BUSH FORCES RELIGIOUS REINTRODUCTION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

I want everyone to see what bush and his administration is up to with 
our public schools. They are using loopholes in the constitution to 
covertly reintroduce and spread christianity in our public schools. 
They are going so far as to threaten cutting off over 23 billion 
dollars in public school aide, if schools do not conform to Religious 
Reintroduction! Our public schools are in ruins as is and here comes 
the rich class religious right trying to make them worse off if they 
don't conform to their values. Religion does not belong in public 
schools at all, from the beginning of the day until the very end of 
the day and even in after school activities. If anything, after 
school should be for studying real school work, not bogus religion. 
If you are in a school that seems to be forcing you out, or making 
you an outcast, or condemning you, or mocking you because you don't 
conform to bogus christian religion, then I suggest the following 
course of action. To use this very law to create your own anti-
christian religious prayer group in every school and spread anti-
christian values. Let bush taste his own medicine! It's bitter as 
ashes when served by the ideal antichrist!

Sincerely,
Caesar    



Here is an article I found, look for more:


WASHINGTON (May 13) - Threatened with the loss of federal money, the 
vast majority of the nation's schools have declared that they allow 
prayer wherever and however the Constitution permits.

For the first time, federal law requires school districts to prove 
that they have no policy stifling court-protected prayer by students 
or teachers. Those that don't comply risk losing a share of 
elementary and secondary school money totaling $23 billion.

Initial responses, due April 15, showed some states had dozens of 
schools out of compliance; other states failed to reply at all.

But leaders in those states say paperwork problems, not trouble over 
prayer policies, accounted for the delay. Most of the more than 
15,000 school districts have since certified they follow the law, and 
federal officials seem content the states have shown good faith.

''We're not at the point where we're talking about taking funding 
away from schools or states,'' said Education Department spokeswoman 
Susan Aspey. ''The goal all along has been to make sure local school 
districts do not have any policies in place that sanction religion - 
or policies that prohibit voluntary religious expression by 
students.''

Generally, prayer is permitted provided it happens outside of class 
instruction and is not initiated by school officials, federal 
guidelines say. As examples, students may pray during recess and 
teachers may hold their own Bible study at lunch, but teachers may 
not lead their classes in prayer or try to persuade students to join 
religious activities.

As of late Friday, 42 states had certified that all of their schools 
follow the law.

Five states - Arizona, California, Ohio, Illinois and New York - 
combined showed 150 to 200 school districts out of compliance. All 
those states expect the number to be zero soon.

Indiana, Nevada and New Hampshire haven't reported, but assure 
federal officials they expect to send clean reports soon. District of 
Columbia officials have not responded.

The prospect of lost money was not lost on the schools.

North Carolina got the last of its certifications on Friday.

''When we sent them a letter and said, 'We're going to freeze your 
money if you don't get it in,' I think expectation was that they 
would respond,'' said William McGrady, an official with the North 
Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

California, a state of more than 1,200 districts, listed 133 out of 
compliance by the April deadline. It has dropped that number to 55, 
all of which expect to reply soon, said Larry Jaurequi, an assistant 
superintendent with the state's education department.

''None of them are saying, 'Look, we're not going to comply,''' 
Jaurequi said. ''There hasn't been anything that would indicate some 
sort of opposition view.''

The process of checking in with every school has prompted grumbles 
from state leaders about lost time and money. Ohio, for example, said 
it spent more than $500,000 on the effort.

Defenders of church-state separation and advocates of religious 
expression both say they are wary about how meaningful the schools' 
written promises will be.

The state responses are encouraging, but assessing whether they're 
accurate is the next step, said Mathew Staver, president of Liberty 
Counsel. The group defends free expression, including religion, in 
public schools. Staver said common complaints include students 
prevented from organizing prayer groups or posting announcements 
about bible study.

''Some of these schools have probably represented they're in 
compliance when they're not,'' Staver said. ''If they were, we 
wouldn't be getting the kind of calls we're getting.''

The states generally certified they have no policy that prevents 
participation in ''constitutionally protected prayer.''

That's significant because it means they must follow court mandates - 
but not necessarily the guidance issued in February by the Bush 
administration, said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of 
Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Lynn contends those guidelines cross into unconstitutional 
expression, such as the allowing of religious graduation speeches 
provided speakers were chosen on neutral criteria.

For the next school year, the Education Department is working with 
states to smooth reporting. Aspey, the agency spokeswoman, 
acknowledged some glitches. For example, at least 26 states failed to 
note whether their districts have any prayer-related complaints 
pending.

''This is the first time for everyone,'' Aspey said. ''There are 
going to be some growing pains.''