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Teacher Faces Suspension for Sharing Bible Verse (NJ)
Foxnews ^

Posted on 12/13/2012 5:20:46 PM PST by Red in Blue PA

A longtime substitute teacher in Phillipsburg, NJ, faces a 90-day suspension after he was accused of sharing a Bible verse with a student – and then giving the child a Bible.

The Phillipsburg School Board said Walter Tutka broke two policies – distributing religious literature on school grounds and another policy that directs teachers to be neutral when discussing religious material. The controversy has generated outrage among the region’s religious community – with many claiming that Tutka is being “persecuted” for simply being a Christian. The electrical company retiree is a well-respected member of the community.

“Just remember, son,” Tutka told the tardy student, “The first shall be last but the last shall be first.” A few days later the student asked about the origins of the quote. Tutka told him it was in the Bible. “Over the next few weeks, the young student asked about a half dozen times where the quote was from in the Bible,” Imhof told Fox News. “Walt kept forgetting to look it up.” On Oct. 12th, Tutka was eating lunch in the cafeteria when the student approached and brought up the Bible verse. So Tutka took out his Bible and showed the student the verse. At some point the student mentioned that he did not have a Bible. “Walt basically said, ‘would you like mine?” Imhof said. “The student said yes and so Walt gave him his personal New Testament.” It’s unclear who reported Tutka to administration officials. But several days later he was summoned to the front office and Tutka, who had subbed for 28 out of the last 30 days, was sent home. To date, he has not been called back. The school superintendent did not return multiple calls seeking comment.

(Excerpt) Read more at radio.foxnews.com ...


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To: Red in Blue PA

the left “shares” their environmental religion with my children every freaking day!!!!!


21 posted on 12/13/2012 7:15:15 PM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: PieterCasparzen
Athiests go all off on religion - just Christianity - no other religion.

The fact that they only go off on Christianity makes it obvious which faith is true. Sometimes I even wonder why Satan is so obvious about it, tipping his hand that way.

22 posted on 12/13/2012 7:34:46 PM PST by Nea Wood (When life gets too hard to stand, kneel.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

Since when is the BIBLE not considered a book available in most libraries? Give her the book for her personal library. It is a teaher’s job to encourage kids to read so what is the problem with these people.

It’s not like she was giving the child a copy of LADY CHATTERLY’S LOVER or CANDY. (Dang! That just revealed my age!)


23 posted on 12/13/2012 8:35:48 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (SAVE THE SUMATRAN RAT MONKEY!)
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To: Red in Blue PA

How about if we let parents and not public school teachers give children Bibles or other religious texts?

I doubt anyone here would want a public school teacher giving their children a religious book that is not in accordance with their belief.

The teacher should be fired.


24 posted on 12/13/2012 8:36:31 PM PST by OKRA2012
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To: Nea Wood
The fact that they only go off on Christianity makes it obvious which faith is true. Sometimes I even wonder why Satan is so obvious about it, tipping his hand that way.

The Bible tells us that in the end times unbelievers will be under a great delusion. The last election was certainly proof that those days are here. They don't have to disguise their agenda anymore so they don't even try anymore.

25 posted on 12/13/2012 8:40:05 PM PST by Smittie
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To: OKRA2012
I doubt anyone here would want a public school teacher giving their children a religious book that is not in accordance with their belief.

Count me as one person who would never support book banning. If a teacher wants to give my kid a book on any religion, I would have no problem. I encourage my children to learn about everything, especially other beliefs. Why in the world would I fear my kids being exposed to other beliefs?

26 posted on 12/13/2012 9:17:54 PM PST by Raycpa
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To: Red in Blue PA

Terrible terrible mistake. He should have found a young pregnant student and driven her across state lines to get an abortion. They would have hired him full-time.


27 posted on 12/13/2012 9:27:54 PM PST by Dogbert41 (What now?)
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To: Red in Blue PA
Koran verse, Kwaanza sayings, condoms, okay.
Quote from the Bible, SUSPENDED.
What are they so scared of?

Real easy. They are scared that if they let this go by, it could happen again. And then again, until eventually some kid learns that adultery is a sin rather than just a common-place activity, and he/she knows that a father/mother/relative is involved in adultery, and throws the sin in their face. That is when the parent hires a nuisance lawyer, brings a suit, and the school board becomes accountable for the big expense.

No matter who wins, the school administrator is held to be responsible for permitting this to happen nless he/she nips it in the bud), and loses his/her job. Plus won't be hired again by another school because of lack of CYA common-sense knee-jerk reaction to the very first possibility that a teacher under ones authority has disobeyed the widespread standing rule: no religious activity by the teacher on school property. Period. It's all CYA.

(In the above, for the sin named above substitute sodomy, lesbianism, fornicating, remarriage adultery, atheism, etc. Same result.)

The banning of islamizing or kwanzaizing would also happen if parents rose up against teaching heathen practices as being OK, and obtained strong court judgments awarding offended parents against the school district thus influencing their children. But they don't. They just sit back and whine.

This is exactly what the atheists want.

28 posted on 12/13/2012 10:52:50 PM PST by imardmd1
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To: Raycpa

Parents should be able to choose their kid’s reading material,and in this case in New Jersey the parents objected.


29 posted on 12/14/2012 12:00:44 AM PST by OKRA2012
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To: Red in Blue PA

Separate school and state, before it is too late.


30 posted on 12/14/2012 12:10:29 AM PST by EternalVigilance (Obamacare is the socialist cancer of the New Deal metastasized.)
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To: Nea Wood
Sometimes I even wonder why Satan is so obvious about it, tipping his hand that way.

'he' is only tipping his hand to the initiated.
The Sheep will always follow the self righteous bleating of the biggest loudmouth in the room, regardless of whether it is right or wrong.
Um…ever been to a Town hall meeting?

31 posted on 12/14/2012 3:06:29 AM PST by moose07 (The truth will out, one day.)
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To: ilovesarah2012

This is easy to say if the religion being promulgated in the school is yours. However, there is more than one religion willing to proselytize in the schools, and some go to lengths to do so without parental knowledge or approval.

How would you feel if a teacher were handing out Korans?

This being said, there are two sides to secularism. The good side is neutrality, where there is an agreement among the religious that children of one religion should not be taught religion by teachers of another religion, because they are a captive audience, by law, and subject to inappropriate influence.

The other side of secularism is the anti-religious side, that can be just as obnoxious in its proselytizing, attempting to sway children away from not just their religion, but to reject any religion. This is anything but neutral, but pretends to be.

In any event, for many years now, public schools have been forced into a state of neutrality. And still, where one particular religion dominates a school, there is almost a guarantee that students not of that religion will be in many ways leaned on by teachers and other students. And at the same time, there is always a continual pressure to be anti-religious as well.

So ignore neutrality at your own risk. As beneficial as the effect you are certain your faith would provide, there are other faiths just as determined to exploit an opening in schools as well.


32 posted on 12/14/2012 5:51:28 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Pennies and Nickels will NO LONGER be Minted as of 1/1/13 - Tim Geithner, US Treasury Sect)
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To: Red in Blue PA
“One of the Gideons in our local camp is from the Soviet Union,” Imhof said. “In most countries overseas we are allowed to go into public schools and give Bibles to students. But since this is America – you can’t do it here.” “When the Soviet Union fells, Bibles were allowed in the schools, people could pray in the schools,” Hussey said. “It seems we have more persecution in America than they do in Russia.”

This is the education complex at work. Our taxes built them, and we are going to have to reign them in.Soon.

33 posted on 12/14/2012 6:08:15 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: Red in Blue PA

A little over fifty years ago, we used to read the 23rd Psalm at the beginning of class. It was an honor to be chosen to read it, or another selection the teacher chose, in public school.

How far have we fallen. When do we say, “Enough!”?


34 posted on 12/14/2012 6:11:00 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

The PTO in kids’ elementary school (public) meets in the school library. I noticed at last month’s meeting that there were copies of the Bible on the shelf. I haven’t asked my 8th grader if they have copies in their library, but I would bet they do.

At that meeting, the principal was asked if she had ever had a problem with parents giving her grief about having Christmas parties and programs (and calling them as such). She said she hadn’t, but that she would lose her job before she called them anything other than Christmas parties or programs because that’s what was being celebrated. I love small towns ;)


35 posted on 12/14/2012 6:15:11 AM PST by Hoosier Catholic Momma (How long till my Arkansas drawl fades into the twang of southeast Ohio?)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy
How would you feel if a teacher were handing out Korans?The Bible contains the story of a fallen mankind, and God's grace toward it. It has the power of God behind it. Not the power of death and destruction, like the Koran.

The Scripture is God-breathed, not from the mind of murdering pedophile like Mohammed.

The Bible has shown for centuries how to elevate man, not debase him, like the Koran does. No comparison.

36 posted on 12/14/2012 6:18:44 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: exit82

“One of the Gideons in our local camp is from the Soviet Union,” Imhof said. “In most countries overseas we are allowed to go into public schools and give Bibles to students. But since this is America – you can’t do it here.” “When the Soviet Union fells, Bibles were allowed in the schools, people could pray in the schools,” Hussey said. “It seems we have more persecution in America than they do in Russia.”

_____________________________

How true this is. I am so tired of the US IS THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD! crowd.

We were. We are not any more. Our freedoms have been seeped away by our dictators. Our will has been sapped by our keepers. I know there are exceptions and you are probably one, but we live in a weak-kneed country, cowed by laws and leftists, and we live in fear.

We are becoming the Soviets. Only we will be worse. OUr dictators are using racial/ethnic groups against each other to keep us in line.

We are no longer a great country. We are not even a good country. If I could I would leave, except I have nowhere to go.

I am an average person. Trying to manage in an average way. I pay my taxes, fill out forms and manage the out of control buracracy in my life to the best of my ability. BUT IN NO WAY AM I UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT I AM FREE. OR THAT MY LIFE IS BETTER THAN MY FOREFATHERS.


37 posted on 12/14/2012 6:26:40 AM PST by Chickensoup (Leftist Totalitarian Fascism coming to a country like yours.)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

Western Civ is based on the Bible. All children from all religions who come to the West better understand that. Korans? Not of Western Civ. Not ok.


38 posted on 12/14/2012 6:30:02 AM PST by Chickensoup (Leftist Totalitarian Fascism coming to a country like yours.)
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To: Chickensoup

CS, I could have written that post of yours, word for word.

At almost 59 years of age, I was alive when our country was much different—and much better.

Something in our nation changed after Kennedy’s assassination in Nov. 1963. We were shocked and weakened by it, and other forces began to assert themselves to tear at the fabric of our culture.

As I look back over the past fifty years, I see that only the Presidency of Ronald Reagan brought us anywhere near the greatness we once had as a people.

The mid 1960s onward brought us big government,big welfare,big education, hippies, dippies, yuppies,dinks, 60 million abortions, high divorce rates,race riots, student riots, the sapping of our faith, will and foreign prestige by those we entrusted to govern us.

Now, our backs are truly against the wall, and we are realizing this is not a drill, this is the end of the road if we don’t fight back.

I have resolved to fight back.

I owe at least that to those who came before and sacrificed so I could have the slice of life I vividly remember from 1955-1963, when a person could do anything, and the future was as bright as could be.

Since 1945, we have freed hundreds of millions of people from dictators and from Communism. I’ll be damned if we fall to Communism on my watch.


39 posted on 12/14/2012 6:42:02 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: Chickensoup
"One of the Gideons in our local camp is from the Soviet Union," Imhof said. "In most countries overseas we are allowed to go into public schools and give Bibles to students. But since this is America - you can't do it here."

I remember receiving a New Testament in 5th grade, I think from the Gideons. This was a public school about 30 years ago. Granted, it was in the Bible belt, but I wonder when that changed.

That same elementary school was in the news a couple of years ago for telling a student he couldn't read his Bible during recess.

40 posted on 12/14/2012 6:48:16 AM PST by tnlibertarian
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