High school senior complains about religion in his school

**buttmunch** · January 23rd, 2006, 07:12 AM

A high school senior in the Chicago area complained to district officials because religious people were allowed to speak at a school-wide assembly, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

George Soto says his school, Lane Technical High School, allowed representatives from the Seven Project, a ministry of the Assemblies of God, to hold two "character education" assemblies on school premises. He called lawyers for the school board to express his concerns about the separation of church and state over the issue.

Lane Tech's principal, Keith Foley (along with a teacher who attended the event) says God or faith was not mentioned once. The speakers talked about, for example, "never giving up, quoting Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Sir Edmund Hillary," said Foley. The speakers did invite the students back later that evening to a second event in which a spiritual message is conveyed.

Soto didn't even attend the assembly, however. He sat it out along with four other students in the principal's office.

While he was on the subject, Soto also complained that Foley keeps a Bible on the desk in his school office, promoted his Christian beliefs by allowing the school's gospel choir to perform "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" during last year's Christmas program and supports the school's abstinence-only sex education curriculum.
foxnews.com

Jesus is the reason for the season?

That officiallly gets my vote for dumbest song title of all time.

**Grimmlok** · January 23rd, 2006, 10:00 AM

See, everything he said has validity except for the Jesus song.

It's bloody well Christmas, Jesus's supposed birthday. Of course the song is relevant, eesh.

**Elise** · January 23rd, 2006, 10:45 PM

Sorry--I think this kid just wants attention. So what if the principal had a Bible on his desk--he wasn't forcing anybody to read it & the seminars were not religious in nature.

I'm not a Christian by any means, but I would not be offended by any of this going on in my public school--in fact, myself (& other non-Christians) do sometmies read the Bible.

**pacific breeze** · January 23rd, 2006, 11:15 PM

It's a recommended text in the Classical Mythology course I'm TAing.

**calendargurl** · January 24th, 2006, 02:38 AM

Originally Posted by pacific breeze

It's a recommended text in the Classical Mythology course I'm TAing.

i studied it while taking a Mythology course as well. i liked Norse mythology better

yea, besides the jesus song in the christmas program, i think like he does. it pisses me off when school faculty try to shove their personal beliefs down the student's throats.

**sweetrebel** · January 24th, 2006, 02:39 PM

I don't see where anything was shoved down their throats. Supposedly the assembly was lead by 'religious' people, but religion was never mentioned. People that are in every history book in school were mentioned and quoted. Seems that they made sure to separate 'church and state' when they told students that another assembly would be of a religious nature-thereby giving them a choice of attendance-not a required assembly by the school.

The principal had a Bible-so? Did he read devotional over the loud speaker in the morning? Did he stand with a bull horn in the lunchroom and read from the Bible? Seems to me the same way this student wants the right to have religion out of his school gives the principal the right to read his Bible if he wants to.

What other songs were sung at the program? A Christmas program is made up of CHRISTMAS songs yes? How many Christmas songs do you know that don't include at least some mention of God or Christ or angels...something related to religion of some sort?

The abstinence only sex education-how is that religous? Cause the Bible says to be married? You can choose to abstain without being religious. I honestly don't see anything other than maybe the Christmas program that could be promoting Christian beliefs...

**Grimmlok** · January 24th, 2006, 02:44 PM

Abstinence only education is a religious position like 'inteligent design' is.

**sweetrebel** · January 24th, 2006, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by Grimmlok

Abstinence only education is a religious position like 'inteligent design' is.

I never really considered it to be, most in the medical profession will tell you the best way to not get pregnant or get an STD is abstinece...and I'm sure somewhere there is a pesky non believer in the medical profession

just kidding...

**Grimmlok** · January 30th, 2006, 11:05 AM

Yes, of course the best way to not get ebola of the penis is not sticking it in other people

However.. abstinence ONLY education is religiously inspired (no sex till marriage) whereas normal sexual education actually takes into account that people will have sex before that.

**MrsDark** · February 4th, 2006, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by sweetrebel

I never really considered it to be, most in the medical profession will tell you the best way to not get pregnant or get an STD is abstinece...and I'm sure somewhere there is a pesky non believer in the medical profession

just kidding...

Pesky non-believer right here at your service!

Statistically yes, it is. But being in the medical profession myself I can tell you that I know not one other person in the medical profession, regardless of personal beliefs, who wouldn't admit that total education about all manner of safe sex practices is the far more practical, realistically effective way of curbing the adverse effects that usually result from teens having sex. Of course this would include the info on abstinence being the only way to absolutely safe, but as a logical option that makes sense, not because of anything to do with religion or even morality. (Except that maybe it is immoral and irresponsible not to care enough about the health of yourself and others that you'd engage in risky behaviors).