Public School Students Forced to Attend Christian Assembly Stage Walkout

Jack Gerber

This is outrageous. I am an ordained minister myself although not Christian and I would NEVER allow a public school to force students into some religious education.

Charles Jude Platt

These "fundamental" Christians believe in proselytizing everyone. They are sick. They only believe in the American Constitution when or if it suits them. If there is a place called "Hell," I hope they enjoy their trip.

The kids who participated in the walkout, should be commended. Good for them.

Nicholas J Page

What's happening in America.Surely that is illegal on both sides.Locking classroom doors I would bust the doors down.No body on this earth should be forced to do anything.People nowadays should be given the opportunity to choose if they want to participate in Religious studies not forced.Not every body is into religion.

Douglas R. Reynolds

Before I begin, i went to Lutheran grade school and Lutheran high school. With that said, I don't believe religion belongs in public school other than to learn about or understand different world religions and cultures. If you want your kids to learn a religion, have prayer, Bible study ect...then send them to a parochial school.

Douglas Robert Spindler

It's stunts like this one that make young people want to not have anything to do with the Christian religion.

Good for those students for knowing the law. Let's hope they do go to his church on Sunday, Not to get baptized, but to exercise their right to burn legally Bibles.

James Bullard

Religion does not belong in our public school system, at all. Those who are attracted to religion can go to church. It should not be forced on anyone.

Robert Clay Wilcox

Looks like Theocracy is alive and well in West "By God" Virginia! And hells bells, you can go right down I-64 a little piece and handle some rattle snakes and copper heads while worshipping with snake handlers, Uh, no do not Take me Home Country Roads!

Amber Fry

I think it is a wise thing to learn and understand the different religions in this world if for no other reason than to break down the walls of misinformation. However I also believe it's difficult for it to be taught fairly without the teacher taking sides and condemning any religion outside of their own. For that reason I think it would be far more prudent to just not have religion in elementary level education at all.

Richard Lee Cornell

Satan! Satan! Shouts the students.

Rev Ned

Does this preacher’s favorite hymn go, “🎼 Jesus loves me, but he can’t stand you.”?

Robert Chokonen Anthony Van Fleet

There is a place and time for everything, that being said the sole reason for the Pilgrims coming to this continent was to avoid such things that are being forced upon the Children, public schools are not the place to lean about spirituality of any denomination, if children are curious let their parents take them to the appropriate places to learn from the appropriate people.

Alexander Clarke

If religious zealots were allowed to rule, like the Christians want to, it would be like living under the Taliban. Teaching about religion is one thing, teaching religion is another.

Echo

No amount of this was right. The school should have had an option for students that were not interested, and teachers should have allowed students to leave if they felt that this was not for them. Finding your path for religion is a journey. There are many paths to take, and should be explored outside of school.

gerrydiamond

Religious Education is a compulsory part of education in England, students are obliged to attend school assembly.

CB Cuff

Board of Education or Board of brainwashing? So much for teaching equality to the students and their families! So much for 'the land of the free'.

Maximillian Martin

Good!! No one, especially schools or government, should force their religion on anyone!! If I had kids and this happened, I'd be suing the school and finding a different one for them to go to.

Daniel Gray

Ok for the ones who just dont seem to get it, there IS NO SUCH THING as separation of church and state NOR is it in the Constitution. The Constitution was ratified in 1787, the very FIRST mention of this myth was in 1802 in a letter from Jefferson to his Baptist detractors. That means the very FIRST time this was mentioned was 15 years AFTER the Constitution was ratified. And what that means for the ones who are ignorant of US History, the ONLY way for this to be included in the Constitution is by a constitutional amendment. And I have 1000. for the first one who can show this was brought before Congress and passed and then sent out to the states to be ratified. I wont worry about losing as it cant be done. And please dont try that illegal SCOTUS decision where they stopped prayer in the school as not even the SCOTUS can make a right that does not exist in the Constitution nor can they "interpret" something as being in the constitution that isnt there and never has been there. That is not part of their authority under Article 3 of the Constitution and never has been.

Now in saying this, the two teachers who forced the students to go to this should be disciplined as they dont have the authority to force them to stay when this is voluntary. They could have sent them to study hall or sent them to the school library or placed them in the lunch room under supervision, or at the very least given them that option. Since they failed in their duties as teachers they should be disciplined or at the very least they should be made to explain just how they forced the students to attend this, and then disciplined for it.

Lionheart

That’s the dictatorship, and religious blackmail of an impending Hell, that churches have over people to keep them toeing the line.

🦁❤️

Minister Carlos Ricardo Walls

Was there ever anything sacred?

Geoffrey C. Olive

I had to attend daily assembly in my public high school (not a church school) in London, England where Xtian hymns were sung and prayers recited. This was in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although not openly atheist, I found this abhorrent to my principles. I discovered that a separate Catholic assembly was held in a classroom. I claimed that I was Catholic as I think my dad’s family were of that persuasion. What a relief the change was. The assembly was run by a teacher who was Catholic but not a priest. No hymn singing, a quick Lord’s prayer and a few Hail Marys and 25 minutes of free time to finish homework or read while the rest of the school was getting proselytised! Although I escaped from the main assembly, everyone had religious education classes as it was the only mandatory subject required by the UK education authorities. I think it is still a requirement! Unfortunately I had to endure RE for the first three years until I could choose specific subjects.

Carl Bernard Elfstrom

I attended Catholic elementary schools for six years, and Ofcourse we prayed, had religion class everyday, and sang Christian songs in our school choir. I'm surprised we didn't play religious songs in our school band. I didn't believe in much of it, but did it anyway, and don't think it hurt me to do so, but yearned to go to public school, where I would be free of all that anyway. So I couldn't have been happier than when they expelled me from both of those schools, and then said they'd never take me in another one again in my life! And we never were required to do anything religious in the public schools I went to. Religion was never even mentioned by our teachers, in the years I attended them, between 1974 and 1981, in Galveston, Texas. I assumed it was against the law. Isn't it? It sure seems like it ought to be. I'm very much surprised to hear that such a thing took place. I think the teachers who took part in it should be fired, and never allowed to teach in a public school again.

Timothy Newell

Christianity should never be force-fed,,,the behavior of some teachers was ludicrous, claiming the door to leave was locked. This should've been presented to students to attend on a voluntary basis. Those who are called to be saved and to repent will come. It can't be forced on anybody. It never was forced on me, as it took me three or four times to finally be saved myself. There are only two types of persons in this world now--saved and unsaved.

The Right Reverend D. Batch

In my study of the Scriptures Jesus never twisted any ones arms to get them to believe. Besides Baptism does not save you.

Bishop William Dusenberry, DD

Opinion, of a ULC bishop, with a DD, has been granted sainthood twice, and has four doctorates in a wide variety of subject areas, and who knows that the main reason why Christian funnymentalist MAGA’ers admire DJT, instead of Jesus, is due to the manner in which they succumbed to Christian mythology in the first place

As Nietzsche famously stated “one is not converted to Christianity, one only needs to be sick enough to do so.”

The USA allows all young children to be brainwashed — even though it is a serious type of child abuse to do so.

We claim to have religious freedom, in the USA, even though any child brainwashed into Christianity (et al) is denied such freedom.

To select a religion (as the need might be) one should have to reach the age of 18 — then read “The Savvy Converts Guide to Choosing a Religion” so that they can select the religious mythology that best meets their needs.

As a self-identifying Secular Humanist Pantheist (SHP) I have a provable God (which is also nature) everything I like to do is good; while everything I don’t like to do is bad.

Why everyone except other SHPers doesn’t become a SHPer, is only because they were brainwashed into some religious mythology or other, before they had the chance to read “The Savvy Converts Guide to Choosing a Religion” (which unfortunately doesn’t yet include SHP’ism).

SHP’ism is best suited for shepherds, while definitely not for sheeple (MAGA’ers; rabble, GOP’ers without a pot to piss in, etc).

We lie to our public schoolers, when we brainwash them to believe that the USA has freedom of religion.

Daniel Joseph Morse

Did you get your Bishopric and D.D. at (defunct) K-Mart? I don't see such for sale at ULC, though I think it would be an amusing product to offer and hope it will be included in inventory.

I take offense at your words "everything I like to do is good; while everything I don’t like to do is bad". That would not create an attitude of cooperation or kindness on my part.

Guy E. Sanders Jr

Unless this is a parochial school and religious teaching is part of the curriculum it is a clear violation of the separation of church and state. Besides that, all Christian denominations are not the same. There are differences between Jehovah's witnesses and Catholics and Seventh Day Adventists, etc. The religious training of children is the purview of their parents and they shouldn't be forced to be preached to by any secular school.

Dorothy E. Cogswell

This is nazism

John W. Stemmons Jr.

School is for schooling our children in the fundamentals of secular world wide economical things needed to adapt to the world of things. Churching or preaching is to be taught at home and that individuals congregation of which they belong. Of course I pray that all could be under the understanding of our heavenly father. But that situation is left in his hands I can only teach what I know in my heart is true! He is and will always be faithful to tend to his lambs of which I am of that fold. But one thing his is not, and that's Forced! May He aid those Lost to the System of this world's counter view. Amen

John W. Stemmons Jr.

School is for schooling our children in the fundamentals of secular world wide economical things needed to adapt to the world of things. Churching or preaching is to be taught at home and that individuals congregation of which they belong. Of course I pray that all could be under the understanding of our heavenly father. But that situation is left in his hands I can only teach what I know in my heart is true! He is and will always be faithful to tend to his lambs of which I am of that fold. But one thing his is not, and that's Forced! May He aid those Lost to the System of this world's counter view. Amen

Cheryl Pettijohn

Requiring your students to go was inappropriate. If the teachers were reprimanded, the school needs to share what was done to reprimand them. The teachers also need to publicly apologize to their students and parents. Having a religious person at school doesn't bother me, as long as multiple religions are represented and attendance is optional.

Ronaldo

This line from the article states "Walker prayed with students, encouraged them to visit his church to get baptized, and allegedly told them that if they don’t give their lives over to Jesus Christ, they’ll be sent straight to hell when they die." The first thing I noticed here is that Walker did not 'allegedly' pray with students, nor did he 'allegedly' encourage them to visit his church, but when it came to giving their lives to Jesus, no one seems to know what he actually said, but only what he 'allegedly' said. This tells me that the author knows the first two things are real but has no proof of the third.
The only 'religion' that should be mandatory in public schools is science. I know, many realize that science is not a religion, but I've met quite a few 'religious' people who deny it, and consider it a faith of its own, with deluded followers that don't believe in the "Truth of Christ". On the other hand, I know those who blindly follow anything a 'scientist' says, while ignoring the whole science principle that says to understand and believe in just the facts. Science is not a religion, but a way of seeing reality based on real evidence, whereas religion requires faith in evidence that cannot be seen or touched. Both are real, and they are not mutually exclusive if you look at both concepts correctly.

Steven Alan Friedenthal

Forcing someone, however impressionable, to attend religious services is tyranny and colonialism.

Michael Barton

They shouldn't be forced, and that's a mistake the teachers made. If they apologized, then that's the best you get. If they do it again, then be mad. But until then, give peace a chance.

Robert N Clarkson

If the story is accurate it was a couple of teachers, not the school. Schools should be a non threatening forum of diverse opinions and belief in addition to teaching basic educational skills. Unfortunately modern education in the US has become one sided propagandizing and suppressing any freedom of thought. I was a teacher in the public schools for over 10 years.

Laura Perez

As an ordained minister, and also a parent to a school aged student, this is not acceptable. School is not a place of worship.

Tabitha

Gilead is coming. We're all doomed

Rev. Rory

I'm ordained and taught in both a religious school and public schools. As an educator, I believe children (in public schools) should learn ABOUT religions of the world, not be TAUGHT religion (or threatened with Hell.)

How many people in the country and in the world follow each religion? Who were the founders? Are there people that don't follow a religion? Where do people gather for their religious services? What are the special days or holidays? Just the facts and an understanding that there are billions of people in the world, and that people practice religion in different ways. The end.

I never taught at a school where a speaker could just be invited by staff and hold a class without approval by the administration. I've also been a guest speaker (not religious subjects) hundreds of times. I always attended by invitation, with approval, and usually had to submit a lesson plan in advance.

Based on my own experiences, I can't imagine how the organizers of this Evangelical get together pulled this off without someone knowing what was going on.

Diane Minna LaFave

The pledge of allegiance [ with the word " GOD " intact ] and a moment of silence for prayer should be done in all schools. BUT , forcing students to attend a religious event is against their Constitutional Rights. If there is an event of this nature than parental permission must be given .

Michele Savaunah Zirkle

I was a high school teacher in West Virginia one County away from Cabell County for over 20 years. There were often Christian services offered at noon from various churches in the community, but the services were optional for students to attend at lunch. Students should not be made to attend any specific religious service, but these should be offered as options. Students who do not wish to attend these should have other locations where they could participate in alternative activities or help with academics. This was the procedure in all the school districts I attended in West Virginia over my many years as a public schoolteacher.

Another issue closely related to this is the practice of saying a prayer before a ball game. At one point we did not say a prayer before the ball game on the loudspeaker but the team or various parents could lead a prayer impromptu. I noticed this especially at football games which were held outside. Eventually a moment of silence took place in place of the prayer. This fluctuated for many years but did not become problematic because no one was being forced to do anything.

Maurice Slaunwhite

In the Bible religion is mention twice in the first chapter of James at the last two verses. The Lord God himself said Religion

can be if it is a good religion. God belongs in any school as long as it is a good Religion. You see it is just that religion it self is not allowed in the schools but God himself must be allowed to be in schools because He is the one who planted all the rules and laws that we the people go by world wide and that includes The Ten Commandments. God bless you all.

Judy Joy Lehrman

Because it does cause discrimination of all types & does violate some people one way or another, religion has NO place in schools or any other general public or government thing. Religion is a personal thing. Just too emotional to be bandied about, causing far too much upheaval of emotion. If done correctly, could be taught only as Comparative Religion, as in college, but I seriously doubt it would be taught fairly and truly factual only. I do wish I had been given such a class when younger. But it takes a very special person to teach it without it being slanted toward their choices. I wouldn't want to even witness a class discussion, though. But it would definitely belong at The Monestery! :) Any chance that could happen someday?

Judy Joy Lehrman

Because it does cause discrimination of all types & does violate some people one way or another, religion has NO place in schools or any other general public or government thing. Religion is a personal thing. Just too emotional to be bandied about, causing far too much upheaval of emotion. If done correctly, could be taught only as Comparative Religion, as in college, but I seriously doubt it would be taught fairly and truly factual only. I do wish I had been given such a class when younger. But it takes a very special person to teach it without it being slanted toward their choices. I wouldn't want to even witness a class discussion, though. But it would definitely belong at The Monestery! :) Any chance that could happen someday?

Ernest John Salathe

Minister ERNEST SALATHE I believe everybody should have the choice this country was built on the Constitution nobody should have anything thrown down the throat I've had a lot of trouble in lifetime's with churches 4th grade us kicked out of the Catholic church I was a demon because my dad was a Lutheran my mother was Catholic there was nothing because of me salute the kids that locked out they had the right you cannot enforce religion down anybody it's their choice I strongly believe the separation between church and state I salute the kids that stayed that was their choice the kids are didn't want to go should not have been forced to go parents need to really look into this deep and see what's going on in that school thank you.

Minister William Jackson

We should not push any religion on anybody also grow up kids If you don't like that thing should of been handled a different way. But . We don't know everything . We're human we all make mistakes. But yet we should keep religion to the school that teaches you know the people want to have the Bible in any school should be allowed and they want to pray button but not force it on others , which is up to them.

Minister William Jackson

We should not push any religion on anybody also grow up kids If you don't like that thing should of been handled a different way. But . We don't know everything . We're human we all make mistakes. But yet we should keep religion to the school that teaches you know the people want to have the Bible in any school should be allowed and they want to pray button but not force it on others , which is up to them.

Minister William Jackson

We should not push any religion on anybody also grow up kids If you don't like that thing should of been handled a different way. But . We don't know everything . We're human we all make mistakes. But yet we should keep religion to the school that teaches you know the people want to have the Bible in any school should be allowed and they want to pray button but not force it on others , which is up to them.

Minister William Jackson

We should not push any religion on anybody also grow up kids If you don't like that thing should of been handled a different way. But . We don't know everything . We're human we all make mistakes. But yet we should keep religion to the school that teaches you know the people want to have the Bible in any school should be allowed and they want to pray button but not force it on others , which is up to them.

Minister William Jackson

We should not push any religion on anybody also grow up kids If you don't like that thing should of been handled a different way. But . We don't know everything . We're human we all make mistakes. But yet we should keep religion to the school that teaches you know the people want to have the Bible in any school should be allowed and they want to pray button but not force it on others , which is up to them.

Minister William Jackson

We should not push any religion on anybody also grow up kids If you don't like that thing should of been handled a different way. But . We don't know everything . We're human we all make mistakes. But yet we should keep religion to the school that teaches you know the people want to have the Bible in any school should be allowed and they want to pray button but not force it on others , which is up to them.

Rev Dr N

I am ordained. Our role is not to force anyone in to our belief, we are there are vessels of God, as a voice, as someone who will listen and guide other should! they want this. God gave everyone freedom of choice and will and to force others in to anything, then you are taking away the persons freedoms and going against God by forcing the person to listen to the messages of God, one would be doing the exact opposite! of what God wants. Yes there should be a Christian Assembly and religious education classes but! only for those that want to attend.