No proselytizing at schools!
This is what was being handed out after school today at Riverview High school in Sarasota Florida.
They are allowed to do this, but they must stay on the sidewalks, public property, and not step onto school property at all.
The teens said that they were definitely on school property.
The school is doing a lot of construction and has built some sidewalks from the parking lot to the buildings, but these sidewalks are separate from the public sidewalk which runs the lentgh of Lords avenue in front of the school.
These people were on the school's sidewalks, the newly built sidewalks that go from the parking lot to the buildings.
They were yelling out to students to take one, Sebastian kept saying "No, no thank you, I'm an atheist, NO THANK YOU, NO", yet they continued to ask him to take one.
Mark took one to bring it home and show me what was happening.
I am NOT happy.
I called the school.
The secretary transferred me to the vice principal, I explained that they were on school property sidewalks, not the public sidewalks, and she asked me to hold 1 minute.
I was then transferred to the school police officer, who surprise (!) was not available, so I got a voice mailbox.
The school doesn't want to talk to me about this, they know those people should only be on public property, not school property, and they know that I know the laws regarding proselytizing at school.
As soon as the vice principal heard me say my name, people handing out bibles, and ON school property, she was all "uh, um, uh, hold please", because she knows that I am not going to let this drop.
I called back, demanded to speak to a person, not a machine, and they transferred me to the VP again.
I told her not to put me on hold again, she apologized, I said get them off school property, now, tell them to stay on the public sidewalks or I will come up there and film what they are doing the next time they are there, and take it to whoever it is that can make these people stop, and can also make you enforce the law to keep them off of school property.
I know that they have a right to do this, but NOT on the property, they cannot even step an inch onto the school property to hand out these bibles.
This kinda crap makes me so mad, it's just not ok with me that this is allowed at all.
Religion is a personal, private, family matter, and religion should never be pushed onto impressionable youths.
The students range in age from 14 to 19 at the high school, the only ones they can legally talk to are the 18 and 19 year olds, speaking to anyone under the legal age is not allowed, yet here they are, yelling at all of the students to take these bibles.
The teens said they have been doing this for the last few weeks, that is so not ok with me.
Comments
I hate when people try to shove their religions down other people's throats! I'd be pissed too.
Posted by: Charlotte | April 2, 2009 3:31 PM
That's my problem. Religion is a private matter, between the person and their god, between them and their families, these people have no business doing this at schools.
Posted by: Kat | April 2, 2009 3:37 PM
Back in the 70s at my high school, a few agressive born-agains hung around the bus line, luring kids to their church services. I really hate aggressively religious people because they don't care who you are or what you are, they just want to CHANGE you.
Posted by: Chris | April 2, 2009 3:50 PM
I understand how you feel! It's so not good trying to force bibles in the hands of other peoples children. Have they done this to any adults? Probably not!!
And you know what? This activity doesn't appear to be in the name of trying to do something good, It's to antagonize and provoke anger.
I'm anti religion but I'm not atheist.. I hope you can get to the bottom of it without getting a headache! Brace yourself.
Posted by: JackiesMagic | April 2, 2009 4:12 PM
I hate religious fanatics who try to convert everyone in sight. I'm one of those people who cringes when I see one of those Gideons bibles in a hotel room. In Vegas it's actually worse, there is also the book of Mormon in addition to the bible. But at least it's less annoying than people getting all in your face about it.
I feel the same way about Jehovah's Witnesses on my front porch, beating on my door that I pay rent for, as you do about these bible-hander-outters on school property. They are trespassing and have no business being there.
Hope you can get the school to kick these people off the property!
Posted by: Christine | April 2, 2009 4:45 PM
OMG, people piss me off! You have every right to be angry, and the school should have been right on top of that crap. If you ever want help in calling the school and letting them know how wrong this is, post that number, or email it to us. I'll call.
Posted by: Karri | April 2, 2009 6:36 PM
I agree with you 100%. You better believe if they were pushing any other religion like Wicca they would have been arrested in a matter of minutes.
I don't want any one pushing any thing on my daughter.
Posted by: Jenn | April 4, 2009 10:24 PM
Exactly! If it was people up there with copies of the Koran, you can bet your ass the cops and the school would be out there stopping them.
Posted by: Kat | April 5, 2009 12:56 AM