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Idiot Public School Superintendent Upset Because He Can't Display The 10 Cs

Skwim

Veteran Member
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"A Ten Commandments plaque inside on Ohio middle school has finally been taken down.

Before this week, you would’ve seen it as you walk into the auditorium at Welty Middle School in the city of New Philadelphia.

It was apparently a gift from the Class of 1926 and had remained there ever since. But tradition is no excuse for leaving up a Christian plaque that says things like “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” and other examples of religious nonsense.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation called on the District to remove the illegal religious display back in April. They even cited a Pennsylvania school that settled a legal battle over an actual Ten Commandments monument in 2017, and had to pay attorneys’ fees of $163,500.

This school in Ohio was heading down that same path unless they fixed this problem.

So that’s exactly what they did. Last week, a lawyer for the District sent FFRF an email saying the plaque had been removed.

That should be the end of the story, but the District’s superintendent [David Brand]

david drand.png

IDIOT
is apparently furious. He told the Times-Reporter that FFRF basically functioned as bullies, sending a letter from Wisconsin and using “local media to further the issue.”

Both of those statements are idiotic. FFRF didn’t go looking for this case. Someone connected to the school informed them about it and requested their help. And FFRF doesn’t go to the media. The media comes to them.

If Superintendent David Brand wants to point fingers, he should point them at every administrator who allowed the Christian display to remain up over the years.

Brand admitted that Supreme Court rulings are not on his side — so FFRF is right — but then he acted like FFRF was trying to extort money from the schools, which is why he’s not fighting back.


… In addition to funding multi-year litigation, the District will divert staff, time, and energy from the District’s true purpose — student learning. Even more troubling, if the District’s case is unsuccessful as all other school cases have been, FFRF can seek for the District to pay FFRF’s legal fees, which have in at least one instance, exceeded $900,000.00. Clearly, challenging the issue legally would be an enormous risk and burden to the local taxpayers.


That’s right. It would be risky. It would be a burden. It would be completely irresponsible, too, since what the District is doing is illegal.

Brand should be thanking FFRF for helping them avoid litigation, not blaming them for noting the problems with a gift that should have been refused nearly a century ago."
source

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Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
Remember how thumping people over the head with a Bible pushed people away from religion?

What do you think FFRF is accomplishing now? ;) keep up the good work!
 

Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
You mean the Constitution, which is the basis behind FFRF's actions? But anyway, your claim is that opposing theocracy causes people to desire theocracy out of spite?

The Constitution doesn't cover this issue. So you're wrong about that.

Separation of Church and State doesnt apply here. The 10 commandments was donated to the school by private citizens in 1926. This doesn't violate the constitution because the school did not use funds to buy it or put it there. That's as far as the constitution covers for this particular issue.

When you to try force people against their will to accept something they don't desire it causes them to push back, it also attracts others that are rebellious, and then movements begin to grow from that.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
The Constitution doesn't cover this issue. So you're wrong about that.

Separation of Church and State doesnt apply here. The 10 commandments was donated to the school by private citizens in 1926. This doesn't violate the constitution because the school did not use funds to buy it or put it there. That's as far as the constitution covers for this particular issue.

When you to try force people against their will to accept something they don't desire it causes them to push back, it also attracts others that are rebellious, and then movements begin to grow from that.
It applies for exactly the same reason that the class of '26 installed the plaque: to promote these Christian ideals. And public schools are not allowed to promote religious ideology.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
I HIT A GOLD MINE! :D

But you do have a point I've been mulling over. Christian stupidity and misbehavior is so rampant that it's no longer novel, so expect much less of these garden variety kinds of Christian misadventures. Sorry to disappoint. ;)

.
It doesn't bother me. Stupid is stupid. I cannot deny it. And there is plenty of stupid to point and laugh at.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Based on the more SCOTUS decisions, we need to be all inclusive (in terms of allowing various religious displays) or all exclusive when it comes to religious displays on public property, including public schools.

So, if instead of the Ten Commandments the display was the Islamic "Fire Pillars of Faith" or the Buddhist "Four Noble Truths", what would be the reaction by those protesting this if they were forced to be taken down?
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
The plaque has been there since the 1920s so there's clearly a historical significance with it. I probably would have gone for a disclaimer donated by the class of 1926 with maybe a little story about it. I figure it's been there all this while, and now it's only getting challenged?

I don't think atheists should ought to really care in cases of historicy aside from maybe adding on a disclaimer or something. It's not like the thing had magical powers just by reading it turned one into a raving theist. I think most students would see it is just a piece of the woodwork by now.

But it's all said and done. Nobody got killed by it's removal and the world hasn't ended.

Maybe in its place they should put up a plaque more appropriate like the significance of the 3 R's.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
The topic was specific. Unless there were theist groups or individuals we weren't aware of that contested the plaque in question.
Thats really no different than assuming the ACLU is a bunch of Christian haters, despite the fact they have defended and represented tons of Christians.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Thats really no different than assuming the ACLU is a bunch of Christian haters, despite the fact they have defended and represented tons of Christians.
Well the ACLU doesn't strike me as a specifically religious organization.
 

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Remember how thumping people over the head with a Bible pushed people away from religion?

What do you think FFRF is accomplishing now? ;) keep up the good work!
I want to see the text be outlawed actually. Makes it more mysterious!!!! Lol.

" thou shalt not read from that text or forever ye shall be banished".

Why that would be biblical.
 

Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
It applies for exactly the same reason that the class of '26 installed the plaque: to promote these Christian ideals. And public schools are not allowed to promote religious ideology.

The school is not allowed to spend govt money to promote ideology. If private citizens pay for a plague or statue, and the board approves it. It can be displayed.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
The topic was specific. Unless there were theist groups or individuals we weren't aware of that contested the plaque in question.
Just take a look around here. Clearly, this isn't an atheist thing. What youre saying is no different than claiming the separation of church and state is an atheist invention when in reality Baptists were some of the biggest supporters of keeping state and church separate.
 
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Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
It makes me wonder how many schools are out there where Christian stuff is displayed, but nobody has complained yet.

The Christian faith permeates the US. I was watching Jeopardy the other night, and the 3 teens were a Hindu, a Muslim, and a Christian. When the very often 'Bible' topic came up, the Christian kid got all 5 answers correct, while the other two looked dumbfounded. He went on the win, and the opportunity for some decent money.
 
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