ex-xian

The church I used to attend, a fundamentalist, pentacostal, neo-cult church Assembly of God, has been holding youth rallies in the local public schools.

It's led by the youth pastor, and comes complete with "praise and worship," testimonies, and hard core, hell-fire preaching. Wrapping everything up is an old fashioned altar call. This is done either directly after school, or during school hours.

My question is this: is this activity legal? I want that type of religious poisoning to stop, but is there anything I can do? I have no children, but I'm concerned for the youth of the area. I know from personal experience how damaging that brand of religion can be.

Incidentally, the youth group has been running 50-60 kids since they's started doing this. Up from about 15 previsously.

If anyone is interested, the youth groups website is www.3rdwaveuth.org.

AquaVita

I think this is more of a Church-State issue. I'll send it over that way.

Roland

Actually, as long as it is after school hours and non-compulsory in nature, I'm not sure there is anything illegal about it.

SLD

It most assuredly is illegal if they are doing it in school hours. Furthermore, it is illegal if they are doing it after school hours, and not allowing other activities to be done after school hours - such as your Freethinkers Class that you should start.

I would suggest contacting you local ACLU branch and I would formally protest to the school board and to the school principal. Furthermore, I would specifically request that you be allowed to use the building after school hours as a meeting place for freethinkers and to advertise in the school building for that purpose too.

SLD

SLD

After looking at the website, I noticed this pastor's email address and his bragging about going to schools and saving kids. His email is: youthpastor@3rdwave.org.

Have at him.

SLD

Defiant Heretic

Ask about starting an atheist club or something and hosting it at the school. keeping all the details except the type of club the same as the pastor.

If they refuse, turn it over to the ACLU. If they let you do it, there shouldn't be a problem.

Bumble Bee Tuna

I think you should apply to have your OWN event, where you explain how the church made your life miserable. Advertise it strongly at the church's event. Explain your painful deconversion and the harm the church did to you.

If they don't allow you to do that, THEN you have a church-state issue definitely, though you certainly might right now anyway.

-B

Josie M

Holding a meeting like this is legal as long as it is not held during school hours, is not compulsory and is not endorsed by the school (ie, teacher started & run). For example, there is a bible study group at my school, but it is a student run organization and not a school extra-curricular, so it is legal.

Carol

ex-xian

So instead of learning math and science, the kids go to some "non-compulsory" meeting and hear about jebus. I find it hard to believe that any kid would abstain from the meeting, with peer pressure being what it is. For the record, the event is during school hours. The youth pastor is also a teacher in the local school system.

Re: The advice to start my own freethinking group.

You mean actually go do something rather than just compain about it? Haven't you guys ever heard that it's easier to curse the darkness than to light a match? Seriously though, that is a good idea. The only problem I see is that the church group has kids in the schools who sponsor the meetings.

Does anyone actually know what the law says about stuff like this?

ex-xian

Regarding the events being compulsory... I spoke to someone who still attends the church who said that they were expecting over 700 kids at one event that took place earlier this week. I haven't heard an update yet. Also, these pictures look like the event was school wide.

(if these are too large, then I ask a mod to erase them and I'll post link instead.)





These particular pics are from a meeting at a middle school. The meeting wherein the expectation was 700 kids was a local high school.