Bible Ban sparks flood of hate mail

[grammafreddy]

http://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/735 ... -hate-mail

Bible Ban sparks flood of hate mail
by The Canadian Press - Story: 73595
Apr 8, 2012 / 1:06 pm


Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
A public school board's decision to ban distribution of Gideon Bibles to its
young students has unleashed a torrent of threatening calls and hateful
emails directed at trustees. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)

A public school board's decision to ban distribution of Gideon Bibles to its young students has unleashed a torrent of threatening calls and hateful emails directed at trustees.

Some messages to the Bluewater District School Board express racist sentiment and question trustees' patriotism.

"When are you 'politically correct' idiots, with your heads buried in the sand, going to realize that every action you take to destroy Canadian heritage...?" one email began.

"Allowing newcomers to Canada the ability to walk all over our heritage has got to stop before they carry us into the realm of a warring nation like the one they often left behind," another writer said.

The invective has unnerved some trustees as they prepare to formalize the ban on distribution of all non-instructional religious materials prompted by a parent's complaint about the decades-old tradition of offering free Gideon Bibles to Grade 5 students.

Trustee Fran Morgan called the "onslaught" of messages "really disturbing," and said it has made her uneasy about driving the 30 kilometres to board meetings at night by herself.

"I really do feel threatened by it," Morgan said from Griersville, Ont. "It's been very unpleasant."

The Bluewater board, with more than 18,000 students in 53 schools across a broad swath of southern Ontario territory, is expected to formalize the ban at its meeting April 17, following in the footsteps of several other boards across Canada.

Ban proponents argue distribution of the Bibles has no place in a secular school system, and that it potentially violates human-rights legislation.

The board nixed the idea of allowing any religion to hand out materials on the basis it would suck up scarce resources and could be legally risky.

One writer blamed the decision on "a handful of non-Christian elected officials."

Board chairwoman, Jan Johnstone, admits the vitriolic responses, some urging trustees to "watch your back," are unnerving.

"People do crazy things," Johnstone said. "They see Christianity as a fundamental part of their Canadian identity."

Another wrote one trustee: "How is that you agree with God's 10 Commandments and yet you have broken them countless times, you hypocrite!"

Gideons International, an evangelical Protestant association based in Nashville, Tenn., has been placing its Bibles, comprising a New Testament plus the books of Psalms and Proverbs from the Old Testament, in Canadian public schools since 1936.

Kelvin Warkentin, a spokesman for the Gideons International in Canada, acknowledged times have changed.

"Over time, due to the religious fabric of our country being re-woven, school boards have begun to re-evaluate their policies on this tradition," Warkentin said.

"The Gideons' response to the school boards' decisions to discontinue the distributions has always been complete acceptance."

Although one trustee received a phone call he thought was tantamount to a death threat, the board has so far not referred the matter to police, but a spokesman said the situation was being monitored.

Trustee Kevin Larson, who would have preferred all religions be allowed to distribute materials, said he was "disappointed" by some of what he's seen.

However, those views are in the minority, and two leaders in the religious community have apologized for the hateful expressions, Larson said.

Trustees emphasized that most of those in favour of continuing the distribution practice have been respectful in their views.
The Canadian Press

I support the "no religions in any way, shape or form in our publicly funded schools" mentality. Churches and in individual private homes are where religious teachings belong.

[coffeeFreak]

I completely agree with you grammafreddie. Can you imagine the outcry from these same people if their children were bringing home Jehovah's Witnesses leaflets, the Qur'an or Wiccan "bibles"...there would be hell to pay.

[Glacier]

When I was in school kids had to get permission from their parents before receiving a Gideon Bible. I'm sure it is the same today.

[Nebula]

The same sort of hoopla happened here about a dozen years ago. There was a push on to get fundamentalist Christians onto the school board. PAC meetings were interesting, to say the least.

[steven lloyd]

The same sort of hoopla happened here about a dozen years ago. There was a push on to get fundamentalist Christians onto the school board. PAC meetings were interesting, to say the least.

The earth and universe were created in six days - and then God rested ( although I don't know what He was doing on Sundays without HDTV and NFL Football). Why is this so complicated for people to understand. We need to change the textbooks.

[Nebula]

I wonder what it would take to get those books out of hotel and motel rooms...

[psychprof]

I agree with gramma. No religion means no religion. If gideon bibles are offered (with parental consent) then every other religious book would need to be offered as well.

[grammafreddy]

I completely agree with you grammafreddie. Can you imagine the outcry from these same people if their children were bringing home Jehovah's Witnesses leaflets, the Qur'an or Wiccan "bibles"...there would be hell to pay.

Might be fun trying to distribute some other religion's stuff for free, though. Wonder how that would be received by the school boards. Anyone know any radical religious group that might want to shanghai a bunch of kids' brains?

I jest. I jest.

[warden]

I wonder what it would take to get those books out of hotel and motel rooms...

I was in a hotel in San Francisco last week and found The Teachings of Buddha in the nightstand.

[Nebula]

San Fran has always been progressive.

[Nebula]

One does have to wonder about hate mail coming from so-called Christians. What ever happened to turn the other cheek, love thy neighbour, etc? Would these Christians' Jesus appreciate his flock making threats?

[cliffy1]

Hate mail does seem counter to Christ's teachings. I wonder what passage from the "good" book they are using to justify what they are doing?

It also seems to me that either none or all religious books should be allowed in public schools. I prefer the way it was when I was in school where we were given an over view of all the major world religions to promote understanding. Seems that in the ensuing years religion has become much more competitive in vying for our pocket change.

[Jo]

Stay ON TOPIC. Stop with the PERSONAL ATTACKS. Make your point without jeering/taunting/scorning/vilifying/sneering/and etc the other participants in the thread. You will NOT LIKE what I do if I see another problem here.

[zensiert]

On topic: if any school that my children went to distributed bibles, I would demand the ability to have ætheist literature distributed in the same manner to ALL the students. After all, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Freedom of religion also means freedom from your religion. Don't send bibles home with my children unless you want me to force your children to think critically and become obsessed with reality.

In principle I don't mind god, because for a homicidal psychopathic invisible sky being he's been quite nicely unconcerned with current events in general and my life specifically. It's his followers I simply can't stand.

[zensiert]

I wonder what it would take to get those books out of hotel and motel rooms...

I was in a hotel in San Francisco last week and found The Teachings of Buddha in the nightstand.

Wow. Which hotel was that? Was that their policy? If so, I think I found my place to stay next time I visit that city...