Florida may expand prayer, religious expression in public schools

[Heddi]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-reg-school-religious-expression-20170306-story.html

All Florida students could soon be free to publicly pray and share religious views in school.

Lawmakers are considering a bill that would clarify, and in some cases expand, how students can express their religious beliefs in public schools.

“I grew up in an America where you were free to express your faith. There was no intimidation. You could say Jesus out loud,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, the bill’s sponsor. “The pendulum has swung so far, and there’s been a chilling effect on people of faith expressing and being who they are.”

Under the “Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act,” which passed the Senate’s Education Committee on Monday:

School districts could not discriminate against students, parents or school personnel based on their “religious viewpoint or religious expression.”
Students would be allowed to express their religious beliefs in written or oral assignments.
Students could wear clothing, accessories and jewelry that display a religious message or symbol to the same extent secular messages or symbols are allowed.
Students could pray and engage in or organize religious activities before, during or after school.
Teachers and other school employees could not be prevented from participating in religious activities on school grounds before or after school, as long the activities were initiated by students and didn’t conflict with the employees’ job responsibilities.

..

One of the incidents cited Monday occurred in Broward County in 2014. A 12-year-old student at Park Lakes Elementary in Lauderdale Lakes was told he couldn’t read the Bible during a free reading period. Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie later apologized and said the teacher’s actions were wrong.

...

Florida Citizens for Science, a group that advocates for the teaching of evolution, also has voiced concerns. The provision that allows teachers to express their religious views “can kick open the door for creationists and even climate change deniers in instructional positions to freely express their anti-science views in the classroom,” the group wrote on its blog.

[Heddi]

1. Lawmakers push for more religious liberties in Florida public schools

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article136810518.html

ALLAHASSEE
Students and teachers in Florida’s public schools would more explicitly have the right to say the Lord’s Prayer, pray to Allah or worship Satan under a highly polarizing measure that’s being fast-tracked through the Florida Senate as the 2017 session begins this week.

Called a “religious liberties” bill, SB 436 is intended to “clarify First Amendment rights of free speech, specifically as they apply to religious expression,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, a conservative Republican from Ocala who’s driving the measure in the Senate.

“I grew up in an America where you were free to express your faith, and there was no intimidation of whether you could say ‘Jesus’ out loud or not,” Baxley said. “This is where we’ve come: The pendulum has swung so far that there’s been a chilling effect on people of faith of just expressing and being who they are.”

While comments before the Senate Education Committee on Monday heavily emphasized a need to protect Christians, Baxley’s bill would shield students, teachers and school staff of all faiths from religious discrimination — protections already guaranteed through the Florida and U.S. Constitutions, as well as U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

WITHOUT THIS FREE RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION, WE ARE IN FACT ESTABLISHING A STATE-SPONSORED RELIGION: IT’S CALLED SECULAR HUMANISM — AND IF YOU BELIEVE ANYTHING ELSE, THEN YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE QUIET.

...
“Equality Florida firmly supports freedom of religion, but we also know that religion is sometimes used as a license to discriminate,” said Hannah Willard, public policy director for the LGBT-rights group. “[The bill] is written in such a broad way ... that it could allow for unsafe situations for those who are religious minorities or LGBTQ or are in any way outside traditional conservative Christianity.”

When asked about potential discrimination against religious minorities, Baxley told the Herald/Times: “I don’t think we’re the ones that are intolerant at this stage.” He clarified that by “we” he meant the “Christian family.”

“Maybe that was true at some point in history, but right now, that’s not where the intolerance is coming from,” Baxley said.
...
Lighthouse Point Democratic Sen. Gary Farmer, who cast one of the opposing votes on Monday, objected to the “coercive nature” of the bill. He said he already sees peer pressure among students through the occasional prayer circles at basketball games his daughter plays in.

“If they choose not to participate, it makes it looks as though they’re shunning or not being respectful of that religion and it does make them uncomfortable to the point where they feel almost compelled to be a part of that activity,” Farmer said. “I think for many students of what I’ll call minority faiths, these types of activities at school events could be seen to them as somewhat coercive and divisive.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article136810518.html#storylink=cpy

[TBA]

3. Oh Hell No!

If one religion is allowed in schools ALL religions should be allowed in schools. Hail Satan! Hail Satan! Hail Satan!

[Heddi]

4. Dennis Baxley: Protecting free speech in schools

http://www.ocala.com/opinion/20170310/dennis-baxley-xfeffprotecting-free-speech-in-schools

This proposed bill, SB 436, "Religious Expression in Public Schools," is not in response to a crisis or a high-profile case. The time to clarify is not in the middle of a crisis, but the trend is clear to people of faith. Expressions of faith have been stifled in our public schools. This proposal is not intended as a criticism of our school administration; we have left them without clarity on this issue. Free speech does not stop at the school property line, and this statute will give clarity and direction on how to preserve this constitutional right without authorizing disruption and disharmony.

..
Without this free religious expression, we are in fact establishing a state-sponsored religion — secular humanism.

Let Freedom Ring!

— State Sen. Dennis Baxley serves District 12 in the Florida Senate, which includes the southern third of Marion County.

[atreides1]

2. Uh huh

This will work until a non-Christian tries it!


Most people of "faith" on the right, are hypocrites...and are more likely to spit on a homeless person then they are to help them!!!

[HAB911]

5. If a non-Christian trys it

they will just get bullied and beaten up, it's what supremacists do

[Heddi]

6. (Florida) Senate Education Committee Passes Religious Liberties Act

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/senate-education-committee-passes-religious-liberties-act

The Florida Senate Committee on Education today passed Senate Bill 436 by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Lady Lake, Religious Expression in Public Schools. Senate President Joe Negron emphasized it Tuesday during his Opening Day speech as a bill he favors.

The legislation creates the “Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act,” and specifies that a school district may not discriminate against a student, parent, or school personnel on the basis of a religious viewpoint or religious expression.
..
“We should be encouraging, rather than preventing our students from expressing their religious convictions,” said Baxley. “This legislation safeguards Freedom of Religion by protecting our students from being discriminated against based on the free expression of their religious ideals in spoken word or prayer, attire, school assignments, and extracurricular activities.”
..
Districts must allow a religious group access to the same school facilities for assembling as a secular group without discrimination. Additionally, the bill requires school districts to adopt a policy that establishes a limited public forum for student speakers at any school event at which a student is to speak publicly. The legislation also requires the Florida Department of Education to develop and publish on its website a model policy regarding a limited public forum and the voluntary expression of religious viewpoints by students and school personnel in public schools. The model policy must be adopted and implemented by each district school board

[trotsky]

7. Ugh. n/t

[guillaumeb]

8. Elections have consequences.

Vote for the GOP and this is to be expected.

[Lordquinton]

9. Incoming church of Satan overturn

For a group that's actually fighting for religious freedom, they sure get a lot of crap.