Tennessee School District Sued Over Ties to Evangelistic Crusade

FOX News via AP | 5/12/03 | Unknown

[AppyPappy]

I would have problems believing that ANY 14 year-old isn't harassed. Geeky kids who draw attention to themselves get harassed. It probably has nothing to do with the subject at hand. And 14 year-old girls are partial to hyperbole. I think the little goosestepper can't stand to see others having a good time.

[Pete]

This article is extremely bias. The entire article is written in support of the lawsuit. The only exception is this single sentence where in a legal response, the school denies the charges.

In a May 2 legal response, school officials said they acted appropriately, denied the attacks happened, or said they were unaware of them.

Here is another example of the bias contained in this article.

Paganism is an ancient religious tradition that embraces kinship with nature, positive morality and the idea that there is both a female and male side of Deity.

Here we have everything the PC crowd loves - environmental worship, good feelings and feminism. Note that this definition of 'Paganism' is chosen to suit the author's agenda. Also note the irony in the fact that environmental worship, good feelings (e.g self-esteem) and feminism are precisely what is currently taught in public schools. According to this author's chosen definitions, such teachings should be banned due to religious concerns (i.e Paganism).

[Zavien Doombringer]

She should be fully protected to practice her pagan religion as she see's fit, as long as it doesn't cause physical harm to another person.

I don't think you see the point. She is allowed to practice her "religion". Acording to the law, the Schools can encourage it.

If one entire religion is disallowed because one child is 'uncomfortable' then ALL religons should be banned.

Why should all religions be banned because ONE person is uncomfortable? That ONE person needs to get a grip! "The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the one". Tell me why make 1300 people uncomfortable because of 1 complaint?

[Blood of Tyrants]

I have figured it out. That clown was reading from his copy of the socialist USSR Constitution where there IS a 'seperation of church and state' clause.

[jimt]

And, of course, you'd have no problem with you kids being "encouraged" to go on a pilgrammage to Mecca for 3 days, right?

Or attending a three-day Satanist Mass. After all, religious expression is appropriate everywhere, anytime.

[AppyPappy]

As long as it is voluntary, why would I care?

[Michael.SF.]

Are you suggesting that it's okay for students to assault one another over religious differences? I disapprove of this whole situation - and I'm an evangelical Christian - because it promotes the mob mentality that is already too much a part of schooling.

These are two different problems:

Harrassment - No child should be harrassed because of her parents or her own beliefs and tolerance needs to be taught to those who are harrassing her.

The Field Trip - Since this is voluntary and the school does not fund it, then there should be no reason to object to the trip. In this case the Pagan's need to be tolerant of the other children's right to express their own religious beliefs.

The parents of the girl are placing the blame on the field trip, which they object to, and are not owning up to the fact that their own bizarre beliefs may be having a negative effect on their own child.

Why did they need to let others know that they are Pagans? Probable answer: they are more interested in their 'cause' (either promoting Paganism or stopping the field trip), then they are in their own childs welfare.

[Belial]

Sending kids to a Christian revival for a field trip is just plain bizarre.

[Zavien Doombringer]

I believe the Federalist Papers may clear up this confusion.
Thomas Jeferson was an advocate for the freedom of religion and wanted to make sure that government would not have any control over man's covictions to worship God, or a deity. He did quote, a separation of church and state should be maintained, only in defence of freedom to worship, not for the government to be Atheistic. Religion plays an important role in our government and with out religion, our laws would be morally corrupt. Our Constitution was based on the premise of a Supreme Godhead that truth and justice will be judged by Him (God).

[Kuksool]

{Why should all religions be banned because ONE person is uncomfortable? That ONE person needs to get a grip!}

According to the rules of political correctness, liberals have a right not to be offended.

[stainlessbanner]

Let's keep this in perspective:

• Parental permission required
• Voluntary
• 2 hours over 3 days

If India and her parents were so against this activity, why give her permission to participate in a voluntary activity? I'm sure she could have stayed in a classroom and done homework or read her beloved pagan books.

I agree with you, TennBob - This is a setup - they are after money.

[AppyPappy]

No more bizarre then sending them to a Native American ceremony or an anti-drug rally.

[Blood of Tyrants]

You apparently didn't get the sarcastic tone of my post. I'll use the </sarcasm> symbol the next time.

This is just another blatant attempt to stick the federal government in where it doesn't belong. You have freedom of religon, not freedom FROM religion. Teachers shouldn't be proselitizing but neither should they be prohibited from saying a silent prayer or wearing religions symbols.

[joesnuffy]

Fourteen-year-old India Tracy said she was harassed and attacked by classmates for nearly three years after she declined to attend Baptist Pastor Gary Beeler's annual crusade because of her family's pagan religion.

She was the only girl on the middle school football team.

And of course by her report she was harrassed for her satanic religious beliefs alone? Yeah right!

[Zavien Doombringer]

Sending kids to a Christian revival for a field trip is just plain bizarre.

No, that isn't bizarre to those that are accustomed to it. Teaching a homosexual and Alternative lifestyle is. Changing the truth of God into a lie is not only bizarre (confusion) but an abomination, yet the schools make that mandatory!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Where exactly do you see it that teachers and principals are encouraging the children to go? Where do you see it that it was the government sponsoring ANY of the activities?

[Zavien Doombringer]

Ah, sarcasm...I love it! I agree, teachers shouldn't proselitizing,(coaxing people from one church to thiers) but expressing faith isn't proselitizing. I agree also there isn't a freedom from religion. Atheists don't even relize that Atheism is a "religion". Atheists proclaim there isn't a God, yet they believe they are incharge of themselves. Only when they realize they aren't in control of thier environment, does thier "natural instinct" to call on God kick in!

[Blood of Tyrants]

You mean ALLOWING them to go with their parent's permission? How DARE they!

[Belial]

No more bizarre then sending them to a Native American ceremony or an anti-drug rally.

No, it's totally different.

Native American ceremonies are mostly a matter of history, in no small part thanks to the earlier efforts of zealous Christians. The purpose of exposing kids to this is to give them an awareness of a culture most are not familiar with. It's certainly not to tell them to pray to the rain god or affirm his existence. Can you say the same about the Christian revival?

An anti-drug rally, while still retaining elements of propaganda, is essentially sending a health message to kids. And that kind of thing is necessary and useful to some degree.

The bottom line here is these Christians, like fundamentalists of any religion, want EVERYONE to convert to their set of beliefs. In case you've forgotten your history, there are reasons we have limited the reach of these fanatics.