The Christian Right Agrees: There Are No Special Rights For Christians (And That Makes Them Sad)

[elfs]

The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian organization dedicated to the maintance of Christian privilege within our multicultural United States, has put out guidelines about what students may and may not do and say during school hours.

They recently put out a statement about student's rights, in an attempt to convince their followers that they should speak up in school about their beliefs regarding homosexuality on the Day of Silence. Regardless of how you feel about the issue of bullying, the issue of proseltyzing is still settled law: kids can proseletyze each other all they want. That's what freedom of speech and freedom of religion grant us in this country, and kids no more leave their beliefs and rights and the school door than do adults.

The pamphlet at that link is a slick, graphically rich re-write of Bill Clinton's Memorandum on Religious Expression in Public Schools (and reminding them that, of the presidential hopefuls they've ever had, their best friend was Bill Clinton, is a worthy cause all its own). In it, the writers say about religious gatherings in public school:

Students are free to discuss any issues and engage in any religious speech they desire. The school does not have control over the content, even though the meeting takes place on the school's campus. The school is obligated under the Equal Access Act to provide equal access to all recognized student clubs, regardless of the content of their meetings, unless they "materially and substantially" disrupt the educational process.

The only restrictions here would be on teachers or coaches who attend meetings. Since teachers and coaches are employees of the school, there is concern that what they say may be considered speech endorsed by the school. This could violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment (discussed in greater detail on pages 16–20). Students who participate in the meetings are not employees, and, therefore, there is no concern that their speech would be misunderstood as government or school speech.

So whenever you hear that "We're being silenced!" in school, remind Christians that the Christianist Alliance Defense Fund, and the Department of Education, fundamentally agree on the rights of students in schools to express their religious beliefs however they wish, without restrictions on content or conscience.

Christians in leadership positions do not deserve extra priveleges, not even when they are in the majority: they don't get to dictate curricula, or coerce students into attending matters contrary to their faith. When someone complains about Christians being "suppressed," that is what they're complaining about: the suppression of their long-held but still illicit privilege.

Comments

[oldhans117.livejournal.com]

Of course if a Muslim student started handing out books you bet that they would demand expulsion of that student.

[tagryn]

I don't see anything in the document Elf linked to that recommends demanding the expulsion of other students, do you?

If the book was along the lines of Azzam's "Join the Caravan" or anything by Qutb, I suspect the DHS/FBI would take an interest, rather than student organizations. That would actually be worthy case for the ACLU or CAIR to take on, if it ever happened: does getting contacted by the authorities over "concern" over one's activities constitute an infringement on freedom of speech, if it is perceived as intimidation, even when the activity in question indirectly advocates violence?