Atheist Group Goes After “Bible” Course in AR School

Religious Freedom, , ,

As we have written before, a few years ago the Arkansas Legislature passed a law authorizing public schools to teach about the Bible.

Act 1440 of 2013 permits public schools to offer elective academic courses that study “the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, culture, and politics.” The courses must be objective and nonsectarian, and must meet the same academic standards as other elective courses offered in public schools.

According to CNSNews.com, the Bentonville School Board is considering whether to offer an elective course on the Bible in the coming school year–drawing the ire of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an atheist group based in Wisconsin, who sent a letter to the board last month in opposition to the course.

It is worth noting courts have indicated the U.S. Constitution does not prevent public school students from being taught about the Bible and its significance throughout human history, provided the instruction is conducted in an educational and neutral manner.

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court even went so far in its Stone v. Graham decision as to say, “the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like.” The key is the state has to have a legitimate, secular purpose in offering elective courses on the Bible.

Act 1440’s stated purpose for these classes is to study the Bible’s influence on our culture. This purpose seems more than reasonable, considering no single book has held more sway over western culture than the Bible.

As we have also said before, students and teachers do not shed their First Amendment freedoms by walking into a school. Students are free to form religiously-based student organizations. Students can even discuss their faith, if relevant, as part of course assignments and homework. They can peacefully read scripture or pray during breaks, before school, and after school.

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More Than 60 Ministers, Church Leaders Sign Letter Thanking Gov. Hutchinson

Transgender, ,

On May 13 the Obama Administration issued a set of guidelines instructing schools and colleges to let biological males who claim to be female use the girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, and similar facilities–and vice versa. Failure to do so, the guidelines said, could jeopardize federal funding for schools.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge were swift in denouncing the guidelines and encouraging public schools to disregard them.

Today we delivered a letter to Governor Hutchinson’s office signed by 62 ministers and church leaders thanking the governor for his strong stand.

Pastor Iverson Jackson from Little Rock wrote the letter. The leaders who signed it represent a broad cross-section of churches and denominations from communities across Arkansas.

We join these ministers in thanking Governor Asa Hutchinson and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge for their strong leadership on this issue.

You can read the letter and the list of ministers who signed it here.

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7-Year-Old Paralyzed in Washington DUI Crash

Marijuana

Purple_KushAccording to news sources, police in Washington State report a 15-year-old girl in a BMW crashed into a pickup truck carrying a man and his 7-year-old son earlier this week.

Police say the BMW was traveling at “incredibly high speed,” and they have reason to believe the driver may have been operating under the influence of marijuana. The father was critically injured as a result of the crash, and his son was paralyzed.

In Colorado, news reports indicate a teen driver charged in a fatal crash earlier this month is suspected of using marijuana. The Associated Press writes,

Police say the teen rear-ended two cars stopped at a red light on May 7 and that there was “minimal breaking” before the crash.

Two people in one of the cars, 39-year-old Joe Ramas and 30-year-old Stacey Reynolds, both died after being taken to the hospital.

Sadly, these stories continue to demonstrate what we have been saying for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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