Trump Bible grift update: Leader is in running for Education Secretary

I agree ot should not be the law. I am just saying...a couple bible verses recited will do no harm.

But the fact is, the Bible should be freely available and ones faith should be freely discussed, but none of it should be forced.

 

No. I agree that should not happen. I am just saying no student was harmed 50 years ago when my dad said they had prayer over the intercom at Terry Parker.

It doesnt have to be "harmful" to the people in the classroom for me to agree that it is unconstitutional.

Now the idea that a slippery slope can be harmful and that if the government can ignore the constitution for one cause it then opens up a huge can of worms which can in turn be harmful? ...Now I would agree with you in that regard.

 

They literally left England to get away from religious persecution

 

If most of our Founders were Christians, it's even more notable and telling to me that they set up a secular government. It was not because they hated Christianity or wanted to limit free expression but presumably because they understood the perils of mixing church and state. Of course, it can be noted that the 1st Amendment was not seen as applying to the states in those days, but I don't think there's any serious debate today that states are also prohibited from violating the 1st Amendment in the same way that the Federal government is prohibited.

 

Real leather Bibles are quite rare these days.

 

They left England so as to worship as they please and not be under the rule of the Church of England. None of that means they did not see God as a cornerstone of their beliefs.

 

I got mine!!!!!

 

They set up a secular government so that their own beliefs could always be freely exercised. That isn't the same as setting up a secular government where God as a concept is unmentionable.

The process works as long as people in government and in schools can freely express their faith, while also knowing that no laws should force it.

 

And literally no one in this thread disagrees.

 

You can buy one at Target.

Kjv Compact Bible Black Full Grain Leather - (leather Bound) : Target

 

Took me a minute to find the Bunny

 

And much cheaper than the fake leather trump Bible

 

I mean yes. A postcard sized one, I'm just talking generally. Most Bibles are synthetic these days for obvious reasons.

 

Didn't read anything but the first post.

I'm not sure if this will come as a surprise to some of you, but the majority of government RFQs are written with a specific vendor in mind.

Beyond that, the requirements of this RFQ would be trivially easy for any publisher to meet.

 

I am not aware of any legal precedent standing for the proposition that the very concept of a higher power or generic deity is unmentionable. What I am seeing, though, are efforts to promote the Bible and Christianity, in particular.

Even with respect to Christianity, in particular, reference to "people in government and in schools" is broad since it seems to conflate adults with children and fails to distinguish between government officials/employees and private individuals. Moreover, saying people should be able to "freely express their faith" sounds reasonable on its face but leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

Students are permitted to read the Bible on school grounds so long as they are not otherwise breaking any rules. I believe the same is true of student-led prayer meetings. I don't see any movement to ban those things and wouldn't support them.

But how do we evaluate the individual free exercise rights of government officials/employees when they are speaking and acting in the course of their jobs? I don't have an issue with teachers wearing a cross or head covering, for example, because I think that's a personal expression which no reasonable student would credibly feel amounts to government endorsement or an effort to proselytize a particular religion or denomination. Same thing for a principal who enjoys reading the Bible during her lunch break. On the other hand, what if government officials/employees seek to use their positions of authority to organize, endorse, proselytize, or convert students? Shouldn't there be a limit on that short of the government literally "forcing" kids to participate? Should government "force" or overt coercion be the test for Establishment Clause purposes? I sure hope not but sense a lot of people want SCOTUS to move us in that direction.

 

Can we just go back to teaching the three R's? Have your bible study at home.

 

I knew a UF professor who REQUIRED his grad students to come to his weekly Bible study class. One had to transfer to another university to finish.