NC School Allows Christian Preachers to Target Kids During Lunch Hour

[Skwim]

.

"Lunch period is supposed to be a time when students can go to the cafeteria and catch up with their friends.

That’s not what happened last year at Hope Middle School in Greenville, North Carolina. Apparently, students there were regularly approached by Christians eager to catch new converts.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation says that members of WyldLife, a branch of the proselytizing Christian group Young Life that targets pre-teens, were permitted to preach to kids during their lunch periods once a week while collecting their contact information. That information was later used to speak with the kids outside of school hours.

In a letter send to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker, FFRF made it clear this was plainly illegal:

“It is well settled that public schools may not advance or promote religion,” FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliot writes to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Ethan Lenker. “Moreover, ‘the preservation and transmission of religious beliefs and worship is a responsibility and a choice committed to the private sphere,’” as the U.S. Supreme Court has said.
…

“Giving a Christian proselytizing group privileged entry to a public school flies in the face of constitutional propriety,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It is inappropriate to allow any outside adults access to a captive audience of young students — much less to invite in missionaries.”​

This isn’t even complicated. No Muslim or Satanic or atheist groups would be allowed to do the exact same thing these Christians were permitted to do. And because we’re talking about children, the school has an even greater responsibility to protect them from religious zealots eager to find new blood.

You wouldn’t teach a child to step into a stranger’s white van, and the adults at this school shouldn’t teach kids to join a religion that promotes the idea of eternal torture for non-believers. By allowing these preachers access to kids during the school day, they were sending a message that becoming a Christian is a good idea.

FFRF wants an explanation for how this happened and a promise that such preaching will be shut down as the new school year begins.
source
​

What the Hell is wrong with southern Christians?---this is far from the first time they purposely flaunted the law to promote their religion. Are they truly as brain dead as they appear?

Let me ask all the good Christians here on RF. Are these imbecilic Christians at all an embarrassment to you or your religion?

.

 

[Salvador]

.

"Lunch period is supposed to be a time when students can go to the cafeteria and catch up with their friends.

That’s not what happened last year at Hope Middle School in Greenville, North Carolina. Apparently, students there were regularly approached by Christians eager to catch new converts.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation says that members of WyldLife, a branch of the proselytizing Christian group Young Life that targets pre-teens, were permitted to preach to kids during their lunch periods once a week while collecting their contact information. That information was later used to speak with the kids outside of school hours.

In a letter send to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker, FFRF made it clear this was plainly illegal:

“It is well settled that public schools may not advance or promote religion,” FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliot writes to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Ethan Lenker. “Moreover, ‘the preservation and transmission of religious beliefs and worship is a responsibility and a choice committed to the private sphere,’” as the U.S. Supreme Court has said.
…

“Giving a Christian proselytizing group privileged entry to a public school flies in the face of constitutional propriety,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It is inappropriate to allow any outside adults access to a captive audience of young students — much less to invite in missionaries.”​

This isn’t even complicated. No Muslim or Satanic or atheist groups would be allowed to do the exact same thing these Christians were permitted to do. And because we’re talking about children, the school has an even greater responsibility to protect them from religious zealots eager to find new blood.

You wouldn’t teach a child to step into a stranger’s white van, and the adults at this school shouldn’t teach kids to join a religion that promotes the idea of eternal torture for non-believers. By allowing these preachers access to kids during the school day, they were sending a message that becoming a Christian is a good idea.

FFRF wants an explanation for how this happened and a promise that such preaching will be shut down as the new school year begins.
source​

What the Hell is wrong with southern Christians?---this is far from the first time they purposely flaunted the law to further their goal of promoting Christianity. Are they truly as brain dead as they appear?

Let me ask all the good Christians here on RF. Are these imbecilic Christians at all an embarrassment to you or your religion?

.

Please let us not overly concern ourselves with High School students who wish to interact with a Christian fellowship group during their own personal lunch time.

 

[Enoch07]

"Lunch period is supposed to be a time when students can go to the cafeteria and catch up with their friends.

Hmm I thought lunch period was the time to grab lunch. No wonder schools are failing people think lunch is social hour now.

 

[Heyo]

.
Are they truly as brain dead as they appear? [...] imbecilic Christians
.

Not nice.
They are wrong, criminally wrong. But that is no excuse to insult them.

 

[Shiranui117]

.

"Lunch period is supposed to be a time when students can go to the cafeteria and catch up with their friends.

That’s not what happened last year at Hope Middle School in Greenville, North Carolina. Apparently, students there were regularly approached by Christians eager to catch new converts.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation says that members of WyldLife, a branch of the proselytizing Christian group Young Life that targets pre-teens, were permitted to preach to kids during their lunch periods once a week while collecting their contact information. That information was later used to speak with the kids outside of school hours.

In a letter send to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker, FFRF made it clear this was plainly illegal:

“It is well settled that public schools may not advance or promote religion,” FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliot writes to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Ethan Lenker. “Moreover, ‘the preservation and transmission of religious beliefs and worship is a responsibility and a choice committed to the private sphere,’” as the U.S. Supreme Court has said.
…

“Giving a Christian proselytizing group privileged entry to a public school flies in the face of constitutional propriety,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It is inappropriate to allow any outside adults access to a captive audience of young students — much less to invite in missionaries.”​

This isn’t even complicated. No Muslim or Satanic or atheist groups would be allowed to do the exact same thing these Christians were permitted to do. And because we’re talking about children, the school has an even greater responsibility to protect them from religious zealots eager to find new blood.

You wouldn’t teach a child to step into a stranger’s white van, and the adults at this school shouldn’t teach kids to join a religion that promotes the idea of eternal torture for non-believers. By allowing these preachers access to kids during the school day, they were sending a message that becoming a Christian is a good idea.

FFRF wants an explanation for how this happened and a promise that such preaching will be shut down as the new school year begins.
source​

What the Hell is wrong with southern Christians?---this is far from the first time they purposely flaunted the law to promote Christianity. Are they truly as brain dead as they appear?

Let me ask all the good Christians here on RF. Are these imbecilic Christians at all an embarrassment to you or your religion?

.

Christians ought to respect the lawful authority of the land--not to the point where we would carry out murders if asked or recant our faith or anything like that, but my coreligionists need to accept the fact that the American Constitution is not a document that endorses Christianity as the law of the land. Quite frankly, proselytizing groups like this almost universally do far more harm than good, and I would be shocked to see that they had successfully converted even one of those students.

 

[sooda]

.

"Lunch period is supposed to be a time when students can go to the cafeteria and catch up with their friends.

That’s not what happened last year at Hope Middle School in Greenville, North Carolina. Apparently, students there were regularly approached by Christians eager to catch new converts.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation says that members of WyldLife, a branch of the proselytizing Christian group Young Life that targets pre-teens, were permitted to preach to kids during their lunch periods once a week while collecting their contact information. That information was later used to speak with the kids outside of school hours.

In a letter send to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker, FFRF made it clear this was plainly illegal:

“It is well settled that public schools may not advance or promote religion,” FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliot writes to Pitt County Schools Superintendent Ethan Lenker. “Moreover, ‘the preservation and transmission of religious beliefs and worship is a responsibility and a choice committed to the private sphere,’” as the U.S. Supreme Court has said.
…

“Giving a Christian proselytizing group privileged entry to a public school flies in the face of constitutional propriety,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “It is inappropriate to allow any outside adults access to a captive audience of young students — much less to invite in missionaries.”​

This isn’t even complicated. No Muslim or Satanic or atheist groups would be allowed to do the exact same thing these Christians were permitted to do. And because we’re talking about children, the school has an even greater responsibility to protect them from religious zealots eager to find new blood.

You wouldn’t teach a child to step into a stranger’s white van, and the adults at this school shouldn’t teach kids to join a religion that promotes the idea of eternal torture for non-believers. By allowing these preachers access to kids during the school day, they were sending a message that becoming a Christian is a good idea.

FFRF wants an explanation for how this happened and a promise that such preaching will be shut down as the new school year begins.
source​

What the Hell is wrong with southern Christians?---this is far from the first time they purposely flaunted the law to promote their religion. Are they truly as brain dead as they appear?

Let me ask all the good Christians here on RF. Are these imbecilic Christians at all an embarrassment to you or your religion?

.

This really is awful not to mention illegal. Where is Greenville, NC?

 

[Skwim]

Not nice.
They are wrong, criminally wrong. But that is no excuse to insult them.

They are purposely wrong. They purposely flaunt the law to take advantage of culpable children no less, and in my book that deserves insult no matter who they are, Christian, Muslim, atheist, or agnostic.

.

 

[SugarOcean]

GLSEN is allowed in public schools. It only makes sense that a counter group would have the same equal rights.

 

[Skwim]

This really is awful not to mention illegal. Where is Greenville, NC?

Greenville

 

[SugarOcean]

This really is awful not to mention illegal. Where is Greenville, NC?

It isn't illegal in the least.

 

[sooda]

It isn't illegal in the least.

Yeah it most

It isn't illegal in the least.

It isn't illegal in the least.

Don't you control who has access to your kids? Why not NAMBLA?

 

[Skwim]

GLSEN is allowed in public schools. It only makes sense that a counter group would have the same equal rights.

That's comparing apples to rocks. It makes no sense whatsoever.

GLSEN says: "Our mission is to create safe and affirming schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression," which is not against the law. One of WyldLife's missions is to promote Christianity In public schools, which is against the law.

.

 

[Heyo]

They are purposely wrong. They purposely flaunt the law to take advantage of culpable children no less, and in my book that deserves insult no matter who they are, Christian, Muslim, atheist, or agnostic.

.

I just denied the application of Hanlon's Razor to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick because he's a career politician. The principal of that school may just be uneducated or hadn't thought his decision through. I grant him Hanlon's Razor because that is usually the right thing in cases like this. The FFRF sends out hundreds of similar letters and in most cases they get an apology and desist promise right away.

 

[Skwim]

The principal of that school may just be uneducated or hadn't thought his decision through.

Or a Christian, not unlike those of WyldLife who try to get around the law by knowingly ignoring it.

.

 

[We Never Know]

That's comparing apples to rocks. It makes no sense whatsoever.

GLSEN says: "Our mission is to create safe and affirming schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression." This is not against the law. WyldLife's mission is to promote Christianity. THAT is against the law in public schools.

.

I call BS on both. Neither should be at schools talking to kids on the kids lunch hour about their ways of life or what's right and wrong. If one can be there so can others including satan worshippers.

Kids aren't there to be lectured or lured by groups. They are there to learn the basics in education and hopefully when they move on they will be able to choose to live the life they want, not the life other try to convince them is right or wrong.

Edit. If kids have to go to public schools they should be protected from any outside intruders including religious groups, GLSEN and other groups as well as armed intruders.

 

[sooda]

Please let us not overly concern ourselves with High School students who wish to interact with a Christian fellowship group during their own personal lunch time.

Where you come from High School is called Middle School?

 

[Heyo]

Or a Christian, not unlike those of WyldLife who try to get around the law by knowingly ignoring it.

.

Yes, he may be. But without any indication that he acted in full awareness of the illegality of his action, he should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Bring evidence that he was warned by a staff member or informed by a parent and I'm on your side.

 

[Skwim]

Where you come from High School is called Middle School?

In some parts of the country, the part I came from, Middle School was called Junior High, so both those in Junior High and Senior high are regarded as high schoolers. It's no biggie.

.

 

[Skwim]

Yes, he may be. But without any indication that he acted in full awareness of the illegality of his action, he should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Bring evidence that he was warned by a staff member or informed by a parent and I'm on your side.

I never took a definitive position against the principal, although he's obviously complicit in breaking the law.

.

 

[sooda]

In some parts of the country, the part I came from, Middle School was called Junior High, so both those in Junior High and Senior high are regarded as high schoolers. It's no biggie.

How would you feel about military recruiters in the same circumstance?

In the United States, a middle school is a school between elementary school (grades 1-4, 1-5 or 1-6) and high school (grades 9-12 or 10-12).

Depending on location, middle school contains grades 6-8, 7-8, or 7-9.

Middle school is also sometimes called an intermediate school, junior high school or just junior high.

.