200.4 - Just for the fun of it: Satanists want their Bible in schools, too

Just for the fun of it: Satanists want their Bible in schools, too

Something just for the fun of it, and it, too, comes from the great state of Oklahoma.

The first week in April, a third-grade teacher at Woodrow Wilson Elementary school in Duncan, Oklahoma, was caught passing out Bibles to the students in her class. She announced to the class that she had "the holy bible" and if anyone wanted one, they should come up to her desk - like a 3rd-grader in Oklahoma is going to feel free to say no to that when all of their classmates are taking one.

Well, one student told his parents, they got in touch with the American Humanist Association, which threatened to sue the school - just to be clear in case it isn't, this is a public school - threatened to sue the school if it didn't agree that, quoting the group's letter, "School District and its agents must refrain from leading, authorizing, permitting or condoning the distribution of Bibles" on school premises just before, during, or just after school hours.

On April 10, the school reluctantly agreed, saying that "The District understand that it has an obligation to follow the law set forth by our federal courts on this matter," which doesn't even admit that passing out Bibles in a public school is transparently unconstitutional, only that "grumble grumble courts have said that grumble grumble."

That's made clearer by the fact that the school's attorney said that the District reserves the right to allow the distribution of Bibles on school property to secondary students - apparently because the AHA's letter only referred to elementary and intermediate schools.

Now, that is really, really pathetic, especially that last bit which struck me as mere petulance. But that's not the fun part. This is and it makes me wonder how much this had to do with the school's backing down:

In the wake of the news about the teacher giving out bibles, an Oklahoma City group of Satanists wrote to the school, saying they wanted their book, The Satanic Bible, in the school, as well. Adam Daniels, the leader of the group, said "If they’re going to allow a religious book from the Christian church, then they have to allow a book from us because we’re on the same playing field."

After all, just as the the right is always saying about topics like climate change and evolution, don't we want the children exposed to all sides? Don't we want to "teach the controversy?"

Apparently not. Instead, KFOR News in Oklahoma City, reporting on the Satanists' letter, said "Daniels’ church isn’t the only Satanist organization that targets children."

Just a question: When I was sent to catechism as a youngster, do you think anyone ever referred to that as "the Catholic church targeting children?"

Me, neither.

Sources cited in links:
http://kfor.com/2015/04/06/oklahoma-teacher-under-fire-for-handing-out-bibles-at-school/
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/04/04/oklahoma-elementary-school-teacher-hands-out-bibles-to-her-third-graders/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/oklahoma-school-district-reluctantly-stops-handing-out-bibles-after-atheist-group-threatens-to-sue/
http://www.texomashomepage.com/story/d/story/devil-worshipers-want-book-given-to-oklahoma-child/16169/NLID0mNRwUC30eMEYF6XgA