"Parents of public school kindergarten students may reasonably expect their children will not become captive audiences to an adult's reading of religious texts," Chief Judge Anthony J. Scirica wrote in Monday's split 2-1 opinion, which upheld a lower court's ruling.
In October 2004, the Marple Newtown School District in suburban Philadelphia told plaintiff Donna Kay Busch that she could not read the Bible passages during her son's "All About Me" program. The school did permit the boy to discuss a poster that included references to his church as well as his family, pet and best friend.
Busch argued that the young students heard stories related to Passover, Christmas and other religious holidays, but the court concluded there was a "significant difference" between identifying such holidays and reading from Scripture.
Principal Thomas Cook of Culbertson Elementary School believed such a reading would "proselytize ... a specific religious point of view," the opinion stated.
Busch, an evangelical Christian, is contemplating an appeal, according to lawyer Jason Gosselin. He said he took the case pro bono after a request from The Rutherford Institute, which focuses on First Amendment and religious freedom issues. Busch had contacted the group.
Gosselin argued that the school districts can restrict content but must remain "viewpoint neutral" once they invite parents in to celebrate their child.
The district contended that the case was more about the mother's interests and motives than her son's. A family baby sitter described the children's book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" as the boy's favorite that year, the school district said.
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- ClipsFC
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yea...duh. i wonder how the mother would feel if the little persians boys mother started reading the koran to them in english.
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Another sicky. It's almost like it's some kind of poison in the blood - infects every bit of the a person's ability to think. Like a PCP addict. Eliminates a coherent social context.
Religion: Black Hole for the mind. -
yeah...have another one lady. Juh-he Sus....
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- Denica_Cassandra
- 5 months ago
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well if she wants to share the word then she has the right..,and if i were her i would read the scriptures anywhere anyplace ..i do anyways...we as christians still out number you non believers
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- cindydupree
- 5 months ago
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awww man, cindy's back. she always makes me more depressed
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Separation of church and state! Real simple! But that separation is starting to narrow. Here in Florida we now have bible license plates courtesy of our in the closet state governor who panders to the right wing base. So be afraid. Very afraid...
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- D_Legendary1
- 5 months ago
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Since the U.S. is made up of many religions, there should be some text read to children from: the Koran, the Ramayan, Masoretic Text,..etc to round out these children and provide them with some understanding of the world.
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this story comes from my hometown. this lady is a complete whackjob and her only motive is to indoctrinate her neighbor's children with her beliefs. She is a self described evangelical Christian who believes her mission in life is to Christianize the world.
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- diabolical44
- 5 months ago
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We are making progress. A generation ago this may have been allowed to pass as a harmless eccentricity.
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- unimatrix0
- 5 months ago
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I bet it'd be okay for a muslim student to discuss religion to his class at school, we all know what a fit this country would throw if it wasn't!
In trying to be "fair", we take all this idealistic fairness and turn it into hypocrisy. Please, people. Open your eyes.
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- jamiekinsxo
- 5 months ago
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Personally, I don't think anyone should be reading religious writings of any sort to any children. I don't think children should even be allowed to attend a church until they are 18 years old and old enough to decide for themselves what they want to believe or not.
This woman is a typical proselytizing unthinker who wants to indoctrinate everyone she can regardlesss of their own beliefs.
She should be made to sit quietly in a room while her son is read to by followers of 10 other religions from their own scriptures and then she can answer his questions about them.
...of course someone could just as easily tell her to shut the hell up. :)
