FACEOFF POLL QUESTION: Should Mineral County schools allow Bibles to be distributed to students who want them?

Sounds great, except for the fact that when the freak show people want the same forum, you may have to accomodate them. Visualize this.....The church of the navel piercing tongue jewelers wants to hand out their brochures. Or, the fellowship of holy pygmies wants a platform. Did I say, "platform"?.... Could get messy once our fabulous legal professionals are asked to weigh in...... God Bless us all!

It is so sad that the majoirty vote to have Bibles and the Lord Jesus in the schools and our government with too many unbelievers ignore this vote. With the way our kids are killing each other in schools, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS would encourage badly needed morals in it. A nation that forgets God is headed for trouble and all can see the state this country is in. Men in authority have corrupted the USA and brought on this mess. All other religions are allowed to be out front and practice their religion openly and the believers rights in Christ are denied. America has always always been a nation with belief in Jesus. Our country is sin sick and has become so wicked. But the Lord still has His children here and this nation has to turn back to God. The Bible says, IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND HEAL THEIR LAND. America pray for our land that we turn back to our God. He is our only help.

What about us who want to teach our children religion at home? There is a reason for the separation of church and state. My family is Jewish, so why would I want a bible handed out to my children? This is NOT what we teach and believe in our home. I say, leave religion OUT of our schools.

Ms. Coleman,

How can you say that all other religions are allowed to practice their religions openly and followers of christ cannot??? Are you living in a bubble? Muslims, Jews and Pagans have to HIDE in this neighborhood. Christians are taking over our country, and they are MORE than allowed to practice openly. Trust me, I am around enough people of multiple faiths to know that other religions are the minority. Christians are not willing to tolerate other religions that are different or don't believe what they do. I feel truly bad for our children when they are forced to go against what their families are teaching at home just to "fit in" at school, sports, etc...

It is evident YOU are not a christian. In our city wiccans do have newpapers at our colleges. America IS A country for Jesus Christ and has always been. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, etc., worship their God openly. I don't know what 'bubble' you have been in but The Ten Commandments and many freedoms of the believers in Jesus Christ are being stripped of their belief in Christ. It is evident you are not a believer in Christ and I am. One atheist in a hundred can stop the other 99 from saying a public prayer in school and have the court system back them. Ha christian children have to silence their belief now in God. Jesus Christ is the one true God!! Isefe you have a job in the public school system over the christian children. I feel sorry for them.

Both as a freshman at Keyser High School and as a proud and open Atheist. I am both concerned and upset by the public opinion on this issue. The actions taken by Superintendent Hackworth are undisputedly the right actions. America is and has from it's deepest roots been a secular state. And it is critical to the American promise that this secularism be upheld. The distribution of Bibles in public schools ,besides being starkly unconstitutional, does no good and, in a sense, does harm.
Let me present a hypothetical situation in which the ordinance was passed, and the books were being distributed to the classroom. Now let's say that in this classroom there is a little boy who is fairly popular and friends with the majority of his classmates, he is also a Muslim. So when it comes his turn to be handed that book he, of course, refuses to take it, explaining that he and his family follow the Islamic faith.  It is hard to deny that our community, and frankly, our society at large is infested with bigots of all shapes and sizes,one where Islam equals Terrorism is a stereotype made far too often, one where pictures of men clad in turbans, claiming to be servants of Allah flash on the television nearly every day; it is easy to forget that Christians can and have done obsene things with religious motive, the Holocaust, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition are prime examples of this. When our hypothetical boy expresses his beliefs he will with much certainty be ridiculed by his classmates, and soon his community. He and his family are alienated and shunned by their peers.
I hope that I speak for all non-religious people when I say that I don't need a book to tell be that I need to be a good person and to have moral standards, I know these things. This in turn means that I don't have a book that tells me to practice hatred and intolerance to everyone else who dares to worship differently than me.
People, like it or not, we reside in a pluralistic society, and that is the blessed status quo. The first article of the bill of rights clearly gives us the freedom to worship whom ever we want, but it also gives us the right from religion and from religious oppression when it says that:
"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
This means that giving bibles out in in public schools is essentially illegal, and you can't dispute that.
A public school should not, can not, and will not distribute that book. I am not in any way trying to keep you from effectively practicing your faith, I am asking you to allow others to freely and openly practice theirs, with out you trying to impose yours upon them. We don't express favoritism to one or any of the worlds many religions, not in this country.

Thank you.

There's a time and a place for everything. There are plenty of other options and avenues to spread whatever beliefs, info, etc. to children and teens without using school property as a distribution site. The Bible is a very complex reading, that requires guidance in understanding the various applications and contents. Therefore, the school ground is not the place nor the time to just "hand out" this type of material.

Ms. Coleman,

Perhaps, as an educated woman, you do realize that Wiccans are NOT the only branch of paganism? I would assume, since you apparently know some, and automatically assume I'm not a Christian (I'm not, in fact, I happen to be a PAGAN) then you would know that Pagans do not openly meet and worship in our town. We can't. Christians would be there with signs and pickets attacking our peaceful practices.

And yes, I teach your children... I have for over 30 years and I have never, ever in my career told a child what to believe, badgered them for what they believe, or have had an issue with anyone of any faith.

This country was founded by men trying to escape the tyranny and forced religions of their countries. A country formed to try and allow it's citizens to be FREE and practice whatever religion they so choose.

Religious fanaticism and avarice are invariant precursors to the downfall of all great empires.