School calls police to stop 7-year-old kid from sharing Bible verses

christiantimes.com...

A Los Angeles deputy sheriff was reportedly sent by Desert Rose Elementary School on May 9 to visit the house of a seven-year-old student for sharing Bible verses with other children at school. "The deputy sheriff said he had been sent by the school," Liberty Counsel Attorney Richard Mast told Fox News.Mast added, "The deputy went on to tell the parents that the school was worried that someone might be offended by the Bible verses."

The sheriff's office has yet to provide an official statement on the matter as Superintendent of Palmdale School District Raul Maldonado only responded that "the District is not yet clear as to the specific nature of that engagement," although they confirmed that the sheriff has made the visit.

The boy and his parents Jaime and Christina Zavala are represented by the Liberty Counsel, a non-profit litigation, education, and policy organization that works for religious freedom. The organization sent a letter addressed to Maldonado on May 24 citing the school's act as "unconstitutional suppression and censorship of student religious speech."

The first grader, identified only as C, has gained attention from his friends at school with the encouraging notes containing Bible verses that his mother packed alongside his lunch. His friends requested for their own Bible verses so the boy's mother made more copies for him to give out at school.

On April 18, a teacher restricted the handout only at the school gate and after classes as she cited separation of church and state. C was also reprimanded in two instances in front of the whole class and sent home in tears. Hours before the sheriff made a visit at 4:30 p.m., Principal Melanie Pagliaro completely banned the Bible-sharing which she said was against school policy, seeing how children still crowded over the Bible notes at the school gate after the bell rang.

In their letter, the Legal Counsel refuted the erroneous interpretation of the Establishment Clause and cited the "Students' Freedom of Speech/Expression" where students have the right to exercise their rights including distribution of printed materials so long as these are not obscene, libelous, or such.

hmm so no actual arrests, which is a good sign, I guess. Who knows what possible charges they could come up with;

Causing grave harm to the public? Inciting children to civil disobedience?
Give me a break. I suppose the teachers were fearful of losing grants or being picketed by the "other side"
Seeing this happened in April I'm wondering if any charges were actually laid.

I like sparring with Christians on ATS. but I think dragging children into the public eye like this is worrisome.
What were the parents thinking putting such messages in the lunchbox? Surely they knew it would cause an incident.

Why use children in proselytizing?

Must run to work...will look at it later

At this age, kids are very proud of the things they learn and like to share. Was the kid actually trying to proselytize or just doing what kids do and sharing the stuff he knows?

it's hard to say but it is why so mnay kids come homer with the new daily cuss word in that age group.

Mountain out of a molehill. The school only needed to ask the mother not to send them in the lunch. I'm all for freedom of religion, but keep it to yourself.

I think calling the police was overkill. They could have simply called a meeting with the parents and put a stop to it that way.

"Hey you... Stop sending messages of a religious nature to students that you did not give birth to."

It could have been resolved in a much more private way.

a reply to: AccessDenied

Why should the mother have to not send her own kid Bible verses? They are his. It shouldn't be any business of the school's what she puts in his lunch for him. It's not like someone other kid will see them by accident and get anaphylactic shock as if they were wayward peanuts or strawberries.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Great, more fodder for the Christian Industrial Martyr Complex.

Even if this is true (I find the story dubious at best), they technically did nothing wrong. If they are not allowed to have religious texts at school, then they're not allowed. If that boy was passing out passages from the Satanic Bible, the same thing would have happened.

a reply to: AccessDenied

It's hardly expression of religious freedom if you aren't allowed to express it..and must KEEP it to yourself..lol

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: AccessDenied

Why should the mother have to not send her own kid Bible verses? They are his. It shouldn't be any business of the school's what she puts in his lunch for him. It's not like someone other kid will see them by accident and get anaphylactic shock as if they were wayward peanuts or strawberries.

Point being, when he began to share them, it became an issue they had to deal with. That could have been dealt with by keeping their religious verses at home. There are many uplifting, positive quotes that she could have sent in place of them that were not religious. And as another member stated, involving the law was definitely overkill. This could have been handled easily in the school office, or even by a simple note home, politely asking her not to.

It's True, "Separation of Church and State" only prohibits the establishment from "teaching or promoting" any specific religion unless all get equal air time for educational purposes.

ALL PEOPLE have a RIGHT to profess their religious beliefs.

Exception:
Don't create a disturbance (like interruption of scheduled classes, yelling it at everyone belligerently, etc.)

As long as your Liberty does not infringe on someone else's Liberty, it's reasonable and Protected by Law.

originally posted by: AccessDenied
Mountain out of a molehill. The school only needed to ask the mother not to send them in the lunch. I'm all for freedom of religion, but keep it to yourself.

You're wrong.

The school had no authority to request such a thing.

You are against Freedom of Speech.
How can you not see that?

originally posted by: AccessDenied

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: AccessDenied

Why should the mother have to not send her own kid Bible verses? They are his. It shouldn't be any business of the school's what she puts in his lunch for him. It's not like someone other kid will see them by accident and get anaphylactic shock as if they were wayward peanuts or strawberries.

Point being, when he began to share them, it became an issue they had to deal with. That could have been dealt with by keeping their religious verses at home. There are many uplifting, positive quotes that she could have sent in place of them that were not religious. And as another member stated, involving the law was definitely overkill. This could have been handled easily in the school office, or even by a simple note home, politely asking her not to.

Every idea (poetic or philosophical or doctrinal or etc) by anyone to some degree or another, is religious.
Although there are some exceptions to the general rule of thumb, the debate here centers over the word "religious" and it's interpretation, which is variable and typically ambiguous.

The fact you "support" quotes not from the Bible (or presumably any other religious text, like the Koran or Tao Te Ching), but are of a "uplifting, positive" nature, shows that you are specifically anti-religion, which is your religion and political doctrine.

Censorship is very bad when it comes to this particular issue. I could understand you supporting censorship of something obscene (that entails the violation of Liberty in the creation of such material or supporting said violations of Liberty), but cmon - your bias has clouded your understanding of Freedom.

originally posted by: Masterjaden
a reply to: AccessDenied

It's hardly expression of religious freedom if you aren't allowed to express it..and must KEEP it to yourself..lol

That's why both Religion and Speech are compiled into the same Amendment, the First.
They are of the utmost importance and easily blend together and are dependent upon each other.

I think organised religion is a cancer that needs to be removed yet even im disgusted by this story.

WTF is the harm in kids sharing positive bible quotes in their lunch break???

As for that teacher talking about seperation of church and state im pretty sure that applies to the school curriculum as opposed to what kids do in their free time or after school even if on its grounds.

The world is going fecking insane

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Great, more fodder for the Christian Industrial Martyr Complex.

Even if this is true (I find the story dubious at best), they technically did nothing wrong. If they are not allowed to have religious texts at school, then they're not allowed. If that boy was passing out passages from the Satanic Bible, the same thing would have happened.

So should Bibles or The Vedas be banned from all "Public places" ?
What about Greek Mythology?

Should we tear down every statue in public that is even close to anything religious?

Did you notice most of our Government buildings are based on Greco-Roman Temples?
That's a religion.

Did you notice that Law derives entirely from Religion?
The first five books of the Bible are "The Books of Law", Moses was "The Law Giver", and Jesus brought the "New Covenant" which didn't abolish the law, it expounds upon it. The Sanhedrin cited Bible verses as Law, as we do modern statutory Laws.

You have no understanding of what "Separation of Church and State" actually means.
It means the State cannot profess, favor, or promote a specific religion over others.
It's that simple.

originally posted by: daryllyn
I think calling the police was overkill. They could have simply called a meeting with the parents and put a stop to it that way.

"Hey you... Stop sending messages of a religious nature to students that you did not give birth to."

It could have been resolved in a much more private way.

Incorrect.
There is nothing wrong to resolve.

What needs to be resolved is people's ignorance of Law and Liberty.
The State has No Authority to dictate that you cannot share religious points of view, that's insanity.
In fact, it'd be insanity for me to gag you from saying people should be gagged.
Instead I'll teach you something enlightening, and you'll realize the error of that misconception you once had.

"Separation of church and state" is a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson and others expressing an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which reads:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

The intent of this clause was to limit the power of the Federal Government in regard to religion thus ensuring freedom of religion in the United States of America.

"Make No Law Respecting" is paramount here.
Then the First Amendment says clearly:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.[1]

Please read that closely.
Source is Wiki...

I'm utterly devastated by the Fact the majority of you (otherwise seemingly intelligent individuals) are so bias and resentful that you are essentially promoting the prohibition of the Free Exercise of Religion, therefore promoting a tyrannical view that is Unconstitutional.

It terrifies me in a way that's difficult to describe, because I know this is all based on partiality and the desire to forcibly control others and limit the sharing of information, purely because you don't like it.

I don't even agree with banning you wanting to talk about banning everyone else's freedom.
Though I do believe the majority of you need to be chewed out and scolded for this travesty.

You ought to be ashamed.
This Constitution is extremely important and our society NEEDS IT.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Thank you for bringing this up and revealing to me just how unjust the belief systems of ATS are becoming on one of the most fundamental Rights we as citizens, all share.

The kid's family needs to SUE the school, promptly.
This is unlawful state interference and abridgment of Rights without Due Process.
It's also Discrimination and a violation of Equality Under Law.
And a handful of others...

Info on suing the govt over civil rights violations: Findlaw
Filing Claims

So there are actual PC police now.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

When I was young I shared the gospel with kids at school and invited them to church.

My parents had nothing to do with it.