In Many Places, Bible Education for Public School Kids Is Already Happening. Here's What They're Learning.

[marmar]

The Big Red Bus
What kids are learning at LifeWise Academy.

By Sarah Stankorb
Oct 04, 20245:45 AM


(Slate) It was a dramatic faceoff. Hundreds of parents were visibly split at a Westerville, Ohio, school board meeting this week. Many were clad in red LifeWise Academy shirts to show their support for the school-day Bible program. Others wore black in opposition, and held “Parents AGAINST LifeWise” signs. Supporters and detractors poured in from outside the district, located in a Columbus suburb, curious whether Westerville’s decision would create a precedent.

Dozens signed up to speak. According to LifeWise, nearly 300 Westerville students were enrolled in the program, which transports public school students off-campus for Bible instruction during the school day. One speaker cited studies that indicate religious classes improve attendance and decrease bullying. Another argued that parents who don’t want their children to learn about Jesus Christ don’t have to sign their kids up for LifeWise. “But what right do you have to tell other families that they cannot allow their children to learn about the Lord of the universe?” he asked.

....(snip)....

LifeWise Academy relies upon a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Zorach v. Clauson) that allows students optional, off-campus released time for religious instruction, or RTRI. The Ohio-based nonprofit Bible education program has made the Buckeye State a hub for RTRI, and will reach over 600 school districts in 30 states this school year.

....(snip)....

Growing numbers of parents are skeptical. Some are outraged. Thousands have joined Parents Against LifeWise, a Facebook community and advocacy group where parents vent their concerns: LifeWise students are bullying their non-LifeWise peers by saying they are going to hell. Kids are feeling left out when their friends return from the program with chocolate, lollipops, or free T-shirts. Parents raise concerns about hiring practices, asking questions about background checks and unsuitable staff. They describe kids who didn’t opt in to the Bible program being plunked into classrooms without instruction while their classmates are away. They’ve also helped other parents prepare to speak against the program at school board meetings. .................(more)

https://slate.com/life/2024/10/lifewise-academy-legality-ohio-parents-school-board.html

[IzzaNuDay]

1. one step closer to religious fascism

start them young.

[Midnight Writer]

2. They don't trust public schools to teach about history, science, civics, literature, biology, or current events.

But they want public schools to teach Christian doctrine?

Nobody is telling "other families that they cannot allow their children to learn about the Lord of the Universe".

Families are perfectly free to teach religion in their homes, in their churches, in their private schools.

Time, maybe, for Church of Satan to offer RTRI programs. We'd soon see who wants to deny religious teaching as a public school program.

[CrispyQ]

7. FYI, it's the Satanic Temple not the Church of Satan, which is whacky. -nt

[wnylib]

12. +1000

[EnergizedLib]

18. So, parental rights

But what about parental rights to teach or not teach religion to their kids?

[CrispyQ]

3. "...what right do you have to tell other families that they cannot allow their children to learn about the Lord..."

Holy fuck these people are dumb or deliberately ignorant. So glad I don't have school aged children in today's world. Maybe the rational kids should dress in all black everyday.

[Solly Mack]

4. ...

Another argued that parents who don’t want their children to learn about Jesus Christ don’t have to sign their kids up for LifeWise. “But what right do you have to tell other families that they cannot allow their children to learn about the Lord of the universe?” he asked.

These same people want to determine what books your child reads though. What subjects they are taught. They want to be the final word in your child's education.

This hints at a major red flag for some parents: LifeWise’s political activism. In our interview, Penton idealized spreading a gospel of God’s love to children. But for an organization with certain ties and motivations, it’s difficult to say politics remain at a distant remove.

LifeWise was a sponsor this year for Turning Point USA’s Believers’ Summit. Media Matters noted that the Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council, which are both Project 2025 signatories, have both hosted Penton and promoted LifeWise on their podcasts. LifeWise’s funders include local foundations and national philanthropic groups, but also Patriot Mobile, a wireless company that funds conservative causes.

Moreover, there’s an effort to pass Ohio state legislation that would force school districts to adopt an RTRI policy (thus, it seems, making it impossible to refuse LifeWise).

And that tells you all you need to know about the program.

[underpants]

5. Aside from the religious part, the idea of kids leaving school sounds like an accident waiting to happen

From losing track of one to custody battles to actual traffic accidents to schools relinquishing their obligation to account for and provide safety during the school day.

Middle and high school age? Kids get in trouble from after school to about 8pm depending on if the have to be home for dinner. That’s when they are on their own and have bad choices put right in front of them. From alcohol drugs and sex, if they want it they can find it. Adding time (regardless of how much this academy thinks it’s watching them) is opening another window for bad choices.

[NoMoreRepugs]

6. More than likely science deniers who believe in the all powerful being written about a 1000+ years ago

from STORIES retold over and over for hundreds of years. Yeah riiiigggght - kids should be taught all about that.

[FakeNoose]

8. This isn't part of the public school curriculum and it's not tax supported

Last edited Fri Oct 4, 2024, 01:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Does that mean the parents are paying for this? Not all children are getting this instruction, only those whose parents are paying, am I right?

That makes it private instruction, just like piano lessons or tai kwon do. It needs to happen AFTER SCHOOL or on SATURDAY, not during the regular school times.

[wnylib]

13. Agree completely. When I was attending public schools

in PA, Catholic students had CCD classes on Saturdays. A woman in our neighborhood offered a non-denominational Bible School class in her home for grade school kids. It was on Thursday afternoons AFTER school.

My family was Lutheran. As kids, we got our Bible instruction on Sunday mornings, in Sunday School, prior to the regular service. When I was in junior high, confirmation classes were held 3 days a week, for an hour and a half, AFTER school. We switched to another Lutheran church shortly after I started the confirmation classes. At the new church, the confirmation classes were held on Saturday mornings for 3 hours, from 9 am to noon.

No need to make a big showy deal out of those classes by scheduling them in the middle of a school day.

One day a year, on Reformation Day, the city's Lutheran Churches held an all day retreat for high school kids at one centrally located church. Kids could be excused from school for the day with a note from their parents, but we were expected to take responsibility for catching up on what we missed in school that day.

In PA, the state law used to require that ALL public school teachers had to begin the school day by reading one full chapter from the King James Bible. It had to be King James, which angered Catholic kids and their parents.

I was 13 when the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to require reading religious material, teach religion, or require prayers in public schools. You could teach ABOUT religion, i.e. the effect of the Reformation on European history and politics, but you could not instruct students, such as indoctrinate them, on any religion.

The Sunday after the SC ruling, the pastor of our church gave a sermon in support of the ruling. He said that it was the responsibility of parents, not public schools, to provide religious instruction to their children. It was the only way to preserve religious freedom and that it worked two ways, to keep religion out of government and to keep government out of religion.

[FakeNoose]

15. Right on wnylib - I agree totally

How are the kids going to have time for proper instruction in English, math, geography, history and the other important REQUIREMENTS if they take a bus ride to non-required (and non-academic) religious instruction?

It's pointless!

[wnylib]

16. It's worse than pointless. It is causing other students

who remain in school to miss instruction when they get herded together into a room to do nothing because there are not enough kids left in their regular class to teach a lesson.

That's inexcusable. The teacher should proceed with lessons for however many students are left in the class. The ones who opt to leave for Bible classes should have to make up and catch up on what they missed. If they fall behind, let the parents tutor them or hire a tutor.

The state law in Ohio allows students to be excused for religious purposes, but I am sure that the intent was to let them attend a special service for one day, like Ash Wednesday for Christians or another day for other religions. The parents and children who schedule and attend religious instruction during the school day are making a mockery of the law. So, let the parents and their kids deal with the consequences.

[Hope22]

9. How they thought this would not seed division...

…but then they knew! I see signs for LifeWise in the same yards that display TSF’s. It’s all one grand play.

[Happy Hoosier]

10. So... when a kid gets molested in one of these school-day programs....

... will the school board be held liable. You know it will happen. It's just a matter of time.

[wnylib]

11. So if parents want their kids to get Bible instruction,

they could send them to after school classes or Saturday classes, plus Sunday School. That's how it was usually done before the religious right began indoctrinating kids during school class time.

The kids who do not opt in for Bible study should NOT be left without instruction while their classmates are away. They should get their instruction as usual. The Bible study kids can catch up on what they missed or stay in class and get their Bible study after school.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

14. wow. Just like Prager University... religious creep

[Ping Tung]

17. Book review:

"The Bible has some noble poetry in it, a blood stained history, some good morals, a wealth of obscenity, and upwards of a ten thousand lies." Mark Twain