A first-grade teacher in Moulton, Alabama is facing scrutiny from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) for her alleged promotion of Jesus Christ in the classroom.
In April of this year, an unnamed teacher at Moulton Elementary taught a lesson on Easter and Jesus Christ that at least one parent thought crossed a line from explanation into endorsement. The teacher’s lesson apparently included a coloring book with a cartoon depiction of Jesus, as well as a piece of scripture.
The school’s not denying this happened, either. The only thing in dispute is whether it was appropriate. Was it?
Math, Science, and Jesus?
The FFRF’s recent letter to the school district minces no words. It reads:
“The district must make certain that none of its employees are unlawfully and inappropriately indoctrinating students in religious matters by giving religious assignments, teaching about religion, or promoting their personal religious beliefs. We ask that the district immediately investigate this situation and ensure that [the teacher] fully complies with the Establishment Clause and stops violating the rights of her students and their parents.”
But the school superintendent is fighting back. Superintendent Jon Bret Smith said that he thinks the teacher did nothing wrong. “From my point of view, an investigation is not warranted,” said Smith to local news. “ The teacher was doing her job. Every teacher in the state of Alabama is charged to thoroughly teach the course of study. That is covered under two objectives in the first-grade course of study.”
He’s referring to Objectives 11 and 12 in Alabama’s first-grade curriculum. Objective 11 states that teachers must “identify traditions and contributions of various cultures in the local community and state. Examples: Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, Fourth of July, Cinco de Mayo,” and Objective 12 promotes discussion of “common and unique characteristics in societal groups, including age, religious beliefs, ethnicity, persons with disabilities and equality between genders.”
As the superintendent’s argument goes, is Easter not a cultural tradition important to Alabama culture? Is Christianity not a religious belief?
Read Between the Lines
The FFRF is skeptical. At the crux of their argument is the scripture-filled Jesus Christ coloring book pages students allegedly received. Was there a Kwanzaa coloring book, they ask?
“A [Kwanzaa coloring book] would show that they were truly cultures, different religions. I don’t think that is the case at this point. We’re looking for what is right here and to make sure teachers aren’t indoctrinating students for Christianity. We want to know the real facts.”
They conclude that a proper investigation will uncover whether various religious traditions were all treated equitably, or whether the Easter lesson was an unconstitutional “pretext to teach religious lessons in a public school.”
So far, the district remains unwilling to investigate the teacher’s Easter lesson… which will likely prompt legal action from the FFRF if they stick to their guns.
What do you think? Was the teacher well within their rights to talk about Easter in a cultural context? Or is the lesson, as critics claim, just a sneaky way to promote Christianity in public schools?
189 comments
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Richard Darwin Richards
Jesus is the best lesson to teach anyone, bravo!!!
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Robert Edward Szekely
Jesus as a moral exemplar per Thomas Jefferson, perhaps. But Easter as the holiday which celebrates the arisen Christ, without giving equal time to Wicca's Ostara, Islam's Eid Al Fitr, Judaism's Purim and Kwanzaa, to name but a few examples? I think not. At the least, the pagan origins (Ostara) and how they came to be folded (by the Roman Catholic church) into the mythos of Jesus needs to be explained objectively and not dogmatically, with the understanding that literally not every American accepts that as gospel, and there are other traditions as well (as explained above).
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Maximillian Martin
Not even close!!! But what do I expect from a blind slave to abrahamic religions!!!
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Rev Mark D
Nice truck to try to change the conversation to something that you can excoriate. Why don't you open a Bible sometime and read the red colored characters ascribe to Jesus himself. Because that is what the lesson was all about in the article is all about. See if you can find something that is inappropriate or something you would not agree with or not practice yourself when you read the quotes of jesus, just the quotes that Jesus said. I think if you had any character at all you'd come back and apologize. But that might be a big if.
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Maximillian Martin
First off, that supposed man's name didn't exist in the middle east and it came from the first slave ship to bring African slaves out of Africa at the beginning of the international slave trade. So those rumored quotes, in red letters or not, mean absolutely nothing!!! As far as your book goes, I don't read fiction. And I have more character than anyone knows but I will NEVER back down on what I believe or know. So, in other words, I'll never be sorry for telling the REAL truth!!!
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David Cox
People from the beginning of time thought the same way as you do. The tower of babel, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah...etc. God Is real no matter how you want it not to be. Everyone has a choice in this life. Choose life or death.....Satan is roaming around seeking whom he may devour....don't be a defeated foe be a conqueror. Jesus made a way for all who believe.. ..don't be deceived in believing lies. Jesus is the way the truth and the life.
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Maximillian Martin
You're so delusional.
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Robert Edward Szekely
Maximillian Martin: "Jesus" (yay-soos) is the Greek version of the Aramaic/Hebrew "Yeshua" which translates into English as "Joshua". It is NOT an "African slave name".
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Maximillian Martin
https://kathrynmckinney.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/the-good-ship-jesus-the-beginning-of-the-slave-trade/
This is what I was talking about. You completely misunderstood. I never said it was an African slave name. Reading comprehension helps
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Richard Darwin Richards
atheists have no manners or dignity sadly.
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Maximillian Martin
LOL!!!! Who's an atheist? Not me. You're just confused
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Lionheart
Why, we don’t even know for sure that Jesus was real? Should we teach children about other religions that have no demonstrable evidence?
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Robert Edward Szekely
I’m fine with teaching Jesus as myth.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Lionheart - We do know Jesus was a real person. We know that there were lots of people who were named Jesus 2,000 years ago; it was a very popular name. As were magic and slight of hand tricks. People were entertained by many people named Jesus just as today by magic tricks and embellished stories. Just as today, many people 2,000 years believed these people who could preform miracles (magic tricks) when they said they were the son of God. The deception continues to this very day. Jesus Christ was just arrested in Russia last year. And in the US there are many people named Jesus Christ who have thousands of followers.
Yes, we should be teaching the myth of Gods and Jesus.
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JaZe
His name was not Jesus Christ since 'the Christ' is something else not a family name. My children learned about different religions in school but were not pushed into any and I let them make up their own minds as they grew up.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@JaZe Yup, Christ is just a title, thank you for correcting me. If you visit any of our prisons nearly have of the people claim their name is Jesus Christ.
I too learned about some of the different religions in the world in the public school I attended. Teacher was very good and that's the problem, she's was an exception. What I have found is many teachers, specifically Christian feel compelled to promote the Christian religion to students in direct violation of our laws.
You'll find young people today think of the Christian religion is being a joke.
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David Cox
Christ is the same as Messiah...the anointed one...it's not a name it's a title Jesus mean Savior.....so Christ Jesus means The anointed Savior
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@David Cox Jesus is just an ancient meme.
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Pastor George Day
Douglas Robert Spindler, how many of these rose from the dead, evidenced by their followers willing to die for his name?
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Pastor George Day None, one or all.... Whatever you want to believe.
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Lionheart
I wonder if him and his god really existed though. Should we teach myth as truth? 🤔
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Randy C Hamilton
Shall we go back a bit and require the teaching of Zeus' flood, too? Balderdash!!
Thanks, Lionheart, for your comments.
Get yourself a copy of "Mythology" 1942 by Edith Hamilton and you will find many other stories/myths that existed long ago and were plagiarized for the buy-bull.-
Lionheart
For those of you that don’t believe in Zeus……I want you to know that Zeus loves you 🤭
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Douglas Robert Spindler
What about Ra?
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Rev. B
As truth? No. I'd be ok with it as literature though. I may not be a person of faith, but it doesn't mean I can't read the various books of the bible. They are like little bronze age morality plays. It gets a little wacky toward the end (I'm looking at you, Revelations) but overall, a good read.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
I believe God and Jesus existed. Not as the bible portrays them but Jesus did live his human life here. Educating children in school is wrong but parents should help their kids learn about all faiths before making their decision.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Richard Darwin Richards And what is that? Jesus was killed and died an early painful death?
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David Cox
But He rose from the dead
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@David Cox If you mean the resurrection that's Christmas Part II, the story of the re-birth of Jesus. The story of the re-birth of the son of God is a very common story with many religions dating back thousands. The story of Jesus is just a re-telling of a story that's part of many religions.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
@Richard Darwin Richards ... Your main problem is your perception of Jesus. When anyone disagrees, you call them unchristian but you are very wrong. The issue is how accurate is the bible you treat às the ge all and end all? The truth is not very accurate. It is a manmade book published by the corrupt church in power at the time. What they did choose to include they further edited until little resemblance to whatever original text may have been. So Jesus did live and was a mission life entity sent to bring in the new covanent with the all loving God and not the spiteful and jealous portrayal He recieves in the old testament. Jesus life was not as the bible portrays it and is the source of all your confusion. He loves us all the same as well. He would have no problem with holidays or celebrations of other faiths at all. As long as the only real dogma that matters is honored, it is all good and live and let live. That dogma is love God. Do good deeds. Go Home.
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Richard Darwin Richards
Who did I call unchristian???? I welcome dialogue, not baseless insults!
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David Cox
You are deceived
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Krystina S.
It is shameful that some Christians should push their belief system on public school children. If parents want their children indoctrinated by others, they should take them to church, mosque, temple, or other private religious facility where religious indoctrination legally takes place. I wonder if these very young children are taught about Eid or Purim.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Seems innocent enough to someone that believes this nonsense but it’s indoctrination plain and simple. Kids are required by law to attend public schools. As such the State, which should be separated from churches, shouldn’t be exposing kids to male bovine fecal matter.
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Robert Gagnon
Easter is currently a christian holiday. To explain the premise of this holiday the concept of JC rising from the grave after three days of death is a necessity. The scripture is not required to get the story across. Slap on the hand should do the job. I doubt children will need counseling over it. By the same token, maybe the origins of the holiday should be taught along with the christian churches' confiscation and re-delegation of various holidays from other beliefs.
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James Grainger
School is for School. Church is for Religion
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Pastor H. F. Beere
Then they should also keep out of school evolution which has not been proven but is just an educated guess
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Asa William Sprague, II
Apples to Oranges. The theory of evolution is an example of how scientists extrapolate what might have happened based on available, tangible evidence. The theory of evolution is NOT a religion and it is not based on any religious beliefs.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
Where is the proof that any bible based material is true? "Because the bible says ..." means nothing. That is just the dogma that church and Vatican has been forcing on people for 2000 years. The fact that conservatives, zealots and fanatics do not know enough to ask questions is proof only that brain washing works.
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Robert Edward Szekely
Agreed. The argument “I believe the Bible because the Bible says it’s true” is a fundamental logical fallacy known as circular reasoning. It basically indicates that the person making the statement has failed to use independent or critical thought.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Mark 9:23 "All things are possible for the one who believes.”
The Bible tells us, All you have to do is believe.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Herbert Beere Who taught you evolution has not been proven and is an educated guess? It’s statements like this which make young people not want to have anything to do with the Christian religion.
When it comes to sciences one of the first things you are taught is science NEVER proves anything. That has been a principle of science which pre-dates the Bible by several thousands of years.
We know evolution happens as man has been creating new species for hundreds of years. And we have a monk who showed us just how evolution happens. Every kid in school does many experiments showing them just how evolution occurs. Then we have 100 of Natural History museums which demonstrate evolution has and is occurring.
You may choose to believe evolution is an educated guess, but to your kids and their friends you will be viewed as being narrow minded and uneducated. It’s people who are out of touch with what we know about science like you which makes young people today not to what to have a tying to do with the Christian religion and Christian beliefs. The Christian religion in this country is rapidly going extinct. And people with your beliefs are making go extinct even faster.
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Rev. B
People like that don't even know what they are supposed to be arguing. Evolution happens. It's a fact. The Theory of Evolution pertains to why it happens. Natural Selection is the stated theory, not the process itself.
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David Cox
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...what predated that?
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Douglas Robert Spindler
According to the Belgian Catholic priest, theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and professor of physic, Georges Lemaître it was the primordial atom.
If God created the heavens and the earth, who created God? That was is easy to answer, it was Man billions of years after primordial atom created all of the atoms, stardust, planets and stars.
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CB Cuff
If that were so then it would stand to reason that any mention of the existence of 'god' should be kept out of schools also, because there is no prove, it's just an educated guess.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
It's not even an educated guess, all religion is made up and are tax exempt.
“Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool.”
Kids are keeping religion out of schools these days. They think of religion is being dope (stupid). And anyone who believes in religion as being dope. Popular movies such as Marvel are covertly making fun of the Christian religion. Young kids who are getting their Christian parents to take them to see a "good wholesome" movie while looking for all of the hidden messages making fun of the Christian religion as their parents "enjoy" the movie. As they do, there kids are secretly thinking how dope (stupid) their parents are.
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David Cox
Wow! You are deceived Only a fool would belive in such rubbish that you just said....I can't believe that so many people are bent to do such wrong thinking ...Satan is deceiving so many. You are blinded to the truth Satan is playing you like a yo yo
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Pastor George Day
David Cox, I am just laughing my eyes out loud as I read this nonsense! ‘Deceived’ is a compliment to them!
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Pastor George Day
Sometimes I wonder what some people are doing in a religious church. Do you realize ULC is about religion?
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Nicholas J Page
We should not be forcing or. Entertaining religion on children of today.Leave it up to the children to decide or if they can't let their parents help them.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Children are deciding which is why the Christian religion is dying out in the US. Kids today look at religion is being silly and stupid... A con their parents and other "not so smart" people believe in.
The Marvel movies kids are following are subtlety making fun of JC and Christian religion. Kids get it, but the Christian parents/adults who are taking their kids to see the movies are missing it. The kids are loving it.
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David Cox
Be cause of people like you
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Pastor George Day
Douglas Robert Spindler, your silly imagination really does stretch as far as the universe!
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Pastor George Day Thank you to elevating me to a God, but I am not.
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William Steven Robinson
The U.S. Constitution prohibits the establishment of a government religion. This is the doctrine popularized by the phrase separation of church and state. This teacher clearly violated the Constitution with her coloring book and teaching about Jesus, the Bible, and Easter in a public school classroom. The school superintendent condoned and approved that illegal behavior and thereby violated the law on behalf of the entire school district. They also violated their own policies by not offering the teachings of more than one culture/religion celebration at the same time or close in time. Their excuse is lame. I envision a successful federal court lawsuit against this school district. The teachings of Jesus and the teaching of the Bible and Easter are subjects to be taught in churches and their Sunday Schools, not in the public schools!
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Sandra K. Fucinos-Prieto
They are making a big deal of just a drop of water. And probably are the first in line to hunt a Easters egg from the church cross the street. Kids are smart than you could imagine, and they absorbed as their convenience what the teachers thought in a class lesson. And if the parents are not devoted to any religious, at the end it will be the child who will picked by heart to fallows God Hmmm I speak by experience. My mom was raised in a nun house.she never like to speak about religion. But at my 6 year birthday I was asking a friends to teaching me to pray before go to sleep.
God had it way to touch everyone souls-
Rev Mark D
"Kids are smart than you could imagine"
You got that right for sure.
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Michael Hinkle
Atheists has no more rights than Godly believers. Atheists need to prepare their own territory than to have everything they want without taxpayers money and government support and funding. What give them the right to destroy our good (God) society here in America!
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Alicia Szot
Religion should be taught in the home, NOT in a public school where everyone's tax dollars are spent. Yes, everyone has the same rights, but if you want your kids to learn about religion, send them to a religious school. Period.
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Rev. Howard Slayton
That makes very good sense!
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Robert James Ruhnke
Your atrocious grammar alone suggests god botherers need to stay the hell out of public schools. Your society is neither godly nor good. Your society is destroying itself under the weight of its own stupidity and ignorance.
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David Cox
Who are you to judge when you do the same things
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Robert James Ruhnke
Mr. Cox, your head is too firmly buried in a silo of misinformation and half truths. After reading many of your comments, you’re telling on yourself at this point.
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Pastor George Day
Robert James Ruhnke, and so are you!
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Robert James Ruhnke
Mr. Day, I have firm foot in reality, thank you. In actual history, in actual events, that actually happened. By the by, when it comes to religion, there’s more than one faith, there’s more than Christianity. Though I’d say Christianity is just another death cult that worships a martyred man who wanted nothing to do with being deified and called a god, when we are all the children of the gods. The Bible was written after the fact, and thanks to Catholic and later Protestant tampering, is missing quite a bit of information. Though you go ahead and try and waste my time with pointless history “lessons.” Again.
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CB Cuff
Government funding to religious schools is a privilege, not a right. This is a public school and is allowed scrutiny by the public to ensure equality and transparency is mandated in policy. Atheists are not 'destroying' society as you state. You need to have a closer look at why the US is self destructing...religious fanatics leading the charge.
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Pastor H. F. Beere
The us is self destructing because they took God out of schools plain and simple
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Robert Edward Szekely
Ignorant statement. God was never "in" the schools, as it were. The Pledge of Allegiance and the motto "In God We Trust" were both added in the 1950s during the Red Scare. It was an emotional knee-jerk to Communism, not a rational and reasoned response. Turns out that religion really isn't the issue at all when it comes to Communism, because at the height of the Cold War, underground churches remained active in the USSR in spite of official state decrees espousing atheism.
The original and proper US motto BTW, is "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of Many, One), which includes both the churched and the godless, and places them on equal ground. As none other than Thomas Jefferson stated, "it makes no difference if my neighbor believes in twenty gods or no god: it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." Those are the words of a true American patriot who understands the actual meaning of freedom and equality in a republic.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
This country is self-destructing because a minority of “Christians” are trying to control our country politically and with decisions made by the Christian/Catholic controlled Supreme Court. God was never allowed in our public schools, the founding fathers of the United States made sure of that. You get false and wrong information when God is allowed in schools.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
The US is split down the middle making enemies out of people who should be working together because someone got conservatives, zealots and fanatics riled up to the level we live in now. God is fine. He always has been and always will be. Humans are the ones with all the issues.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
The Bible tells us in Mark, "All things are possible for the one who believes. If that is what Herbert Beere believes it's possible. Doesn't mean it's true... After all, facts are the enemy of the truth.
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Keith Allen Steele Eash
😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆 🤣 😂 so our Founding Fathers were religious fanatics.
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Robert Edward Szekely
America is land of many Gods and no god: of churched and unchurched, or white, black, brown, yellow and red people, many intermingled in marriages producing beautiful, talented, and intelligent children.
Christians (Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Unitarians, Mormons, Presbyterians...), Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Wiccans, Agnostics, Atheists and even Satanists as well as religions many of us may know or not even have heard of. Straight, gay, bi-sexual, gender-fluid, queer, transgender and asexual people.
As long as they harm none, it should concern none. And "harm" does not include "conflicting with your beliefs", BTW. That's a personal problem, not a social issue. Deal with it. America is a land of plurality, not homogenity.
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David Cox
When the United States started what did we have...Christianity
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Robert Edward Szekely
Although there were Christians among the Colonists, the Founders were Deists - You will not find "Jesus" named in the Constitution, the Declaration or the Bill of Rights.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@ Michael Hinkle America a God society? America has more mass shooting, more murders, more people in prison than any other country on Earth. In the US we control women and tell them what they can and cannot do with their bodies in the name of God. If you want to live in a God society, move to the Vatican. But you’ve got a problem. The Vatican selects who can live their and with your believes they wouldn’t want you.
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Pastor George Day
Douglas Robert Spindler, how about moving to Saudi Arabia, and trying to speak against the Kuran or against Mohammed.... see what happens!
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Pastor George Day I have not lived in Saudi Arabia but have lived in Qatar. (Doha to be specific.) This country was one of the poorest on earth, now it's the wealthiest. And yes I did speak out against the Quran (not to Kuran as you say) and against Mohammed.
I did see what happened. I had a very informative discussion with several of the Muslins who live there and became friends. I became friends with a former devout Christian women who of her own freewill became Muslim. These were some of the nicest people I have ever meet. And yes the women was wearing a black head to burqa. And NO she was not forced to wear it, she was doing so of her own freewill.
The one message they had for me was when I return to the United States, let people know that many of the American Christians and American news are spreading lies and false stories about the Muslims and he Muslim religion.
These people were so kind and were more the willing to inform me (not convert like Christians do) about Muhammad and the Muslim religion.
Pastor George Day who taught you and were did you learn about the Muslim religion? And for that matter where did you learn about the Christian religion?
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Lori-Ann Neeb
Michelle Hinkle, your grammar is proof that you obviously took little away from whatever public education you may have had anyway. Actíons like those of this teacher are proof that education and church be kept separate completely. This is the proof that once you allow religious teachings in schools except from a historical perspective presented without bias any one way or the other , just facts, you open up a can of worms that can never be settled to everyone's satisfaction. If they allow that coloring book, then they must allow the same material for every faith and religious style. The principal was wrong in claiming the teacher did not try to coerce students in her personal Faith's dogma. No one at any facility can provide any kind of evidence or proof of their material other than "the bible says ..." and that falls far short. Anyone who has studied any cultural or archeological sciences knows the bible is innacurate in many places. Too much editing and manipulation of the church throughout history has done that. Therefore, the teacher and principal are trying solely on second hand indoctrinated religious dogma they were taught with no proof to it.
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David Cox
Study the Bible for yourself instead of believing what others say about it
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Pastor George Day
Lori-Ann Neeb, in fact, the Bible has been proven historically accurate on several counts. I'm not sure where you people get this information from. Anyhow, you are right that the book of Judith has historic ad geographical mistakes, but that is not a canonical book by Jewish and Protestant traditions. It is indeed fiction. The rest is history.
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Maximillian Martin
It has NO business being in public schools!!! If you think it does, you need to move to the middle east where it's not only allowed, but forced on you!!! But, until then, be prepared for Satanists, Luciferians, and others to have equal time!!! It's all or none!!!!
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David Cox
It always has been
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Rev. MichaelRS
I want schools to teach Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, History and so on and so forth.
I do NOT want them teaching religious OR social agendas by one faction OR another.
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Lisa Oddo
Jesus is real. He was a real person who taught, preached, served, loved, and shared the Gospel. He led by example for those of us who share that same Good News. Science, geography and history all prove that he existed. The happenings of the Old Testament are comparable to what we see in history books. Why are we so quick to trust "man-made: vs. "God-breathed"? The Bible had many authors, some who never met, didn't live in the same time period. Later the writings came together and there are places in the New and Old Testaments alike that have similar instructions/happenings/ideals. He inspired them in his teachings and their experiences with him. That's what "God-breathed" means. God orchestrated all of that, and what's to come.
I'm a Christian and a teacher. The topic of what's allowed to be taught and not is a slippery slope. More and more, we are trying to be in inclusive/equitable....which lends itself to different beliefs, opinions, lifestyles etc. At what point, and who gets to decide what can and cannot be mentioned/learned/ taught/ included in textbooks, etc. Holidays are a part of history. There is a story, reason, changes made, celebrations/struggles behind each.
My final comment is in general here. I truly thought this was a site to gain knowledge into what's currently happening, to gain SUPPORT for faith whatever that may look like, and to grow our beliefs. However, I see that it's a place of judgements which brings discourse and division. Let's stop that please. Can we just talk about the issues and not sling negativity, please.
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Lionheart
I think you’ll find the intension here is to gain, and share, thoughts that can lead to truth using logic and reason. There is actually very little, to no, evidence Jesus was real. It’s very possible he was, but as to what he ever factually did and said is pure conjecture and very fallacious.
As for the reality of any god, as far as I’m aware, there is no evidence whatsoever to prove any of the earths proclaimed gods are real. It’s a nice thought, but that’s all it is. Thank you for your thoughts though.
🦁❤️
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Pastor George Day
Lisa Oddo, I totally agree with you, and very well put. We are a diverse church. We should be supporting each other in our journey. I wonder why the moderators do not intervene.
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David Cox
That's why the United States is like it is because of people like you who want to destroy our nation
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Douglas Robert Spindler
The United States is the way it is because of the white people from Europe who rapped, pillaged, murdered and polluted this country. Your ancestors already destroyed our nation in the name of religion. The young people today see what the white European Christians did to this Nation and are trying to fix it. One of the ways they are doing it is realizing just how evil the Christian religion is.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
The United States is the way it is because of the white people from Europe who rapped, pillaged, murdered and polluted this country. Your ancestors already destroyed our nation in the name of religion. The young people today see what the white European Christians did to this Nation and are trying to fix it. One of the ways they are doing it is realizing just how evil the Christian religion is.
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Michael Wolfenbarger
Will I am 59 years old, I am white but my grandmother was Choctaw ,I was raised up in a black neighborhood, I have black people in my family. But I say to you do your family tree, run it black. I say out of 100 people in America, that 80% of black people are not just black, I say maybe a little white or red man or etc I thare.so if you do this and find out you have white blood, your not going to like God, or if you find out you have red man ,your not going to like God. Look being a man of God don't have anything to do with being white, or black or etc ,.pary son pray
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Michael Wolfenbarger Do you not know American History? Have you not heard of Manifest Destiny? Or the painting American Progress by John Gast. His painting shows it all. It's all about white Europeans who beloved God gave them America to rape, pillage and exploit while eliminating the Native Americans. The first governor of California proclaimed in a very famous speech that America needs to exterminate all Native Americans in the Name of God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHemd90ZdsU&ab_channel=HISTORY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0s0eEgNJno&ab_channel=FerranEtienne
Be sure to listen to John Quincy Adams quote.
And yes many blacks in America are 25% white.
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Jimmy Moon
It sounds like Satan's imps are mad about this. Bless yours hearts.
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Robert Edward Szekely
Personally, I would argue that the Divine's own contrarian is probably enjoying a drink and a good laugh right about now...
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Glad someone else would not have a problem with human anatomy coloring books in elementary school. Maybe if we did, men would have a bit more respect for women.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
If Satan did exist, I am sure the religios zealots and fanatics trying to force their beliefs on everyone else his best minions.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Adults forcing their religion and religious beliefs on children is why young people want nothing to do with the Christian religion.
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Melissa Woods
This teacher did nothing wrong she probably paid for those coloring books out of her own pocket because we don't pay her we should be just grateful that she does things like that that she does care about our children. And if it has anybody ever been to Bible school when they were a child it's nothing like y'all are saying you're blowing it all out of proportion the kids are that's all they're focusing on this coloring we're putting too much pressure on these children nowadays I think she's doing an excellent job so whoever she is I think I hope they give her a medal because we don't have enough people out here did the desk care about our children and I'm not a religious person I'm spiritual but I do believe in God in Jesus Christ. Call myself a Christian because I don't put a title on the things that the Lord has taught me so y'all have a blessed day and I'll keep you all in my prayers
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Robert Edward Szekely
Your personal religious beliefs cannot receive preferential treatment in any educational institution which receives public funding, unless all religious beliefs held by Americans are equally represented in that same forum. It’s all or none. Otherwise, it constitutes endorsement of a specific faith, which is unconstitutional.
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Richard Darwin Richards
Amen!!!
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John R. Hahn Jr
All public schools should have a required course that covers the main practices of all major religions. It seems that society needs this just so that we can better understand one another. No religion is perfect nor completely true. They all have their flaws. So, lets get this dealt with and just make them learn the basics of them all. Maybe we'll then appreciate one another a little more?
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Robert Edward Szekely
If we cover the major religions, the minor ones will need to also be addressed.
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
The reason we can't do it, is that there is neither enough time, money, nor personnel to even introduce all the religions of the world, major or minor. And even if we tried, too many people are too scared to have their children exposed to other philosophies, lest they begin to believe in something other than what their parents believe.
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Jimmy Moon
Believe it or not. We all believe in GOD. Whether you choose to deny that is your choice. HE has made HIS presence known to all. Believe it or not.
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Robin Murray
I find it sad that so many of the comments here are filled with vitriol and not filled with understanding. I may not agree with my brothers and sisters, but I refuse to attack them for their beliefs. Maybe we need to do some Introspection and learn to be more understanding. No one wins an argument. Thank you and have a wonderful day.
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Cyril R. VanKeirsbelk
If throughout the year they cover information about other religions, presented in a similar matter, then it is fine.
If not, then it is advocating a specific religion with tax dollars and the teacher should be disciplined.
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Cheryl Pettijohn
@Matthew, sorry dude. Children need the facts. History is full of genocide, rape, misogyny, betrayal and murder. We don't need any more whitewashing.
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Gabriel Gurrola
That is the world for you the teachers of the devil why should any school or anybody have a problem with teaching the word of Jesus Christ they teach in school nonsense anyways they teach about gay people drugs alcohol sexual contact why can you not teach something positive that's going to help them in the long run and that is the world of the Lord Jesus Christ it should not only be a church thing Once Upon a Time they used to let School teach the word of Jesus Christ remember I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which we stand one nation under God there you go now if false religion they don't want our children to learn about our father Jesus Christ but yet it's okay to teach the rest of nonsense praise the Lord Jesus Christ😇🙏🫂❤🕊
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Lori-Ann Neeb
Church and state should be separate. Just because they used to force it on kids does not make it right then or now. children should learn unbiased facts then be allowed to make up their own minds. Things like hate, judgment and bigtry have no place at all ever. That is where you are wrong. Your reply oozes all those things. Most people on your side poison yourselves with all the negativity you spew all over the place. You hurt yourselves most of all.
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David Cox
Amen to that brother
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Daniel Gray
let them, and they will get bi-yatch slapped yet AGAIN as Mikey has been slapped by the courts so many times that he has a left hand and a right hand indentation on his face and a dent in his head where they busted him with the fist of the law. Here where I live they tried the same thing as we had a large picture of Christ that hung in the courthouse since it was built in 1913. Mikeys rag tag bunch found out about it and they threatened to sue. So we just put religious symbols around the picture. Mikey got his panties in a knot and sued and he lost BIG TIME when the 6th US District Court ruled that with the different religious symbols in the same area, that we were not promoting any religion but recognizing all of them and they told Mikey and his kangaroo bunch that this was perfectly legal as there is no separation of church and state and the only way for this to be in the constitution is with a constitutional amendment and none was ever filed. The 6th then proceeded to throw out the whole fake case with prejudice (meaning it cant be appealed nor can anyone file a case like it ever again) Mikey ignored this while throwing a tantrum and tried to appeal this to the next highest court which is the US Supreme Court and they not only told him they rejected his appeal in a 9-0 decision (and these fruit loops were fined 100,000 for ignoring a court order), but they warned him to drop this case or face the wrath of US law. That's why Mickey has not been seen anywhere around the great lakes area as he knows what will happen to him if he shows his face and tries to make trouble again.
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Rev Mark D
Well at least Jesus is white in this one.
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CB Cuff
Which simply adds to the fiction of the American interpretation of the bible.
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CB Cuff
I suppose children 6-7 years old wouldn't know that he wasn't.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
Did you really say at least Jesus is white in this one?! I hope that was a typo or you are wrong on so many levels.
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Rev Mark D
Dear lori, obviously you don't know sarcasm when you see it.
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Lionheart
How do we know he really existed? It’s possible he did, or some others that were similar to him around that time.
🦁❤️
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Until the kid’s colored him/her.
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David Cox
Jesus is a Jew came from the Hebrew people. Study the bible
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Rev Mark D
David: Sorry, a "bible?" What's that?
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Geoffrey C. Olive
👍👍👍
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Rev. Howard Slayton
Public schools are supposed to teach good morals and manners to the children in the interest of upholding morality in society. The courts have said that schools CAN use the Bible in the course of instruction. While I personally see nothing wrong with children participating in an activity that involves some instruction about Jesus resurrection, any other children that disagree with Christianity should not be forced to participate. They should be allowed to complete a separate assignment. Jesus loves all the children of the world after all. They certainly force a lot of instruction on every one having to do with LBGTQ issues. Why do children need instruction for that. These people do not have fully developed brains, and by law, are not even allowed to make an independent decision. There are good reasons to have separation of church and state. However, the founding fathers never meant that there would be no teaching whatsoever involving the Christian religion. They encouraged Christian religious instruction because there needs to be morality for America to survive. No one should be made to feel inferior to another at school. And if someone wants to not participate, they shouldn’t be forced. If someone were forced, THEN there would be a problem.
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taycomama
I agree on the need for morality, but it has nothing to do with religion, and is certainly not limited to Christianity. If schools want to teach a non-sectarian secular moral code, they might do better to teach the state penal code.
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Robert Edward Szekely
Actually, the founding fathers stated that "The United States is in no way founded upon the Christian religion". That means, no Christian instruction in publicly schools. We've had privately funded schools existing alongside the public schools at least as long as I can remember for both Christian and Jewish children. So, I find this argument that tries to rationalize the teaching of Christian doctrine in public schools rather disingenuous. Christianity did not invent morality. Look at the teaching of the Stoics, for example.
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David Cox
Restudy the history of the United States. And church history
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Lori-Ann Neeb
Founding fathers were men of their time. They were limited to what they knew and were used to as status quo of their time. Separation of church and state which I include the school systems, prevents these issues. If one faith or lifestyle is approved, then all must be approved of as lesson material as well. That is fair to all and prevents religious fanatics and zealots from any harm they could do.
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Pastor H. F. Beere
Yea they push a lot of lgbtq things in school so they should also be allowed to talk about the other beliefs and point of views as well
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Robert Edward Szekely
If it appears that there is currently an "LGBTQI+" agenda permeating our society these days, it's simply because these folks have been hiding in the shadows for so long, and now they're simply demanding respect, equality, and recognition for who and what they are, without prejudice. This is what happens when something is repressed for so long. Grow up.
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Asa William Sprague, II
Other beliefs??
This might be a surprise, but LGBQT+ is not a religion; nor is it a belief system.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Lgbtq has to do with the way a person was born. Religion is what one is brainwashed into believing. .
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Robert Edward Szekely
Concur. LGBTQI+ is neither a choice nor a philosophy. It is a way of being that a person has no say in: rather it is simply an awakening at some point in their life in which they come to recognize the true nature of their self may differ from common cultural expectations.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Robert Edward Szekely
Your are correct, but remember many humans are born with features which are not female or male. There are "women" who have a penis and men who don't really have one. I've been asking Christians to define what makes a women and women and a man a man? They can't.
Just as people vary in height from short to tall, when it comes to sex people can be female, male, change from make to female or female to male over time. Or they can be neither female or male.
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David Cox
Rubbish thinking
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David Cox
That's why the world is like it is today because of evil people like you to be bad examples to our children...children are filled with this kind of thinking. ..God hates homosexuality....
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Tom
God hates your hate.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
Founding fathers were men of their time. They were limited to what they knew and were used to as status quo of their time. Separation of church and state which I include the school systems, prevents these issues. If one faith or lifestyle is approved, then all must be approved of as lesson material as well. That is fair to all and prevents religious fanatics and zealots from any harm they could do.
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Lady Celynia
No, it is not the schools job to teach morals. That is left to the family. The school is to educate in grammar, math, science, history, logic & rhetoric and critical thinking. Sadly the last two are no longer taught and history is being rewritten to fit an agenda.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
The Christian religion in America is rapidly going extinct because of teachers like this one who are forcing Christian teaching in violation of our laws and the principles of which American was founded.
Young people today view the religion and the Bible as a joke. When someone brings up scripture or the teaching of Jesus they roll their eyes and tune out knowing it’s just a lot of nonsense.
Just look at all of the block buster movie young people are going to go see, especially the Marvel movies. They are mocking JC and the Christian religion. The mocking is very subtle, but it’s there and the kids are looking for it. What the kids really love about these movies is their “Christian” parents are taking them to the movies and enjoying them not realizing the are being mocked. The kids love it, because they see their parent’s beliefs being made fun of and not knowing it.
Expect more mega hit, block buster movies to be released which will continue to very subtlety make fun of Christian beliefs. The kids are just going wild for them and want more.
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David Cox
Because of unlearned people like you
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Rev Frankie PG
Awareness is something everyone should have. If they're teaching this, then I'm hoping they're promoting Jews over Hanukkah, Pagans over Halloween, etc. I come from a school district where the High School Diploma is worth less than the paper it's written on. Most of these kids have no idea how and why to do common place things. Why should schools not be held responsible for educating our kids? I'd rather have little kids aware of the different reasons why they have time off from school, rather than being left in the dark.
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Colleen McAllister
As long as it is presented as one set of beliefs, and other holidays around the same time are also explained.
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Colleen McAllister
As long as it is presented as one set of beliefs, and other holidays around the same time are also explained.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
That didn’t happen. Christian believes only.
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Troels Qvist
Who cares it's a coloring book for elementary school.
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Robert Edward Szekely
It’s a coloring book with a subtly underlying message regarding a single religion, which Is not representative of the makeup of America as a whole. America is not a Christian nation, notwithstanding arguments to the contrary.
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David Cox
Crying about kids learning about Jesus....what has this world has come to...Satan is defeated all you ignorant souls....defend yourself with the Armour of God
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Robert Edward Szekely
What is this "Armour of God" stuff, anyway? I thought that you purported to be a Christian. Uh, God stopped smiting people and waging wars on cities towards the end of the Old Testament. You know Jesus put up no fight either when he was arrested, nor when he was tried or convicted.
Also, "Satan" isn't a proper name any more than "Christ" is. The former is Hebrew for "opposer" or "adversary", the latter is Greek for "anointed one". There is more than one "satan" in the Old Testament, and King David was a christ--as anointed ones were those favored by God.
If you're really looking for the origins of "The Devil", try Zoroastrianism.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Troels Qvist So you would be okay with coloring book for elementary school kids with naked bodies? I had to wait for college and had to buy it for my human anatomy class.
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Troels Qvist
I would be fine with naked bodies( depending on the context) i belive that some humanbeings have to much trouble with naked bodies as is. As far as forcing religion upon children i think it has alot to do with the parents. In my school as a kid we started out with christianity lessons, the name & context where later changed to the more appropiate term religion.
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Kevin Joseph Kervick
OMG. A Rainbow Flag would have been fine though. In many places it is already required.
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
Let's not make any generalizations. Unless you've met all atheists, making that statement is sadly inappropriate. Atheists, and I'm not one, come in all shades of the rainbow, just like Christian, Muslims, Hindus, and others.
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Minister Ronda
But.....if we re-read the article, The teacher is using Alabama Curriculum where all cultures are taught, this one just happened to be on Easter. Maybe we should check with them on what they teach on other Holidays before berating them
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Asa William Sprague, II
That is a good point. Let's find out if they have a coloring book page for Ramadan, Passover and Diwali that they also handout to first-graders.
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Ellie Will
Alabama is overwhelmingly Christian and dogmatic. They will not blink while promoting said dogma. As the teacher is not being asked what other belief system education she provides in her classroom, I have no issue with saying she stepped over the line. Her proper rebuttal to support the lesson would have been to provide the content she uses to teach other belief systems/cultural beliefs. Absent that and ensuring those lessons are not skipped, this was an attempt at programming young minds. The school board has closed ranks because they know the are not giving equal airtime.
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Wilberta M. Berry
100% crossed the line. If those parents wanted their children proselytize to they had the option of sending them to religious school. Religious Dogma has zero place in secular schools. I would be furious even as a Minister myself.
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David Cox
Wow.....teaching Jesus has done this to you...making you mad...wow....maybe you like the shooting and all that goes on and you are worried that kids are learning about Jesus...instead of praying for the United States to be better you want to take God out....you are just making things worse.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Dude - Just look what all of those prayer has done to our country. All of those prayers have resulted in massive homelessness, mass shooting, priests and pastors getting away with raping and molesting young girls, women and children, polluted air, water shortages, massive wild fires, heat waves and more hurricanes.
It's time to try something else than praying to God, we've seen how that's not working.
These are just some of the reasons why why so many people young people are turning away from the Christian religion.
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David Cox
Are you going to tell God that when you are being judged?
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Robert Edward Szekely
David Cox: stop making assumptions as to the fate of other's according to your own belief system. We don't actually know for a fact if any of us are right. Faith may be strong with some, but it is never the same as fact. Let's try to respect that, shall we? Your religious "truth" and my religious "truth" may not be the same, but we nonetheless should attempt to respect our differences.
If you truly are a Christian who sincerely believes in Jesus as your Savior, then you would do that, because that is what Jesus himself would have done.
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Dianne McGuire
Separation of church and state is part of our country's foundation. As a Christian, I would support the VALUES of the faith. They provided structure and morality in our society as have the faiths of other religions as well. It's the place of parents to instill those values however, there seems to be a gap between what parents espouse and the actual foundation they provide for children to develop. Society's decline in morality is because of parents failure to provide the structure that supports their core beliefs. That the teacher in a public school gave these values the name"Jesus" is likely unconstitutional. They fact that morality, peace, forgiveness mercy and grace has to be approached in a school setting is the real disgrace.
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Robert Edward Szekely
Dianne McGuire: I respect and concur with your wise words. Ethics and morality are taught in the home and community (which includes the religious upbringing of children according to their parents). It is not the job of the public school system to teach values. As I recall, it was referred half-jokingly as "The Three R's: Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic". You get the essential point though. Civics wouldn't hurt either, so children can grow up to understand what it means to be a citizen of a republic, and what the rights and responsibilities that go with that are.
If you want your child to get a religious education outside of the home and church/temple/mosque, then pay to send them to a private institution that includes the religion of your choice--as well as secular academic studies--as part of its curriculum: whether it's a Catholic school, Jewish Yeshiva, or Muslim Madrassa.
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Russell Clark Schuh
I was taught the only price for Forgiveness was to go forth and be Decipiles for Christ!!! " Suffer the little children, bring them unto Me"
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Robert Edward Szekely
Whoever taught you that you have to evangelize to be forgiven misrepresented the Bible.
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Gabriel Gurrola
Praise the Lord sister continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and continue to do his will remember this sister vengeance is his set the Lord the battle is not ours but he said the Lord I am reminding everybody what the Lord said in his own words because this scripture is in red Luke 10:16 (KJV) He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. So therefore sister you got nothing to worry about let the Lord do his will to anybody that despises you or any Christian praise the Lord Jesus Christ😇🙏🫂❤🕊
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Lori-Ann Neeb
It amazes me how people can be so hateful. God never wants vengence, hate or spite. He loves all His children. Whenever you see that kind of print in any color recognize it for what it is. The edited wording a corrupt church forced down the people's throats.
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Robert Edward Szekely
Lori-Ann Neeb: well, at least God stopped being vengeful AFTER the Old Testament.
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Rev Mark D
Gabriel: Punctuate much?
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Robert Edward Szekely
Gabriel Gurrola: The United States of America is not a Christian hegemony. Why are you ignoring all the Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Wiccans, Agnostics, Atheists, etc? They have as much a right to believe and practice according to their conscience as you do. Present your beliefs, but please stop evangelizing. It's rude and disrespectful. And it's fundamentally un-American. Respect our differences in this Nation.
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Peter Senderowitz
What ever happened to Seperation of Church and State?!
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David Cox
Restudy the history of the United States. And church history
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Robert James Ruhnke
You first. The propaganda you worship isn’t the whole story. Never was, never will be. Get over your high and mighty opinions.
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David Cox
May God revel himself to all who have written on here in the name of Jesus
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David Cox
Reveal
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Robert Edward Szekely
David Cox: this a discussion board, not a pulpit. Please don't evangelize here. It's disingenuous and disrespectful to others who don't share your belief system. Share your your views, sure--but please don't preach them.
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Douglas Daggett
Teaching children about Jesus Christ is not indoctrination . Jesus is the Creator of all things and all people! Jesus is our Lord Savior our King! Jesus is the absolute fact of truth! Only through Jesus do we have the availability to be heirs to the eternal kingdom of paradise! Jesus came to earth to save people through His sacrifice, death burial and resurrection! The only one that is against the teaching of Jesus Christ is Satan and his followers! To God be the glory for ever and ever Amen!
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Robert Edward Szekely
Douglas Daggett: please stop conflating your belief system with fact. That is wholly inaccurate. You are entitled to your belief, but belief is NOT fact. Facts are objective, while belief is subjective. It is clear that you are a devout Christian, but please respect the fact that not everyone here shares your beliefs.
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Robert Edward Szekely
Actually, according to the way I understand Christian (trinitarian) theology: God the Father is the Creator, God the Son (Jesus) is the Savior and the conduit to forgiveness in God the Father, while God the Holy Spirit is what resides in believers and guides them in the ways and will of God.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Douglas Daggett If Jesus is the creator of all things and all people why does the Bible say God did it? Jesus only lived 2,000 years ago, so how were all of the people who were created if there was no Jesus yet? I like you way of thinking. Can you share more?
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They should press criminal charges. Coloring pages from a book on genocide, rape, misogyny, betrayal and murder; have no place around children.
And none of these example you've given are even 'culturally moral'... promoting Christianity would have involved a much greater lesson which she did not do. However, in these Christian eyes, she certainly should have.
I had a non-religious upbringing in Amsterdam, my parents were Lutheran but chose to let their children find their own way. And they had no problem letting me have the choice of joining an hour a week in elementary public school hearing Bible stories. General education is the word, children are (Mostly?) not stupid, and it provided me a guide and basis to continue to learn about life and other religions as well. Nothing scary, nothing with which to fill a child's brain that should be prevented. This is just another zealot's tempest in a teapot, the stupidity continues, don't they have nothing better to do in life than stop education and child development???
@ Matthew, with all due respect, if that were the case we would have to completely stop teaching history.
They are already whitewashing slavery out of our history and making racial discussions criminal. They are not going to stop teaching history; they are going to teach their version of history. Now they're indoctrinating students in public school classrooms, what's next?
Rev. B, This is something other countries have been doing for decades. American is just late to the game of re-writing history.
Clover Seely, don't waste your breath. These people would complain even over a blank statement just for the sake of attacking Christianity. They are very sad!
Wow, are you really that stupid ?
Apparently yes, Daniel Ginther. They are!
Preach! Testify, Brother Matthew!