Mirrored from Deflating Atheism
https://youtu.be/KEn30j52eAY
Published on Jun 15, 2016
Free lunch and Bible verses? Watch as this turns into a South Park episode! Featuring a surprise appearance by Trigglypuff's mom!
Source video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Ct38...
Subscribe:
http://www.youtube.com/c/DeflatingAth...
Jesus Lunch', as depicted here, in a public park, seems at first blush to fall within Free Speech & Free Exercise and doesn't seem at first to especially run afoul of any Establishment Clause prohibitions. And you're accurate in saying that the kids were (apparently) voluntarily attending lunch(es). One can, however, not-unreasonably argue that adults (or perhaps even other minors, though this is less clear) seeking to engage in more-or-less evangelizing while inducing (i.e., enticing) their would-be minor audience with (free) food may be problematic. The school admin has quasi-parental ('en loco parentis') authority and rights vis-a-vis the students prior to their getting home from school. And the actual parents obviously have (typically, anyway) full-blown parental authority & rights. And yet neither were consulted to gain permission for the Jesus Lunch shindig. One of the sticking points (indeed, perhaps the only one, but it's more-or-less a doozy) is the fact that the kids are, well, kids -- students at school (in the sense of still being, at lunchtime, in the middle of any given overall schoolday, and therefore still under the purview/authority of the school (admin)). Think of it this way: How would you (or indeed, say, Beth) feel if, instead of evangelizing Christians, the group was a bunch o', say, Scientologists who were giving their all in evangelizing (and even 'recruiting') for Scientology. If such a scenario gives any pause at all, then hopefully you can better appreciate why non-Christians, and non-religious-in-general (and/or, for that matter, even Christians who are, however, more secular-minded in terms of these sorts of issues) could see this (the Jesus Lunch shindig) as at least somewhat problematic. For one thing, even though Beth would surely (hopefully) not condone (much less encoursage) any bullying, she (Beth) should, upon hearing that such bullying/mocking of NON-Jesus-Lunch-attending kids was going-on, admonish all her attendant kids to not engage in such bullying, and indeed to stick-up for potential victims of such bullying and to report such bullying to the Principal or a teacher.
Ideally, some secular/humanist group should offer a side-by-side (so to speak) 'Secular Lunch' at the same park, and let the kids decide which to attend, if not both (or, o' course, perhaps neither)! But this, o' course, shouldn't itself be subsidized (tax-subsidized); it would have to be voluntarily & privately organized & funded, just as the Jesus Lunch presumably is. But, the whole problem-question of luring minors in order to proselytize 'em aside, even w/o the balance of a 'Secular Lunch', the Jesus Lunch may indeed have a right to continue more-or-less as-is. More generally, I sympathize with the recommendation of Dan Dennett, who, in his debate with Dinesh D'Souza, said that public school kids should be educated about the tenets of ALL the major world-religions and worldviews, including secular humanism, naturalism, and non-theism. And then let the kids decide which one, if any, they wish to adopt. (TMM did a vid on this a while (months) back, btw; u can check it out.)
So, on the one hand, I certainly am loathe to see Beth's and the other Jesus Lunch people's Free Speech/Free Exercise rights unduly infringed-upon or circumscribed. On the other hand, however, there is a legitimate concern that minors are being, in effect, enticed with food so as to be evangelized, and this, n.b., while still under the purview of the school (again, in the sense that it (the Jesus Lunch) is still within the overall timeframe of the (whole) schoolday). That's where/why there may indeed be a legal issue(s) here that would need to be adjudicated.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Subscribe:
http://www.youtube.com/c/DeflatingAth...
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/deflatingatheism
Merchandise:
https://www.cafepress.com/deflatingat...
Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/deflatingatheism
“Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their own opinions.” - Proverbs 18:2
