Christianity gets kicked out in Oklahoma
Tulsa, Okla. made the decision that evangelical groups can no longer make use of housing projects to preach Christianity and convert underprivileged children to their faith.
The group in question is the Child-Evangelism Fellowship, which, for several decades has worked with underprivileged children, gone in to speak with prison-inmate’s offspring and worked to teach moral values, quality education and participation in after-school activities.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the group, granting the group access to public facilities like any other citizens’ public interest group would have access to.
Religion falls under a foggy area within the Constitution, granting freedom of religion, but also separation of Church and State. The Supreme Court ruling essentially gives the religious group a means to preach faith in government buildings as long as it is extra-curricular and not a requirement of the school.
Still, a mass of litigation is filed every year over similar issues where people do not wish for religious activities and Bible studies to take place in government buildings on the basis of separating Church and State.
Personally, I feel as long as children have the option of whether or not they want to believe in whatever the faith may be, there shouldn’t be a problem where meetings are held. As long as they can still participate with their peers and gain the benefits of education and social interaction without agreeing to submit to any particular faith, they have every right set by precedent in the Supreme Court ruling.
Rob @ June 11, 2009