Bible-Handing out

[ScumDog]

Hey, on the way out of Olympia High School (my school) I saw a couple tall old men in suits handing out bibles to kids aon the street that is property of the school, to kids who are setting off to walk home. I was wondering the legality of such a thing?

[HereticJack]

Originally posted by ScumDog
Hey, on the way out of Olympia High School (my school) I saw a couple tall old men in suits handing out bibles to kids aon the street that is property of the school, to kids who are setting off to walk home. I was wondering the legality of such a thing?
Ask for several extra copies telling them they're for your younger siblings. Then take them home and quickly throw them in the trash so there's no chance they might do harm to other young minds!

[StrictSeparationist]

To be quite clear: are you entirely sure that the school owns and maintains the street that these men are handing out Bibles on? If so, you can either enquire as to your school's policy regarding strangers coming on campus and plying students with unwanted religious material (and probably get an evasive answer) or you could simply stand right next to them and hand out tracts glorifying atheism and the separation of church and state. If the school is willing to allow different points of view to be represented in this "forum," then they're probably within the bounds of current First Amendment law. If they attempt to discourage or outright prohibit atheistic or other religious points of view from being expressed through the same medium as the Christian message, they violate numerous Supreme Court precedents governing viewpoint discrimination in limited public forums and, of course, government promotion of religion. See Santa Fe Independent School Dist v. Doe, 530 U.S. 290 (2000).

[Worldtraveller]

Right, to follow up on SS's recommendations, might I recommend copies of Kissing Hank's Ass (http://www.jhuger.com/kisshank.mv) . :D

Cheers,
Lane

Editing cuz I can't type.

[Rhaedas]

How about just having a prepared list, such as this one (http://www.cygnus-study.com/pagehiero.shtml), to hand to them, or better yet, to read to them aloud?

[Radcliffe Emerson]

If it's not during school hours, and they've got permission, I believe it is legal.
Just like schools can rent their gymnasiums out to churches for holiday services if it's not during school's operational hours.

Schools cannot teach and support religion during working hours. Off-hours are legal.

[StrictSeparationist]

Originally posted by Radcliffe Emerson
If it's not during school hours, and they've got permission, I believe it is legal.
Just like schools can rent their gymnasiums out to churches for holiday services if it's not during school's operational hours.

Schools cannot teach and support religion during working hours. Off-hours are legal.

Completely voluntary after-school clubs are one thing; implicitly encouraging and aiding proselytization in such a way that students are practically forced to hear the Christian message is another. If these nutcases are "ambushing" students as they leave school and the teachers and administrators are ignoring the problem or even giving them a boost, we have a First Amendment violation on our hands.

[ScumDog]

I'll have to check back to see if it was the property of the school, but I'm sure it is.

Strict, they've so far only done it once (or I've only seen them once), and they haven't done it since then, so it's hard to see who it was and whether the teachers would stop it.

[McNamara]

I have heard that the paper used in Bibles is excellent for rolling doobies. Get as many Bibles as they are willing to give you.

[Chuck]

I have heard that the paper used in Bibles is excellent for rolling doobies. Get as many Bibles as they are willing to give you.

This is absolutely true! I mean...uh...that's what I've heard. Uh...what's a doobie? ;)

Anyway, these guys were around my high school a few years back, and have been at both universities I've attended. Since they're usually old guys, I don't like to be hard on them or give them any shit. I usually walk around them, out of arm's length, to avoid them. If that's not possible, I just politely decline and keep walking. In my scheme of Christian annoyances and trespasses, they're pretty low on the ladder.

Chuck

[femme piquant]

Same here. I've seen them once since I came to college, and a polite, "No thank you" and a brisk pace kept them off my back. I like that list, though, Rhaedas. I might print one out, except that it would mean giving the people my address in order to get their answers.

[scigirl]

Heh, reading the bible actually made me an atheist! I say, let's help them hand them out - highlighting the more absurd and violent passages!

scigirl

[Javaman]

Originally posted by scigirl
Heh, reading the bible actually made me an atheist!
That's the idea behind the National Bible Week Poster (http://www.positiveatheism.org/crt/nbw.htm). Let's get reading everybody!

[RawData]

Originally posted by Javaman
That's the idea behind the National Bible Week Poster (http://www.positiveatheism.org/crt/nbw.htm). Let's get reading everybody!

That is beautiful. Especially the opening quote by Helen Keller. I live across the street from... Helen Keller Elementary. On weekends there is a Christian church that meets there. I think I will print it out and have it available there. He he he.

"There is much in the Bible against which every instinct of my being rebels, so much that I regret the necessity which has compelled me to read it through from beginning to end. I do not think that the knowledge which I have gained of its history and sources compensates me for the unpleasant details it has forced upon my attention."
-- Helen Keller

RawData

[keyser_soze]

The paper is exactly like CB paper....

[Choy Lee Mu]

Stand next to them and hand out these wonderfully informative pamplets. (http://www.normalbobsmith.com/banners_fliers.html)

:D

[JonathanChance]

Hey, if it wern't for the Gideons, i wouln't have been able to make my very own Holy Vengance Nusiance Smiter (http://www.geocities.com/sannatork3030/crafty.html)!