YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, BUT SHOULD YOU

More sweepings from the culture wars. 

Another case of “you’re picking on us.” And as usual because of the source has a spiritual finger in the pie is probably only telling half the story.

In a nutshell. A pair of brothers, now in the third and fourth grade, have been handing out coins with Bible verses on them to their classmates during recess. This has been going on for over a year. So, what changed?

Reportedly a teacher and a principal told the kids they couldn’t do it any more. The teacher is supposed to have said she “hated the coins.”  I wonder if she actually hates the coins or if they aren’t staying in pockets where they belong during class time. I suspect it’s the latter since it’s been going on for so long. Apparently they arent’t very big and look a lot like tiddly winks markers.

Show me a third grader who can keep something bright and shiny in their pockets for longer than five minutes and I’ll show you a kid who is probably in a coma. I can sympathize with a teacher who has to spend precious class time getting the kids to put away their new toys and pay attention. I just might get a little frazzled myself.

Naturally the kid’s parents have contacted a law firm and are demanding an apology. Ok, here’s my take on this based on the little I know. And after some Googling I can only find the story on other faith based websites.

This has been going on for over a year, so the kids were what, second and third graders when it started? I really doubt if this was their idea, so it goes back to the parents. They’re the ones who bought the coins. They’re the ones who sent their kids out to “evangelize” their classmates,

I gotta tell you, if I was the parent of one of those classmates I’d be royally pissed. These kids are what eight, nine, ten years old? It’s my right to decide what my kids (if I had any) are exposed to when it comes to religion. It certainly isn’t yours. If it was high school I’d probably feel a little differently. At the least the kids would be old enough to have, maybe, made the decision on their own and their classmates would have enough maturity to say yes or no and have it be their decision.

Another glowing example of in your face fundamentalism. Pushing, pushing always pushing until someone pushes back and you can claim you’re being persecuted. Anything for a headline.

Ran across this fascinating article on the Alternet website.The fundies are losing the kids and at the rate things are going there’ll be more atheists and agnostics than self identifying Christians. And they're losing them because they keep insisting on trying to force their beliefs on those who don't share them. Just keep pushing. Just keep pushing. 

Unlike the Alternet article I don't see a time when Christians are reduced to meeting in secret and drawing a picture of a fish in the sand. I do see a time when the majority will be some kind of hybrid between some basic non trinitarian Christian beliefs and some neopagan practice. Preferably without the in your face my way or the highway zealot attitudes.