Brain Dead Indianapolis school officials ban selected religious websites

[Skwim]

Indianapolis public schools, in a clear breach of church-state separation, are banning students from viewing the websites of only certain religions, as well as atheist and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) sites.

According to a Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) press release, Indianapolis public schools are illegally discriminating against certain religious views, banning students from seeing sites containing what they term as "mysticism", which apparently includes atheism. Here are some key quotes from a pdf copy provided by FFRF of the offending (and offensive) guidel... "Blocked" categories include:

"Sites that promote and provide information on religions such as Wicca, Witchcraft or Satanism. Occult Practices, atheistic views, voodoo rituals or other forms of mysticism, [...] the use of spells, incantations, curses, and magic powers. This category includes sites which discuss or deal with paranormal or unexplained events."
​

Notably absent is reference to Abrahamic religions (Judeo-Christian, Muslim), of course. Not content with just banning information on non-mainstream religious views, Indianapolis public schools have also deemed LGBT sites as off-limits as well.

source

​

And on it goes. But it is Indiana after all, so we shouldn't be surprised.

 

[Father Heathen]

Funny. I thought it was supposed to be the left that tried to use public schools to indoctrinate children.

 

[dust1n]

Funny. I thought it was supposed to be the left that tried to use public schools to indoctrinate children.

We do! By granting children access to any information they may please to look at!

 

[Madhuri]

I just don't understand how it can be allowed.

 

[LuisDantas]

Disgusting.

 

[Father Heathen]

I just don't understand how it can be allowed.

I'm sure it won't be once people take legal action. it was arrogant of them to think they could enact such policies and get away with it. It's a public school, and people shouldn't have their tax dollars funding the promotion of one particular brand of gobbledygook above others.

 

[Skwim]

I just don't understand how it can be allowed.

The brain dead and scofflaws rely on the ignorance or complicity of others, and blithely plunge ahead until caught. So eventually it won't be allowed.

What really galls me is that these ignoramuses have the right to vote. But that's a whole other issue.

 

[blackout]

What happened to freedom of religion?
Not to mention seperation of church and state?

On what basis does the govt. school system
feel it has the right to discriminate
against SOME religions,
and not others?

And howcome they get away with it?

 

[Joe_Stocks]

I would think that liberals would love this. What needs to happen is a ban on all religious websites right? Seperation of Church and State would apply to Wiccans and Satanists as well, no?

 

[Father Heathen]

I would think that liberals would love this. What needs to happen is a ban on all religious websites right? Seperation of Church and State would apply to Wiccans and Satanists as well, no?

Separation of church and state doesn't mean censoring information or preventing a child from studying it if they so desire. The school facility took it upon themselves to decide for the children what faiths they should and should not be exposed to. In other words they were using tax dollars to impose their own personal views upon other people's children. A proper school would attempt to teach from an honest, objective and unbiased standpoint. A school is supposed to teach facts, not opinions.

 

[Joe_Stocks]

Hi Father Heathen,

Separation of church and state doesn't mean censoring information or preventing a child from studying it if they so desire. The school facility took it upon themselves to decide for the children what faiths they should and should not be exposed to. In other words they were using tax dollars to impose their own personal views upon other people's children. A proper school would attempt to teach from an honest, objective and unbiased standpoint. A school is supposed to teach facts, not opinions.

At what point is the line breached. What if a Wiccan reads about Islam in a public school and then wants to become a Muslim? Or an atheist reads information about Christianity in a public school and then wants to become a Christian? What if the information being consumed is proselytizing in nature? Is that information allowed?

 

[The Neo Nerd]

At what point is the line breached. What if a Wiccan reads about Islam in a public school and then wants to become a Muslim? Or an atheist reads information about Christianity in a public school and then wants to become a Christian? What if the information being consumed is proselytizing in nature? Is that information allowed?

Then they should be allowed to make that decision. Not have the decision removed from them.

 

[Father Heathen]

Hi Father Heathen,



At what point is the line breached. What if a Wiccan reads about Islam in a public school and then wants to become a Muslim? Or an atheist reads information about Christianity in a public school and then wants to become a Christian? What if the information being consumed is proselytizing in nature? Is that information allowed?

As long as the school itself didn't promote any particular belief system as being preferable to others, then it's irrelevant. The students should be free to study and explore any and all belief systems they desire and to come to their own conclusions regarding each.

 

[Joe_Stocks]

Hi Father Heathen,

As long as the school itself didn't promote any particular belief system as being preferable to others, then it's irrelevant. The students should be free to study and explore any and all belief systems they desire and to come to their own conclusions regarding each.

Could students proselytize to other students? Could a student hand out tracts in a public school?

 

[Father Heathen]

Could students proselytize to other students? Could a student hand out tracts in a public school?

Students don't represent the government nor are their personal efforts funded in any way by the public's tax dollars. If they're not disruptive or harassing other students, then I don't see a problem. Children should be free to explore and study any topic (since that's the source of knowledge and understanding), and they should be given the means to do so rationally and objectively.

 

[Joe_Stocks]

Hi Father Heathen,

If some of the students wanted some time to pray, would that be allowed in this public school?

 

[darkendless]

Hi Father Heathen,

If some of the students wanted some time to pray, would that be allowed in this public school?

In my country they;re allowed to. A friend of mine is a muslim and he goes off privately to an assigned room to pray.

Its affects no one. No one even knew he did it until he said something. What harm does praying do if its done privately?

 

[Father Heathen]

Hi Father Heathen,

If some of the students wanted some time to pray, would that be allowed in this public school?

As long as it's not organized by the school itself, students aren't forced to participate, and it's done on their own time. Of course this right should be extended to students of all faiths.

 

[darkendless]

As long as it's not organized by the school itself, students aren't forced to participate, and it's done on their own time.

What about organising a room for the students to pray in? Would you consider that interference?

 

[Father Heathen]

What about organising a room for the students to pray in? Would you consider that interference?

As long as the room was open to any student who wished to use it and not exclusive to any particular faith. I'm sure the janitor wouldn't mind sharing usage of the broom closet.