Sunday, April 20, 2008

Ohio teacher vows to keep Bible in classroom

"An Ohio middle school teacher says he won't obey an order to remove a Bible from view of students.

John Freshwater said Wednesday he agreed to remove a collage from his classroom that included the Ten Commandments, but that asking him to remove the Bible on his desk goes too far.

Officials with the Mount Vernon School District say they don't oppose religion but are required by the U.S. Constitution not to promote or favor any set of religious beliefs. Freshwater says being forced to keep the Bible out of sight would infringe on his rights.

Source

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

A teacher having his Bible on his desk or in his classroom is not promoting a religion. He's true to his beliefs. It's that simple. It is not in the Constitution to separate state and church, and I'm very sick of ignorant people quoting this to stamp out Christianity.

Anonymous said...

Well, it seems i've found someone else (above post) who's read the Constitution. In fact, and in spite of what leftists would have you believe, the Constitution says nothing about a separation. It simply says's the govt. "shall not (establish) a religion", which is very different!

This is exactly what leftists mean when they say they want the Constitution to be a "living document". By "living", they mean it should be "flexible", that they should be able to change, alter, manipulate, and twist it any way or time they choose!

Anonymous said...

The solution is simple: Either remove the Bible or include copies of the Koran, Torah, etc. Frankly, whatever the teacher's personal beliefs are, they do not belong in the classroom.

Anonymous said...

Since when did the Mount Vernon School District become "Congress"

Anonymous said...

How does this Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: only apply one way?

Anonymous said...

the teacher should be thrown in jail for violating the rights of his students.

Anonymous said...

Well, doesn't it depend on how he "used" that Bible in his classroom. Did he use it to promote his own religious views, or just to respond to any direct questions from students who might ask about its presence, or was it simply used in connection with the study of comparative religion and culture - I cannot tell and so will not prejudge.

CrypticLife said...

He was a science teacher. He put it on his desk as a symbol to his students.

There are also reports that he used it to explain Easter and Good Friday. And that he burned cross symbols into students' arms. And that he pushed ID. And that he had posted the 10C on his class door.

He was pretty clearly interested in the proselytization of it.