Posted on 01/07/2014 1:51:42 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Parents are threatening legal action against a Southern California school district after their six-year-old son was told he could not pass out candy canes with religious messages taped to them because "Jesus is not allowed in school."
Isaiah Martinez, a six-year-old student at Merced Elementary School in West Covina, Calif., arrived to school on Dec. 13, planning to pass out candy canes with religious messages to his fellow students in celebration of the upcoming Christmas season. After the boy's teacher consulted with the school principal, he reportedly told the student that he could not pass out the religious messages because "Jesus is not allowed in school." The boy was still allowed to pass out the candy canes, but the teacher reportedly threw the religious-themed messages in the trash.
The messages, which were written on tiny slips of paper and attached to each candy cane, told of the legend of the candy cane and how it was created. The messages said that each detail of the peppermint-flavored candy is meant to represent the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. Martinez had reportedly learned of the candy cane legend from his sister, who helped him create the messages and attach them to each holiday candy.
"I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today," the message included with each candy cane reportedly read.
The Martinez family is now being represented by Robert Tyler, general counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a nonprofit group that seeks to protect religious liberty. Tyler said in a recent letter to the West Covina Unified School District that Isaiah's family demands a written apology, as well as the implementation of a school policy that protects students from experiencing "hostility" from school staff regarding religious affiliation. The proposed policy would also require teachers and other school officials to be trained on the First Amendment rights of their students at least once a year. If the school district does not respond by Jan. 13, Advocates for Faith and Freedom will be forced to take legal action, the letter concludes.
"The pendulum has swung so far in the opposite direction that public schools are becoming a place of hostility toward Christian and other religiously-based worldviews," Tyler said in a news release discussing Martinez's case. "It's time to push the pendulum back in the right direction where kids can experience true tolerance without religiously motivated hostility from their teachers and school officials."
Tyler added in the statement that his nonprofit group has received a surge of phone calls from parents across the country who say their students are victims of religious bullying, not by fellow students but rather by teachers and school officials.
After his parents addressed the incident with the school, Martinez was reportedly allowed to hand out the candy canes, equipped with the religious messages, days later outside of school property.
Superintendent Debra Kaplan said in a statement that the district is still in the process of investigating Martinez's claims.
"The District's overriding concern was and is to honor and respect the beliefs of all students in matters of religion. To that end, the District strives to maintain neutrality in matters of religion, and to observe students' rights of expression, in a manner that does not conflict with the rights of other students," Kaplan said. "During the holiday season, and particularly when young elementary students are involved, this can require difficult balancing."
Kaplan added that the issue is still being investigated, and the district will respond to Tyler's letter "in a manner consistent with our policies and the rights of all students of the district."
A similar incident took place in 2003, when a school principal in the Plano Independent School District in Texas prevented a third-grade student from passing out candy-cane shaped pens including a similar message detailing how the origins on the candy cane symbolize the life of Jesus Christ. Parents filed a lawsuit against the school district for violating the boy's First Amendment rights to religious freedom, and the case is still winding its way through courts.
In another recent case, a 10-year-old student at Lucy Elementary School near Nashville, Tenn. was forced to throw out her school assignment after she described God as her idol. The teacher reportedly told her she could not write about God in school, and made her take her assignment off school property. The girl's second choice of Michael Jackson as an idol was approved by the teacher. The Shelby School District has since apologized for the incident, saying the teacher and school officials had been confused about how to handle the situation.
“...The phrase therefor does not exist in our Constitution. Anywhere. Just saying.”
Absolutely. Just throwing their own terminology back at them.;p The Progressives love to quote that. But if you put it correctly, it should be separation of the state from church/personal religious belief. In other words, the state has no right to interfere in our freedom to express our deeply held religious beliefs.
If a Jew or Buddhist were to pass a message to my child ( and I am a Christian ) telling her the POSITIVE case for their religion, why should I take offense?
I wrote in haste; you are correct that I should have made my example a positive thing about Jewish theology.
But I do not believe anything that smacks of proselytizing kids of other religions would truly appeal to their Christian parents. I think you are just saying that. I am find with adults trying to convert me to what they love so much, but I am sorry — I do NOT want them reaching out to my child. I don’t think you do, either.
I agree that I also want my children to be a positive example and strong in their own faith, but I’d prefer it discussed with a neutral (for the sake of the discussion) adult in charge, and an open discussion of how different families believe.
Not a theological message from one family re their religion. I think some of you are not realizing how you might react for real. Imagine your child has a darling little friend, Achmed, and one day your child gets a present with a “come to know the joys of Islam, and her prophet Mohammed” message. Might you not think, well, that would be fine if the family were over for an event and the child gave your child this gift, but maybe not right in a public school?
RE: But I do not believe anything that smacks of proselytizing kids of other religions would truly appeal to their Christian parents.
I am probably one of the exceptions. I LOVE discussing religion. And I don’t mind people trying to share their faith with me ( heck, if I can do it, who am I to stop someone from doing the same ? If I enjoy this right in America, why would I not want the same right for someone else?).
So, no, I don’t mind someone talking to me or my child about his/her religion at all.
I have spoken to Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhists and Muslims, regarding their faith. The more I understand what they believe, the more it STRENGTHENS and CONVINCES me that they can’t be the truth.
As for my children, I believe that teaching them to THINK CRITICALLY is one of the best gifts a parent can impart to them — whether it is about religion, politics or morality.
If you all feel it’s fine, for any child of any faith to deliver such a message, then you really are open minded about your children’s religious exposure. I wonder if that is really true, though.
I wonder if each of you, upon seeing a thread where a Christian parent was upset that her child received Eid gifts (are there such?) with messages about the joys of Islam in her public school, would scold that parent for being upset, because you welcomed loving, open religious gifts and messages at school. Or would you agree, that you send your child to school to learn math, reading, and history, not the love of Islam??? Be honest.
I wondered the same thing.
Get over yourself. If we will ever be able to destroy the evil that surrounds us it will be with absolute open and fearless truth. WEe can not hide behind so called mediators who have no belief and little character. Our children must be able to deal with each other.
Yes, I want my child to be able to meet Achmed and deal with his lies and fraud. I trust the grounding in truth my child has received. I have open trust with my child and will give her the tools she needs to deal with the evil and deceit in the world.
I absolutely want my child to meet and know the beliefs of her playmates. What precisely are you afraid of? Have you taught your children well? You can not protect them from lies and liars. You can only protect them by giving them absolute truth and the willing passion to stand on firm ground.
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Jesus can be proved (at lot more easily than mohammud) a valid religious figure in history.
To answer your question ... of course .. NO
But given the choice of;
would you like to hear a story about a real nice guy that did nothing but good and holy while on earth ... and a guy that did nothing but kill, rape and pillage while on earth ...
I'll take the good guy and campaign against the other guy.
And fight the one that promotes the bad guy ... or that defends the bad guys' right to be heard.
Let me know when you name your daughter Jezabel
well said, and right on the point!!!!
AND John Locke DID confess Jesus as savior and was not a deist, as many are led to believe.
I think you are a bit confused. This child shared a candy cane that came with a story about symbolism that involved Jesus Christ. I am very open to my children hearing stories about the symbolism of any religion and there is no shame in their hearing it at school.
What I would not want is for there to be a mandatory service or ceremony of any religion in school. People are so hyper-sensitized that they forget that the protection is that the Government cannot establish a state religion not that the state cannot mention religion or God. What a travesty American has become with the attempts of liberals and atheists to sanitize America so that no one need be exposed to the sight of someone praying or have to hear someone talk about their relationship to their God. Freedom of speech has become a casualty of political correctness of which this is only one form. Get over yourself. The mention of God, Jesus or Allah can be a positive force and while we have different religions our faiths can bridge the gap.
They might ought to be careful who they pick a fight with:
Matthew 28 (New King James Version)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[c] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.[d]
Psalm 2
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom
2 Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break[a] them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,[b] lest [c] He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
BINGO!!!!
This really says it all, doesn’t it?
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Article 52 [Religion]
(1) Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed freedom of conscience, that is, the right to profess or not to profess any religion, and to conduct religious worship or atheistic propaganda. Incitement of hostility or hatred on religious grounds is prohibited.
(2) In the USSR, the church is separated from the state, and the school from the church.
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Liberals read a different Constitution, my FRiend.
Jefferson simply quotes the First Amendment then uses a metaphor, the "wall", to separate the government from interfering with religious practice. Notice that the First Amendment puts Restrictions only on the Government, not the People! The Warren Court re-interpreted the First Amendment thus putting the restrictions on the People! Today the government can stop you from Praying in school, reading the Bible in school, showing the Ten Commandments in school, or have religious displays at Christmas. This is quite different from the wall Jefferson envisioned, protecting the people from government interference with Religious practice.
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