California School Bans Books-by Christian Authors

Started by SGOS, September 28, 2014, 08:55:19 AM

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SGOS

http://www.examiner.com/article/goodbye-first-amendment-california-school-bans-books-by-christian-authors

I'm not even sure if this is violation of the First Amendment, or actually required by law due to separation of church and state.  Anyway, the tables turn as Christians suddenly resent book banning.

Quote
It seems that some "educators" are engaging in what can only be called a war on Christianity. Citing a report by the Pacific Justice Institute, Truth Revolt said Friday that a charter school in Temecula, California, thumbed its nose at the Constitution and the Supreme Court when it recently targeted and banned Christian-based books from its library. It also singled out books by Christian authors and publishers.

The Pacific Justice Institute said it received a complaint from a parent shocked to see the list of banned reading material. Among the books deemed inappropriate by the school was "The Hiding Place," the well-known account of Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom, who hid Jews from the Nazis because of her strong Christian beliefs. Newsbusters said ten Boom's story has "inspired millions." But the school disapproves because it was written by a Christian, and that is simply unacceptable in today's politically-correct environment where evil is rapidly replacing good.

On August 22, PJI attorney Michael Peffer sent a cease and desist letter to the school, informing administrators that by targeting Christian-themed books, they are violating students' First Amendment rights. Peffer, PJI said, cited "long-established Supreme Court precedent that strongly disapproves of school libraries removing books based on opposition to their content or message."

But the school ignored the letter and doubled down on its censorship. According to Truth Revolt, Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer, the superintendent of Springs Charter Schools, said the school does not "allow sectarian materials on our state-authorized lending shelves."

AllPurposeAtheist

Wow..a for profit school dictating to kids their morality? We can't have that now can we?
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stromboli

Quote from: AllPurposeAtheist on September 28, 2014, 09:12:44 AM
Wow..a for profit school dictating to kids their morality? We can't have that now can we?

Personally think its silly. for profit or not, the school admins should be smart enought to allow some time honored books like "the hiding place" which is a literary classic. Well rounded kids should see both sides of the picture.

AllPurposeAtheist

It's when schools present such material as the reason the Nazis didn't take over the world.. Of course! Faith in a god that would allow their existence in the first place..
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stromboli

we don't give our children enough credit. they can weigh the evidence and decide for themselves, given a level playing field. It is just as wrong to force nonbelief as it is to indoctrinate in a religion. Forced education leads to rebellion. Let them decide.

Johan

Well I'm no lawyer but I don't think there is any specific laws that require the separation of church and state. The SCOTUS likes to use the phrase, but to my knowledge there is no actual 'separation' law. As for a potential first amendment violation? Meh I dunno. The first words of the first amendment are congress shall pass no law... This school ain't congress and their rules governing what books they can and cannot have in their own library ain't laws.

I'm sure all the papes all over the country will get their panties in a bunch about it and demand their government do something about this clearly illegal censorship in a private school library even though the papes in other states seem to have no problem with banning books on evolution from public schools. http://thepunchbowl.net/2011/03/28/west-virginia-school-board-bans-darwins-origin-species-curious-george/.

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false and by the rulers as useful

AllPurposeAtheist

Quote from: stromboli on September 28, 2014, 10:08:53 AM
we don't give our children enough credit. they can weigh the evidence and decide for themselves, given a level playing field. It is just as wrong to force nonbelief as it is to indoctrinate in a religion. Forced education leads to rebellion. Let them decide.
I grew up around a bunch of Neanderthal kids who were taught evolution right beside creationism and I gotta tell you that some of them got way more credit than they ever deserved..
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doorknob

if it's a private school they can ban what ever the hell they like. And if parents don't like it they can withdraw their children. That's pretty much the way it is. Just like if you went to a catholic school it's likely you wouldn't see the delusion of disbelief on their book shelves. It's no different and I don't really see the problem.

All though I'm all for freedom of speech some area's are grey because privately owned facilities have the right to discriminate what comes through their doors. I don't see this as a separation of church and state issue though, the school is not government. I also see nothing wrong with presenting both christian and secular books as knowledge is power and that includes knowledge of the opposition.