Atheists Win Court Case To Also Distribute Material To Schools

**StephL** · 04-06-2014 10:18 PM

Tennessee atheists win right to distribute literature after schools give Bibles to students | The Raw Story

An atheist group in Tennessee won the right to distribute literature at an elementary school after the school allowed the Gideons group to distribute Christian Bibles to students.

The Friendly Atheist blog reported that the Tri-State Freethinkers group in conjunction with the ACLU challenged the decision by Casey County School District Superintendent Marion Sowders to allow the Gideons to distribute copies of the New Testament at the county’s three elementary schools.

The Freethinkers and the ACLU sent the school district a letter demanding equal access and, surprisingly, the request was granted.

On Friday, the group was allowed to leave copies of the book Humanism, What’s That?: A Book for Curious Kids by Helen Bennett.

As with the Gideons, actual group members were not allowed to contact students, but the books were left for interested students to pick up and peruse.

Some Christian parents expressed outrage. Carmen Foster contemplated keeping her kids home on Friday, but changed her mind.

“I work hard everyday of my life as a mother to teach my kids what we believe,” she told WKYT. “If I don’t have enough confidence to send them out in the world, then how strong am I with what I’m teaching them.”

“Whether we like it or not. Our kids are going to go out in to this world. They are going to come across these situations. This is a good opportunity to teach them how to handle it,” she said.

I came across it by watching this discussion on the implications:

I consider it a good thing - kids are bound to read it - if only for it seemingly being forbidden fruit - and they are bound to start thinking on their own.
Got to say - I rather like the poignant questions, The Young Turk has in mind - won't happen, I'm afraid.

**Universal Mind** · 04-06-2014 11:24 PM

That stuff needs to keep happening. If theocrats want to keep arguing that religious preaching needs to be a function of government, we need to keep reminding them of what all that can involve. When they finally get the point that religion and government don't mix, "conservatives" can drop the issue and stop alienating so many people. Then we can really have a strong force against socialism.

**Original Poster** · 04-07-2014 12:08 AM

I don't see how it's unconstitutional to expose students at school to propaganda as long it's not preferential or organized by the school administration. I think it's splitting hairs, and it's given Christians their biggest axe to grind with their whole "war on christmas" crap because they secularize everything so nothing festive can be seen, when really it'd be better to just make the festivities more inclusive. Allow students to be exposed to everything and develop their critical thinking skills and skepticism.