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation." So I should be equally allowed to bring students out of class to learn how they can join me in my damnation, right?
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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does it have a legit purpose at schools other than for off-campus bible lessons?
Comment by Jeff Musall
Comment by Morgan Bell
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