Mom sues: after teacher tells her son

[spiritman]

By Jim Brown

May 6, 2005

(AgapePress) - A Pennsylvania school has been sued over its alleged censorship of a Christian mother and her young son.

Last October, Donna Busch was invited to visit her son Wesley's kindergarten class in Philadelphia and to take part in "Me Week." As the featured student of the week, Wesley was allowed to choose his favorite book and have his mother read an excerpt from it aloud to the class at Culbertson Elementary.

But when Wesley chose the Bible as his preferred book, his mother was barred from reading a passage from Psalm 118 because of its religious content. Principal Thomas Cook told Mrs. Busch that reading the Bible in class is against the law because it violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment -- that is, the so-called "separation of church and state."

According to Busch's attorney, John Whitehead with The Rutherford Institute, the Christian mom was then offered the option of reading from another book instead -- one about witches, witchcraft, and Halloween. However, she declined.

Whitehead says the incident might have passed over without further incident had it not been for something that occurred about a week later. He says, "Wesley, the kindergartener, came home and told his mother it was bad to read the Bible. She said, 'Where'd you hear that from?' And he said, 'My teacher told me.'"

The Pennsylvania woman felt it was important, not only for herself but particularly for Wesley's sake, to take action and to stand up to the school officials she believed had unfairly abridged their religious liberty. She contacted The Rutherford Institute, which has since filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging that the mother and son's free-speech and equal-protection rights were violated.

Whitehead feels what happened at the elementary school was a case of blatant discrimination since the school officials, while silencing Busch, allowed other forms of religious expression to take place. "That same school allowed Hanukkah, Menorahs, the dreidel game -- which are all Jewish religious practices," he says.

"And the schools routinely tell us -- I think this is basically out of ignorance -- that these are not religious items," the Rutherford spokesman adds. "But they surely are. You ask any serious Jewish person and they're going to say they're offended when people say [any of these traditional Jewish symbols] is not religious."

Whitehead says Culbertson Elementary is displaying an "ignorant view of the Constitution that is often promoted by groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State." However, he argues, by excluding Christian religious expression from the classroom, the school exhibited a kind of hostility toward religion that amounts to a violation of Mrs. Busch's and her son's constitutional rights.

[hmh]

One more reason my daughter IS NOT going to public school when she gets older.

[Iryssa]

If any of you are in doubt about your child's religious rights in public schools, I encourage you to read this:

Religion in the Public Schools - Joint Statement of Current Law

Edited May 10, 2005 by Iryssa

[Guest joalmon]

As a public school teacher, let me assure you that all teachers everywhere are NOT behaving in such a fashion. MANY of the teachers doing those things are doing so because they (we) have been forced to sit through SO MANY faculty meetings, etc. where we are informed of how many ways from Sunday that we can be sued if we don't. This, I dare say, is the modern day version of the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den. However, folks who are truly educated (that would be parents, teachers, students, principals, lawmakers, etc.) KNOW that NO WHERE in the first amendment is the separation of church and state ever mentioned. (People "buy" that one because they've never bothered to read it for themselves...even our own members of Congress!!!) We are, however, guaranteed the right to free speech. We are also supposed to be living in a republic in which government shall make NO law regarding the free exercise of religion. Reading a Psalm is not even practicing religion in this case - it is simply reading a child's favorite passage. The Supreme Court has even ruled that the Bible CAN be used/studied in the sense that it is history, poetry (the Psalms), etc. Teachers and parents all need to be aware of this!!! I have been quite fortunate in that I work in a public school that is in a small community where folks still hold tightly to their Christian beliefs. Many of our teachers still pray with each other and with the students -openly. Public schools are what they are these days because of the laws that have been passed (usually because of lawsuits to be quite frank.) If you want your teachers to feel more free and open to discuss topics from a Christian perspective without paralyzing fear of losing certification, paycheck to feed the family,etc., ENCOURAGE THEM. Let them know "en force" that you support them in this effort and are not waiting to sue them for saying the name of God in their classrooms. Do like this other woman has done...start suing the school systems like crazy if need be for EQUAL REPRESENTATION of Christianity related to educational standards in the classroom. Also realize that teachers have been legally forced into playing the role of "parent" for each student now. (Check out the latest educational laws if there is doubt.) You may rest assured that that is bound to fail from the start. If we make the Christian family happy, the Buddhist family or the Muslim family or the Wickan family will now be unhappy...and will be standing in line to sue. This puts teachers in automatic "no win" situations. That being said, as a Christian and as a public school teacher, I still will not defend anyone in the educational system who denies Christian reading material but then offers what is clearly NON -Christian material as a substitute. Realize that MANY and MOST of the things that have happened to the detriment of public education have come about as the result of only a FEW people complaining and ultimately suing. Christians need to come out en masse to overturn what has been taken by only the handful if they want anything to change. Never underestimate the power of one!

[JesusisGod2]

Never underestimate the power of one!

Amen, isnt this how this whole mess started anyway? with one person using the courts to rid the schools of religous influence?

[Arthur Durnan]

Elect representatives throughout the land who believe & practice freedom of religious expression 24-7 and not just on the seventh-day. And publicly remind the principal that reading the Holy Bible does not constitute the establishment of any religion just as reading about Satan doesn't constitute the establishment of the Wiccan philosophy. Quite evidently, that particular principal has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com

[Guest joalmon]

Never underestimate the power of one!

Amen, isnt this how this whole mess started anyway? with one person using the courts to rid the schools of religous influence?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, and amazingly enough, her body was found out in the middle of nowhere. She lived and died without God. But the point is the same - 1 person started the whole trend.

Arthur, we did elect someone here who believed in and practiced religion 24-7. He was removed from office despite public outcry. Looks like more than just the principal have hit rock bottom and have started digging with backhoes.

[Guest Fringe]

joalmon, seperation of church and state was, I believe, actually mentioned in a letter from Jefferson (to maybe Washington?). He however is quite right in saying that. Look at countries that have mixed and see where they are now; ashes and dust (or at least a new government). If you wish your child to learn religion, home school them or send them to a religious school; it's that simple. Religion is discussed in history, sociology, psychology (maybe...), and literature classes as it relates to the topic, but coming out and saying God did this in a history class is hardly a good idea, or in a science class saying that the Earth was created 600 (?) years ago. That isn't going to float well. You need to pick your battles based on a strong argument, not one that is relatively easily turned over and shoved in your face.

[nebula]

Jefferson used that phrase to promise a church the government would not interfere with their religious practice - not the other way around.

[JesusisGod2]

Jefferson used that phrase to promise a church the government would not interfere with their religious practice - not the other way around.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hear! Hear!

To believe in God is not a religion, its called faith.