Child Evangelism Fellowship

I posted about the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) a few days ago when I learned that parents in a local school district had complained about CEF pamphlets coming home in a weekly homework/school information packet. Since then I have come across several articles about CEF and their aggressive tactics in maintaining their right to send out pamphlets about their clubs.

Some back ground info on CEF:

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), is a fundamentalist Christian organization, and they have been increasing their presence on public grade school campuses across America through their Good News Club. 

CEF has been around for 70 years and is in over 170 countries. CEF claims that through God they been given a number of unique ministries to prey on and abuse evangelize and disciple children.

They run the Good News Club which is apparently very popular following a Supreme Court victory allowing the club to be in public schools across America. The 5-Day Club^®  which takes place during the summer months with with teenagers who receive training in the Christian Youth in Action^® program.

CEF appears to be the most dangerous type of religious organization, they are fundamentalists and they are not afraid to use the courts.

CEF continues to sue districts all across the country that challenge them:

• http://openjurist.org/470/f3d/1062/child-evangelism-fellowship-of-south-carolina-v-anderson-school-district-five 
• http://www.au.org/what-we-do/lawsuits/archives/child-evangelism-fellowship.html 
• http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-4th-circuit/1515854.html 
• http://dockets.justia.com/docket/minnesota/mndce/0:2008cv05165/102505/

Watch out for CEF and their ministries because they are after the vulnerable and defenseless, our children.

Another Fine Post from: No 2 Religion - Just Say No!

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Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

My daughter and I were having a conversation yesterday about life after death. (I'm not sure how we got on the subject but it had something to do with the movie we were watching: Centurion.)

It went something like this:
Assuming that there is a life after death (not something either of us believe) and your spouse dies and goes to heaven. You remarry and then you die and go to heaven and are reunited with your first spouse. What happens when your second spouse dies and goes to heaven? 

It could either be a little awkward or a celestial ménage à trois. What do you think?

Another Fine Post from: No 2 Religion - Just Say No! 

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Christian School Clothing

Apparently, not just the Catholic and other parochial students get to wear Christian clothing to school. 

Kerusso makes Christian themed t-shirts, hats and accessories that any kid could wear to public school. While I could not find any specific example of a public school student being asked to remove their Kerusso t-shirt, a Kerusso press release seems to encourage confrontaion:

"Kerusso Challenges Students to Share Their Faith on Campus! ... Students have First Amendment rights on a public school campus that cannot be denied without reason. Among their rights regarding religion on campus is the free distribution of Christian literature when class is not in session. In addition, students have the freedom to communicate Christian messages through apparel and/or school supplies and the freedom of voicing to others their beliefs as long as it does not interfere with class time. ... "

I certainly wouldn't expect a school to arbitrarily ask a student to remove a Christian themed t-shirt any more than I would an atheist themed t-shirt. However, many schools have policies prohibiting sayings on t-shirts. I think I see an issue coming.

The company markets primarily to teens and their designs are pretty cool. However, I am a little confused about the marketing of this item to teens:

3 Blade Pocket Knife # KNIF102
This high-quality Pocket Knife is a gift that he will treasure and use for years to come.

Kerusso claims that it is a secular company and that it's employees so not have to believe in Christ. However, it should be noted that "kerusso" is the Greek word for "preach."

Another Fine Post from: No 2 Religion - Just Say No!

Christian Indcotrination in Public Education

I just read an intersting post over at Unreasonable Faith by vorjack on a new film titled: IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity in America.

After viewing the trailer and the clips posted on their website I very nearly threw up. This is probably one of the most direct assaults to public education by Christian extremists yet. While the message is similar to what we have been seeing from these Christian extremists for some time, this is a more concerted effort that I find very disturbing.

If you thought the assault on Texas public schools by the run away SBoE was outrageous then you will achieve a new level of anger over this.

The film makers are blaming every social ill on the lack of religion, specifically the Christian religion, in public schools. They also have some "constitutional lawyer" saying that public education is against the constitution.

If religious schools are so great why are there so many fucked up theists?


If you dare to watch consider yourself forewarned. Also, barf bags are not included.

h/t vorjack

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Did God Send a Quake Because Catholic Sex Abuse?

An earthquake rocked Mexico and parts of the South western U.S. today. So, it shouldn't be long before the evangelical's claim it was God's wrath. I am sure it will be claimed that the earthquake was because of homosexuality, pre-marital sex, masturbation or atheism. But, just once I would like them to say it was because of something the religious did. I can see the headline now, "Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron claim the earthquake in Mexico was because of the Catholic church's role in pedophilia". Hey, it could happen. NOT!
USGS Quake Info

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Mandatory Religion in Schools?

In an anonoymous editorial at JacksonSun.com a group is proposing that all public school students take bible and world religion classes in order to understand the context of our world.

Stepen Prothero, a religion professor at Boston University says, "To understand the world around us - everything from art, to music, to politics, to international relations - we must have a working knowledge of the Bible and of the world's religions.
Religion, Prothero said, is a key motivator and, in fact, "is the most powerful force in world history.""

Although, he claims that he does not want these classes used to convert students to Christianity and he may well mean it. What assurance do we have that the many Christian groups in the nation, already pushing for these classes, won't use them for conversion.

Schools can increase our religious literacy

Religion professor Stephen Prothero is tired of teaching students who come into his class with little basic knowledge of religion - even their own. One way to fight that, he says, is to make two courses mandatory in all public schools: one on the Bible and one on world religions.

We couldn't agree more.

Prothero is a professor of religion at Boston University and the author of the New York Times best seller "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and Doesn't." He spoke Wednesday at Union University as part of the Union Forum.

We are grateful to Union for this continuing series, which never fails to draw speakers who make us think in new ways about matters crucial to our society.

Prothero's proposal should not be misunderstood. He does not want these courses used to create converts to Christianity or any other faith. His point is this: To understand the world around us - everything from art, to music, to politics, to international relations - we must have a working knowledge of the Bible and of the world's religions.

Religion, Prothero said, is a key motivator and, in fact, "is the most powerful force in world history."

Prothero notes that religion, specifically Christianity, is playing an ever larger role in the American political world. A lack of religious knowledge means voters are not able to make sound judgments about those who use religion in creating their political identities. It means journalists aren't able to ask important questions. It is a matter of accountability.

On the world stage, a lack of religious knowledge can lead to misunderstanding and even war.

To use public school courses to promote a particular faith would be unconstitutional, and that is not what Prothero, or we, recommend. But a framework has been established in this state that would allow all schools to offer Bible courses without worry of losing a lawsuit.

The General Assembly approved a bill in 2008 that was sponsored by state Sen. Roy Herron and state Rep. Mark Maddox, both of Dresden. The bill directed the state Board of Education to develop a curriculum for the academic and non-sectarian study of the Bible. The state attorney general issued an opinion confirming that the bill is constitutional.

Herron said Thursday that the state Board of Education recently completed its work on the curriculum, which should be available for use in public schools next school year.

While many schools in Tennessee already offer Bible courses, this new system, if properly implemented, offers a higher level of constitutional safety.

We encourage all public school systems to offer the type of Bible course promoted by Prothero and made available under the bill sponsored by Herron and Maddox. And we encourage the schools to go a step further in offering studies on world religions, as Prothero suggests.

The value of the lessons learned will be beyond measure.

Bashing Religions

Image via Wikipedia
(I am sitting looking out the window at where the trolley ran.)

While sitting in the surgical waiting room at UCSF MC (waiting to see my wife in the recovery room), there was a group of people sitting near me that was bashing a family members religious preference. Specifically, the group was Catholic and they were commenting on how the family member still hasn't "found her faith" and how she was attending some "Christian" church.

Other than reading about religions bashing religions on blogs and online articles, I have never really been exposed to it much. Growing up most of my friends (and girlfriends) were Catholic and a few friends were Mormon. The only bashing I ever saw was Jehovah Witness, which we all agreed was bat-shit crazy.

Throughout my life I have heard and participated in various types of off-handed comments about different religions but, these Catholics were treating their family member as some type of nut job because she was attending a non-Catholic "Christian" church.

It was obviously lost on them that they were calling "the pot calling the kettle black". It was all I could do not to point out their hypocrisy. But, a surgical waiting room is not the appropriate place.

Now had they asked me....