OneNewsNow distorts history and law over religion in schools

[elfs]

OneNewsNow, the official press release arm of James Dobson's "Focus on the Family" Donald Wildmon's National Federation for Decency empire, has a tragically bad article entitled 'Church and state separation' myth exposed, about a student-led prayer group that wanted to distribute flyers and advertise events on school bulletin boards. The school district forbade the students from doing so, citing "separation of church and state" issues, while permitting the Boy Scouts and the YMCA (hey, aren't those both religious institutions, too?) to use school time and grounds for their own outreach advertising.

OneNewsNow is positively breathless that the school board was "forced" by the court to allow the distribution of those flyers. There's only one problem with OneNewsNow's ecstasy: the school board was flat out wrong about the law.

In July of 1995, President Bill Clinton tried to put a stake through the heart of the entire "church and state and schools" issue by sending out a pamphlet entitled "Memorandum on Religion in Schools," which clearly laid out guidelines for what is permitted or forbidden under Constitutional guidelines for all schools receiving federal funds. The Education Department printed up copies of the pamphlet and sent them to every school principal in America.

The second guideline reads:

• Where student groups that meet for nonreligious activities are permitted to advertise or announce their meetings–for example, by advertising in a student newspaper, making announcements on a student activities bulleting board or public address system, or handing out leaflets–school authorities may not discriminate against groups who meet to pray.

That's just about as clear as it can possibly get. There's nothing at all momentous in the court's decision; the school board apparently knew the law as well as most school boards understand science.

It must really stick in the craw of every religious nutcase in the country that in the past 28 years, 20 of which were presided over by a Republican administration of one sort or another, the clearest, best, and most liberating policy on student religious expression, the one that most clearly highlighted that students were allowed their full right to religious expression, came out of the Clinton administration. While the right fights and fights for school prayer, religious liberty was most secured by a man they reviled for getting a blowjob in the Oval Office.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I've brought up Clinton's memorandum several times in discussions with fundamentalists, and you know what? They don't believe it. They jump through some pretty bizarre hoops to maintain their belief that they are a persecuted minority under the thumb of an evil, uncaring government out to steal the souls of their children away from God.

The idea that already have what they're after is unacceptable to them, because it would mean pulling on that first loose thread of their fantasy world.

Anonymous Blog Reader #127

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Oh, but they don't have what they're after. Because what they're after is the insulation of their children from other ideas, plus the right to proselytize with the power of the State behind them, to those who might not agree with their position.

The fact that they have to believe they're sufficiently in the majority that they ought to have that power, and they have to believe they're an oppressed minority that has no defensive power at all, ought to make their damned heads asplode.

[phred1973.livejournal.com]

Here lately, I have had issues with folks who are pulling the EXACT SAME SHIT with atheism... Atheists who are pushing an agenda of Anti-Religion, not just seeking to insulate themselves from being required to participate in it.

It's pretty ugly, and I'm caught in the middle, trying to get several sides to understand each other's points - even in my own office.

[omahas.livejournal.com]

while permitting the Boy Scouts and the YMCA (hey, aren't those both religious institutions, too?) to use school time and grounds for their own outreach advertising.

Um, neither of those groups are religious institutions, dear. The Boy Scouts do discriminate, but not on religious grounds. And the YMCA's only claim to religion is the fact that they have the word "Christian" in their name...a hold-over from an earlier time. Just like the fact that I can walk into a YMCA, and you can walk into a YWCA.

[solarbird]

The Boy Scouts do discriminate, but not on religious grounds.
They have at least since the late 90s had a "no atheists" policy, which I think counts. You have to profess believe in some god or gods.

And, of course, no queers allowed.

[omahas.livejournal.com]

Oh, you know what, I forgot about the atheist policy...I sometimes forget I think that the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are very, very different.

Which still doesn't make them a religious institution, but does mean that they discriminate based on religious grounds.

[abostick59.livejournal.com]

You've never been to a YMCA in the Deep South, have you?

[omahas.livejournal.com]

Nope...never went to one while I lived in Florida. But then, while I lived in Florida (late sixties to mid-eighties) things were no-where near as conservative as they are now...least ways not on the coastal areas (I lived in Clearwater, across the bay from Tampa).

In the Western Washington area, diversity and acceptance, including religious, is explicitly written into the charter of the local YMCAs.

[abostick59.livejournal.com]

My only experience was in Nashville; but whether or not the local chapter had diversity and acceptance written into its charter, its walls were certainly covered with Bible quotes.

[solarbird]

OneNewsNow was part of the American Family Association's sockpuppet army last I checked - did it change hands? I haven't been keeping up.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

You're right. I thought the AFA is part of Dobson's sockpuppet army. Apparently, they're just Very Good Friends.

[solarbird]

Oh, yeah, they're separate. I think they predate Dobson's organisations, for that matter - they've been around for some time... oh I'm wrong about the ages, they were both founded the same year, 1977. I thought the AFA dated back earlier than that.