Morning announcements over intercom. Not a highlight of my school days. At White Oak High School in Longview, Texas, principal Dan Noll likes to read Bible verses.
Such as: “Proverbs 15:8: The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him…A moment of silence.”
Kill me now.
Rather than gnaw off a forelimb to escape, an unnamed student recorded a few of Noll’s scriptural readings and sent them to blogger Hemant Mehta, of The Friendly Atheist.
Mehta forwarded the recordings to the Freedom From Religion Foundation. FFRF wrote to the school district pointing out the unconstitutionality of such recitations in a public school. (See Abbington Township School District v. Schemmp (1963).)
Things sure have changed since we got kicked out of high school.
Superintendent Michael Gilbert responded with some crafty gobbledygook. As I read it, it was intended to seem defiant while at the same time leaving room to change the school’s policy.
The defiance is in phrases like:
I am fully aware of the practice at the high school and will not pursue any action against our High School Principal or any other member of our faculty/staff concerning this issue.
(He was not asked to pursue action.)
Also:
Let me also be clear that we have not (in my opinion) violated anyone’s rights and/or subjected anyone to undue stress. Bible studies and scriptures are allowed in schools. The requirement is that the material be presented in a neutral manner. It is my position that we met that standard with the morning announcements.
And:
We will make sure our rights are just as protected as anyone else that lives in this great country. We will continue to provide for all the needs of our students and we will do so while traveling the High Road.
He also said:
My recommended response to the FFRF is, “I’m sorry you feel that way. I will be praying for you and your staff daily.”
Bible verse appropriately placed on grave in Longview.
First you blame them, and then you insult them. Well played, sir! Unless you actually were trying to apologize. In which case, you’re setting a terrible example.
But in fact, Gilbert is not stupid enough to waste money fighting another losing battle. (Another? As the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported, the district previously wrangled with the FFRF about the practice of coaches praying with teams before games and of broadcasting prayers during the games.)
His statement also vaguely said :
We can and will make the adjustments needed to ensure our students experience a morally sound, positive character based education.
Then, in case that seemed like he was caving:
There are a multitude of options to provide our students, faculty and staff the opportunity to express their First Amendment Rights as provided for in the United States Constitution.
But that didn’t convince many people that religious readings would stop. Gilbert was forced to be clearer. “White Oak ISD Superintendent Michael Gilbert said that while the principal would continue to offer his “thought for the day,” it “will not include chapter and verse from Scripture,” reported the Longview News-Journal.
By the WAY, Tyler papers, do you still run Bible verses on your front page, as you did when I lived there?
“It will consist of material intended to encourage students to consider positive choices in their daily life and plans for the future.”
Banging my head on the desk again.
From 1901 or 1910, startlingly prescient prediction of a classroom in 2000. Hard to tell which one of these kids complained about the Bible verses, but WE WILL FIND OUT.
Unbelievable. Why does a public school official believe schools are responsible for or should be involved in providing “a morally sound…education.”? What the heck is a character based education? Do they seriously think high school kids need a daily inspirational message? I guess since they have finished their work of screwing up textbooks, the worst state in the United States has decided to get back to trying to impose White Christian bs on kids.
You had me until you started in on Texas, Bruce. I don’t want to hear a word against Texas. Particularly East Texas. Especially Smith County. I’m talking about Tyler. In fact, one word against the residents of S. Fannin St. and I’m liable to fly off the handle.
Wait. Unless you’re speaking politically. Then I can hear your arguments. Particularly about the mail carrier who decided it was too much trouble to deliver on Wednesdays, and on other days brought us all the random mail to people with Irish surnames. That was pretty bad.
Incidentally, I know Texans who aren’t like this – and have teacher-friends there, too, who provide a great education. I don’t necessarily agree that they’re the worst state in the union – I will not diss your state (and the state where my best girlfriend lives). But I do wonder why no one is stopping this superintendent dude.
Full disclosure: I have had lifelong religious instruction. From grade 1 – 12, and then I attended denominational colleges for four years. Even my graduate school at a women’s college had been started in the 1800’s as an institution of “morally instruction” for the education of women. I know from my religious people….
Yet, during my school days, WE DID NOT EVER have Bible verses read to us during morning announcements. Not that there wasn’t Teh Crazy – I *did* have one professor do this sort of thing in college – during our upper-division LINGUISTICS class, where she wasted upwards of fifteen minutes per class on that sort of thing, and you can bet we took the matter to the academic dean, because there’s a time and a place for Bible reading and “moral” readings, and while we were trying not to giggle much at the word “fricative” wasn’t it. Also, overall, there is a such thing as a.) freedom equally of AND from religion, b.) freedom of choice and c.) being a captive audience and wanting to gnaw off one’s limb to escape. I feel SO VERY strongly about this. And people wonder why folks think people of faith are scary, pushy bastids.
I’m most appalled that a public school is doing this — but Texas, man. It troubles me even more that no one is stopping them – this educational super and his pseudo-Christian henchpersons (they’re just. so. SMUG and righteous and ugh). This issue for me is just as important as the issue of those states that decide they’re not going to marry everyone – they’re reminded of what happens to states who decide to defy federal mandate (and the specter of Bull Conner rises) — so why isn’t anyone really saying, “ENOUGH, Texas?” That bugs the crud out of me – and I still consider myself a person of faith.
Well, the FFRF stops a lot of stuff, on a case by case basis. Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana… California, Ohio….
Every time I see this stuff of (White) Christians trying to force their weltanschauung on others (usually the defenseless), I am reminded of two things:
1. How the same White Christians whine about how persecuted they are, usually after the Starbucks Barista says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” or “The Lord Be Open.”
2. White Christians have often led the league in inflicting persecution on others in the name of a Savior who calls for absolute non-violence, with such colorful examples as The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Trail of Tears, the Russian Pogroms, and, of course, the Holocaust. What was so “Christian” about any of the above, and who was getting “persecuted?”