Religion
Related: About this forumArk park offers $1 admission to public school kids after field-trip warning
JULY 14, 2016 11:41 AM
BY LINDA BLACKFORD
A week after a secularist foundation warned public school officials against taking kids to the newly opened Noahs Ark, the attractions creator offered a new incentive: $1 admission for every public school student on a school-sponsored field trip and free admission for their teachers.
In a blog post Wednesday, Ken Ham, the co-founder of Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, argued that the Freedom From Religion Foundation was wrong to warn more than 1,000 school districts in Kentucky and around the region that public school field trips to the Ark violated the constitutional separation of church and state.
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Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt sent a letter Monday telling districts to make sure they have field trip policies at both the school and district levels. Principals usually approve field trips at the school level.
Legal experts and educators said public schools could visit the Ark only for educational purposes, such as a carpentry class or a comparative religion class.
http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article89557642.html
http://ffrf.org/images/PublicschoolfieldArkParkKENTUCKY.pdf
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)If students can be exposed to religion as part of a comparative religion class, will this not expose them to the danger of "instantaneous or spontaneous conversion" that seems to be a concern of the FFRF?
rug
(82,333 posts)Being an ordained minister and having a bachelor's degree in journalism really does not qualify them to give legal advice to anyone, let alone to every school district in four states.
If they didn't write the letter, they shouldn't have signed it.
longship
(40,416 posts)And their litigation record speaks for itself.
Frankly, I rather like Dan Barker and Annie-Laurie. They are pretty reasonable people. And they have a very competent legal staff with a good record, as these things go.
rug
(82,333 posts)And their litigation record is not that impressive. Most of their activities, as here, consists of writing threatening letters. Mostly out-of-state. Their m.o., when anything is actually filed in court, is to recruit a local attorney to do it pro bono.
My opinion of them is their car is driven mainly by fumes and publicity.
Lance Bass esquire
(671 posts)In a learning setting. When I was a kid my mom took us to every kind if church there was to show us what they were,all about. In the long run I chose none of them but it was a good expierence.
Also if they go to learn about the ark that kills any argument when they go to learn about the Koran or Buddah.
They can't have a double standard.
rug
(82,333 posts)marybourg
(12,650 posts)them there as part of a course on comparative religion, where they might also have a field trip to a Buddhist temple. But it's not O.K. to take them only to the ark as a cultural outing, like going to the aquarium or to an historic site. That would imply government endorsement of the idea and purpose of the ark.
rug
(82,333 posts)FFRF issuing multi-state fatwas is simply clouding the issue.
Response to rug (Original post)
marybourg This message was self-deleted by its author.
Ron Obvious
(6,261 posts)rug
(82,333 posts)Hoppy
(3,595 posts)Laffy Kat
(16,396 posts)rug
(82,333 posts)They write letters.