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Emit

(11,213 posts)
Sat Feb 11, 2012, 03:12 PM Feb 2012

Christian nationalists recruiting “child evangelists” in public schools

CLEVELAND - At a crowded forum Feb. 1 investigative reporter Katherine Stewart presented the results of a three-year study exposing a nationwide effort, operating "under the radar," to turn public schools into a base for indoctrinating children in Christian fundamentalism. The event was sponsored by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Stewart is on a speaking tour about her new book, "The Good News Club," the name given to the afterschool programs of the Child Evangelism Fellowship, a Christian nationalist group.

With a 2001 Supreme Court decision that the free speech rights of children allow use of public schools as venues for religious indoctrination, the Child Evangelism Fellowship has set up a rapidly growing national network of the clubs that recruit and train children, aged 5-12, to bully their peers with threats that they will "go to Hell" unless they accept Jesus.

~snip~

At national conventions she attended, Stewart reported, leaders of these movements openly declared their intention to transform public schools into "Christ-centered" institutions and turn the U.S. into a "Christian nation." The Good News Clubs, she said, use their base in the schools for right-wing political campaigns against "the homosexual agenda," reproductive freedom, interfaith marriage, laws against bullying and the teaching of evolution and climate science. They also promote vouchers and undermine support for public education.

~snip~
http://peoplesworld.org/christian-nationalists-recruiting-child-evangelists-in-public-schools/
11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Christian nationalists recruiting “child evangelists” in public schools (Original Post) Emit Feb 2012 OP
I wonder if they'll still oppose laws against bullying... alphafemale Feb 2012 #1
"'Marjoe'? That's an interesting name." MisterP Feb 2012 #2
Well all these rightwinged trying to take over our schools maybe it's time some of the liberal southernyankeebelle Feb 2012 #3
I have been saying this for a long time bluestateguy Feb 2012 #7
Am beginning to think the same way. southernyankeebelle Feb 2012 #10
If their "good news" was so damn good HillWilliam Feb 2012 #4
Live by the rules, play by the rules bluestateguy Feb 2012 #5
Here's the video: Dawson Leery Feb 2012 #6
Thanks for posting that video. Emit Feb 2012 #11
Some thoughts... richmwill Feb 2012 #8
+ underpants Feb 2012 #9
 

alphafemale

(18,497 posts)
1. I wonder if they'll still oppose laws against bullying...
Sat Feb 11, 2012, 03:16 PM
Feb 2012

after a few of these self-righteous, pasty turds have gotten an asphalt facial in the parking lot?

 

southernyankeebelle

(11,304 posts)
3. Well all these rightwinged trying to take over our schools maybe it's time some of the liberal
Sat Feb 11, 2012, 03:42 PM
Feb 2012

parents unite and have home schooling and teach freedom of religion in a secular country. Teach them evoluation, civil rights, and truth about history. Not the made up right wing rewriting of history.

bluestateguy

(44,173 posts)
7. I have been saying this for a long time
Sat Feb 11, 2012, 04:02 PM
Feb 2012

Liberal Christians and liberal secularists should be forming their own private schools to teach progressive values.

HillWilliam

(3,310 posts)
4. If their "good news" was so damn good
Sat Feb 11, 2012, 03:47 PM
Feb 2012

they wouldn't have to be so sneaky, underhanded, deceptive, evil, and malicious to get it out. One of the hallmarks of a cult (yeah, I said it) is sneakiness.

There is absolutely zero difference in my mind between these wackogelical cultists and the Taliban. They have exactly the same goal: a "religion" that's the state that is the only religion. I despise the wackogelicals with a burning, purple passion.

bluestateguy

(44,173 posts)
5. Live by the rules, play by the rules
Sat Feb 11, 2012, 03:47 PM
Feb 2012

Very well, little Timmy can evangelize about Jesus all he wants in the school, but so can little Mohammed about Allah and Islam, and so can little Raindrop about Scientology and so can little Billy about Satanism.

Them's the rules.

Emit

(11,213 posts)
11. Thanks for posting that video.
Sun Feb 12, 2012, 01:47 AM
Feb 2012

They and what they bring are insidious. Likely half those volunteers in the back haven't a clue the implications of their actions. Or ... maybe they do.

richmwill

(1,326 posts)
8. Some thoughts...
Sat Feb 11, 2012, 04:04 PM
Feb 2012

One- churches, religious leaders, televangelists, etc. can from this point forward NO longer cry as they have about "God being taken out of schools, they no longer allow prayer in them, Christians are the most persecuted group in public schools, waaaaahhhh". Obviously we see this happening, so your prior points are now moot, null and void- you get the picture.

Two- I find it incredible that Christians will see this as a fantastic and wonderful thing, but God forbid any bit of a curriculum that teaches that gay people are humans too enters a school. Then they scream their lungs out about how "indoctrinating children is wrong". Such HYPOCRITES!!!

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