Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Religion & Law Blogs -> Religion Clause

Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

Paper Explores Attempt To Organize A Good News Club

By Howard M. Friedman

The Santa Barbara Independent last week carried a long investigative article chronicling an attempt to create a Good News Club program at Cold Spring Elementary School in Santa Barbara, California. Written by an elementary school parent, Katherine Stewart, who opposed the initiative to create the after-school Bible group, the article observes:

If the legal juggernaut of militant Evangelism makes the prospect of opposing the Good News Club daunting, the personal politics can be even more troubling for concerned parents. "I earn a living from my business in this community, and there are a lot of religious people here," said the Wisconsin father who objects to the club's activities in his school. "But I know that if I were to go public with my objections, I'd lose a lot of clients and my kids would get targeted." A California mother added: "My kids are going to be in this school system for many years. I don?t want them getting blowback from their peers. And I don?t want them to be discriminated against by their teachers." Another parent in New York said, "As a member of a religious minority, there is an additional sense of burden. You feel like your behavior is being scrutinized, you are worried about stereotyping. So you don?t speak up."

In a surprise ending, the effort at Cold Spring failed when no children showed up for the first Good News Club meeting. [Thanks to both Patrick O'Donnell and Katherine Stewart for the lead.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on May 13, 2009 (boomark / email).