Please answer this survey about Religious Freedom in Schools (serious answers only please)?

Question

Should children be allowed to pass out fliers expressing their freedom of religion in public schools? Why or why not? Remember that, if Christians have the right, everyone else does too.

Does a school endorse any particular religion by allowing students to distribute their own fliers about it? Why or why not?

What impact do you think fliers conveying a religious message would have when compared to other forms of religious expression like clothing or jewelry? More, less, or the same? How?

This student passed out these fliers during non-instructional time (recess, lunch, on the bus, etc.)

Answer 1

No fliers. Schools are places of learning not places to spread silly fantasies.

Answer 2

"Should children be allowed to pass out fliers expressing their freedom of religion in public schools? Why or why not? Remember that, if Christians have the right, everyone else does too."

Is it a public grade school? If so, no. School (in reality) is not an open forum for discussion. Its a learning environment. Not to mention, from a janitoral viewpoint, all the littering.

"Does a school endorse any particular religion by allowing students to distribute their own fliers about it? Why or why not?"

By allowing students to distribute fliers about specific religions, yes, they are endorsing. If children are doing it under their noses, they are not endorsing.

"What impact do you think fliers conveying a religious message would have when compared to other forms of religious expression like clothing or jewelry? More, less, or the same?"

Fliers are recruitment tools, actively distracting students from learning. Jewelery, or some kinds of clothing are passive forms of personal expression, in which little attempt at recruitment is made. If the jewlery or clothing becomes too distracting, though, it should be hidden, covered, or removed.

If I had kids, I would be sending them to school to learn, not to be fodder for church recruitment.
How?

Answer 3

I say that this should not be allowed. While it isn't teacher endorsed, it is affecting other students who are both minors and required to be there during school hours.

I don't think that allowing all religions to distribute fliers would mean the school was endorsing one particular set of beliefs. However, if they refused to allow atheists the privilege of distributing anti-religious fliers, that would be inappropriate.

Jewelry is a personal expression of faith. They have known connotations, but it remains on the person and does not impose on others. Shirts with religious slogans etc. do impose on others and I do not support allowing them in schools. Fliers take it a step further though. They not only impose on others: they are designed to impose on others. That's their only purpose. Jewelry, fine. Shirts, ok I guess unless they're meant to push opinion. Fliers, no way.

Answer 4

Hello man_of_mustard.. :)

Yes..the Lord teaches us to preach the word in season and out of season, meaning all the time.. :)

"Everyone has the right" to express how and what they believe.. :)

No the school is not endorsing any form of religion by allowing distributing fliers..I have been given a flier about legalizing abortions from a student..before Roe VS Wade.. :(

Fliers can be thrown away.. :(

But clothes and jewelry are worn all day long..


In Jesus Most Precious Name..
With Love..In Christ.. :)

Answer 5

A person passing out religious fliers is intentionally distributing religious propaganda. This is unconstitutional as the public school is a government building and promoting one religion over another is a violation of the separation of church and state.
Students, have, can and always will have the ability to pray on school grounds. There has never been a law prohibiting a student from praying on their own time. However, if that same student (teacher, faculty, etc.) were to go on the P.A. system and start praying, then THAT is a violation of the law. That student would be promoting their religion and forcing their religious beliefs on others.
I don't know why some religious people have such a hard time understanding such a simple concept that actually protects their freedoms.
Oh, I know why, they DO understand but they don't care because they would rather live in a theocracy.

Answer 6

honestly, i have no problem with that as long as the students are doing it during non-class time and aren't being pushy about it. and the flier have to be nice. by that i mean, no hell and brimstone crap or anything of the like. and definitely no chick-tracks. nothing that implies you're bad or wrong for disagreeing with the flier.

no, students hand out crap all the time that the school has no hand in. is every birthday party invites are given out for endorsed by the school?

i honestly don't think they would have more of an impact, but they would be more offensive. you wearing a cross necklace has no bearing on me. you pushing a jesus flier in my hand directly affects me.

although i will note, this won't work. ever. the minute a student hands out a satanist flier, there would be a huge uproar.

Answer 7

School is not the place to "pass out" anything. Further, most schools have rules about the distribution of fliers. Since most of the "fliers" passed out at local high schools are for illegal parties.

The has the right to protect the students. Therefore, nothing should be distributed without the consent of the principal.

Answer 8

No Children should not be allowed to pass out fliers in public schools that express their freedom of religion if it endorses any specific religion. If it just endorses freedom of religion that would be ok but what would be the purpose. Freedom of religion is taught in public school as part of the US constitution. I don't know of any public school which allows its students to pass out public fliers about religion.
Kisses Betty B.

Answer 9

Organized religions have been proven to be false and thus have been removed from public schools. Organized religions should be banished. You have a much better chance in supporting your local government who actually does help you. Send out fliers to help the homeless, neglected and sick children, support your military families or other good causes. Besides did you know if you stopped giving money to your organized religions and gave it to the poor that you could actually end world hunger? Most people don’t realize this, which is puzzling to say the least. I hope this helps. Best Regards, M.G.S.

Answer 10

I am a Christian, and feel that religion has no place being promoted in public schools. If it's a private school, then fine, religion can be promoted. No, I don't think that children, or anybody else, should be passing out religious literature at schools, and exactly for one of the reasons you've cited ("if Christians have the right, everyone else does, too"). School would just become a big religious free-for-all. And then some kid's parents will object to Christian literature because their family happens to be Wiccan, or a Pentecostal parent might not appreciate their child coming home with Jehovah's Witness literature. Keep it all at home. I remember what it was like to be a Catholic kid and having other children leaving Chick tracts and other anti-Catholic material on my doorstep, and at that time, I didn't even go to the same school as the Protestant kids. Having to put up with that nonsense at school would be ridiculous. Proselytizing has nothing to do with the educational process, so it doesn't belong in school. As for jewelry, even in religious school, I was taught to modestly wear medals and crosses underneath my shirt instead of boastfully wearing them for public display.

Answer 11

For a public school to allow kids of a certain religion to pass out fliers or such, then they would have to allow all other religions in the school to do the same because public schools are not supposed to favor one religion over another.
In my opinion though, I think that it should not be allowed by any of them as this is considered in my book as a way of preaching even if by fellow classmates. Especially if a majority of the public school is one religion, the kids of different faith may feel left out or different.
As for clothing and jewelry and things like it I see no problem, many kids wear religious symbols in school. They don't walk around pointing it out to everyone, they just wanted to wear it. It would be the same as someone wearing a tweety shirt or something. Would that be considered pushing your personal fondness of a cartoon character on someone? No.