Lawsuit Alleges That Georgia Teacher Told Child Not to Listen To His Mother Because She Doesn’t ...

[AlbertCat]

... Believe in God

According to a damning new lawsuit from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, officials at Swainsboro Primary School (in Georgia) not only had children praying to the Christian God, they effectively punished the children of atheist parents by removing them from the classroom as these prayers occurred.

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When the parents first learned of the prayer practice in August 2014, they immediately contacted Principal Valorie Watkins to object. The teachers responded by telling the Doe children to leave their classrooms and sit in the hallway while the rest of their classes prayed. According to Jesse, the teacher “used her mean voice” when instructing Jesse to wait in the hallway.

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The lawsuit also adds that one of the teachers, Ms. Bright, told kids that Jesse had to sit in the hallway because the words “Under God” were in the Pledge, further ostracizing him from his classmates.

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On or about December 3, 2014, Bright held Jesse back from recess to talk to Jesse about Bright’s personal conception of the Christian god. Bright spent almost the entire recess period explaining her personal views on Christianity’s god: that God loves Jesse and that God made the world.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/02/10/lawsuit-alleges-that-georgia-teacher-told-child-not-to-listen-to-his-mother-because-she-doesnt-believe-in-god/

[trotsky]

1. Sadly, this is not surprising at all, even in this day and age.

Stuff like this is why "under god" is worth fighting over, despite what many on DU think. Those two little words are used to marginalize and attack children.

[skepticscott]

2. Yes, there are many folk in Religion

who think that nothing warrants atheists being "strident", "aggressive" or "in your face" any longer, now that full equality has been achieved, and that we should all STFU and defer meekly to religion, as they do.

[onager]

3. Commenters have been reading DU...

The Vicar > Lord Incaros • 5 hours ago

"Imagine how the Christians who are good, decent, self conscious, at least a little bit empathic people and not non-self righteous arrogant jerks feel"...

Yeah, I bet they're really upset. All three of them. The rest of them ignore this sort of stuff completely under "no true Scotsman" thinking, without skipping a beat.

Where I grew up (and may be moving back to soon), I see the same mindset. The Christers know the rules and flatly ignore them, on the grounds that "it can't hurt" or "it's for the child."

The local Board of Education will do absolutely nothing, until they're threatened with a massive lawsuit or the Feds step in. Then they'll bleat about "persecution."

And the Christers will just try to find sneakier ways to keep doing the same crap.

[trotsky]

6. Hmm I don't know about that comment.

Three Christians like that? That estimate seems a little high to me.

[marym625]

5. What complete bullshit

When you are talking about kids this young, as far as I am concerned, that's bullying.

God shouldn't be anywhere in government, politics or in public. No god of any religion

[Curmudgeoness]

7. You said it well.

God should not be in the public realm.....and one reason is not just because of atheists. When you are dealing with so many different beliefs, and so many differing views of god or gods, it is unfair to everyone who does not believe exactly the same as you do. Keep it out of government and the public...period. Problems solved.

[marym625]

9. Thanks!

So many people don't seem to understand the reasoning behind the separation of church and state. The Catholic School system started so the kids didn't have to be inundated with protestant beliefs.

[onager]

11. The Philadelphia Bible Riots...

During the 1840s, students in Philadelphia schools began the day with reading the Protestant version of the Bible. On November 10, 1842, Philadelphia's Roman Catholic Bishop, Francis Kenrick, wrote a letter to the Board of Controllers of public schools, asking that Catholic children be allowed to read the Douai version of the Bible, used by Roman Catholics. He also asked that they be excused from other religious teaching while at school.

And even way back in the 1840's, some people could see the real problem...

As a result, the Board of Controllers ordered that no child should be forced to participate in religious activities and stated that children were allowed whichever version of the Bible their parents wished.

...Hugh Clark denied this version of events and claimed that after finding out several students had left a Bible reading to read a different version of the Bible, he commented that if reading the Bible caused this kind of confusion, that it would be better if it was not read.

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

[marym625]

12. Great information

Thank you!

[Curmudgeoness]

14. I went to a grade school with many religions,

and a lot of Jewish kids. I don't remember Bible readings (although they may have happened), but if there were readings, I guarantee that it was Protestant Bible readings from the New Testament. And I do remember the Lord's Prayer, which was also Christian. I do remember all the fuss at Christmas and Easter with plays and Christian songs. I didn't really notice since I was being brought up in a Protestant religion, so it seemed normal to me.

However, I always felt sorry for the Jewish kids who had to just put up with it, even though they did not believe in Jesus. These were children of prominent citizens, and there was never any complaints from the Jewish community, although I am sure that they didn't care for it. At an early age, I didn't see why they should have to be subjected to other beliefs that were not theirs.

I did not know the reason that Catholic schools came about, but that does make sense.

[marym625]

10. Thank you.

[WillParkinson]

13. It was good of the teacher....

To share her bullshit.

<ugh>

[mountain grammy]

15. The "good Christians" I know are confused by the lawsuit.

no, really, they don't understand what the problem is..