*BEFORE you read: I am a Christain. I love me some Jesus.
After calling my children’s school district to find out more about a ‘Release Time’ christian education trailer parked at a park near school property, I learned many many things.
1. I learned that while the school allows children to leave campus and go to this ‘trailer’ during lunch it does not consider that an endorsement of a particular religion.
2. I learned that the school district does no background/security checks on the volunteers/workers of “Release Time”. No idea if they are on the sexual predator list or not. No idea who they are at all.
3. I learned that even though the trailer was parked in what looked like a city park- the school has a shared use agreement with the city and therefore it is school property until 4:00 each day.
And when I asked how this organization was going to promote their ‘education’, I was told they would be sending home a flyer to the students. So I asked “how is that possible with the separation of church and state?” and Mr. District said “any non profit group can send out district approved flyers to the children”. I thought for a minute and said “SO lets say I am a NAZI. But I am a non-profit NAZI with a NAZI organization I would be able to send home flyers to ALL the CHILDREN in the SCHOOL DISTRICT?”. I was met with silence and then a weak “well, YES.” Seems to me there is a real problem with their policy.
Hello. CHURCH and STATE? I am a Jesus loving Christian – and this trailer
recruitment offends me. Who the heck are these people trying to recruit my kids into their trailer? Isn’t that just a large creepier version of the scary guy and his van? Gosh I hope they don’t give out candy too. And what about the poor Muslim kid? Or the Jewish child? Don’t you think they are going to feel displaced by this even though the district says it isn’t but it is ENDORSEMENT of Christianity? Makes me sad. And well, the whole thing scares me. But what do you think?
*Don’t forget to subscribe for a free lifetime membership in The Glamorous Life Association. We are a non-denominational organization and will never lure your children into a trailer. Promise.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I went to Released Time when I was in elementary school in OC, and a woman in my church is a local organizer for Released Time closer to my area. I hear and understand your concerns, however every experience I have had with that organization is extremely positive. I don’t know for sure but from what I understand the people that are in the trailers as teachers are screened by the RT organization.
I would have checked them out too….you can never be too careful.
Of course, I am a part of that movement and ….
Just kidding, never heard of it!
I agree with you. It’s weird.
oh, girl. i love to tilt me some windmills on 1st amendment issues, and this one sends me into orbit. two years ago, my DD, then 7, came home and asked: “mama, why is there a picture of jesus under the american flag in my (public school) classroom?” i asked her how she knew it was jesus. “well,” she said, “he’s in a barn with his mom and dad and animals.” i thought for a second. i mean, it could be a harmless farm scene, right? then my beloved spouse, a veteran of St. Rose of Lima, looked at girlfriend. “honey,” he gently asked, “was there anything around the baby’s head?” “oh yes,” she replied. “a circle.”
bingo.
apparently, in our state, you can have a picture of a religious symbol if you have a picture of EVERY religious symbol, which is patently impossible. thank Dog. the picture went down. the teacher then proceeded to harass my daughter (who is jewish) and her friend (who is muslim) for the remainder of the year. she probably figured one or the other was responsible for the removal of the picture. we ended up leaving the school.
if my seven year old child could figure out that this would upset her friends who were jewish, muslim, atheist, or otherwise, then how the HELL can’t grownups figure that out?
those people in the trailers could be freaking PHds in theology for all i care. having their presence on school property is tantamount to the school endorsing christianity. there’s obviously nothing wrong with religion; if it is a priority for parents to have their kids exposed to it, it’s their responsibility to make that happen **after school hours and not on school property.**
oh, this makes me so sad. and angry.
This is outrageous. I see no reason why those people should be there. Good for you for checking into this. Please keep us posted.
DONT STOP! Write a letter to you school Board. Go to the school Board meeting, gather other intelligent parents together and do something about this.
I don’t know where you are but in California it is totally against Ed. Code and if you need help finding the Ed. Code for your state let me know. I will definately help you with this.
One of the bajillion reasons I am dreading the start of school. Because this fuh-reeeeeks me out. No no no no no. Not cool. And I’m afraid that, were I in your shoes, I wouldn’t be able to handle it in an appropriately calm and collected professional-parent way.
Outrageous! Why are they recruiting children anyway? They can’t sell their baloney to anyone else? Religion should be family centered and under parental supervision and choice. I would lose it if I saw this at my kids school.
Isn’t it sad that religious groups have to resort to recruiting children on school property. It one thing for someone to knock on your door and hand you your literature, but an unsupervised child in a van? This means our children while under the guise of education are being exposed to people and ideas their parents might not find suitable. I find it hard to swallow that this is ok, but I had to get my parents permission to read Tom Sawyer in high school.
I’m pagan, so maybe I’ve got a skewed view on this. Maybe I shouldn’t answer at all.
But, what the hey, why not?
I am all about the equal access. If a Christian trailer is taking up city land, then the city has an obligation to make certain that every religion, faith, philosophy, or spirituality attending the school is equally represented. Is there a Jewish trailer? A Muslim one? One for the Ba’hai? The Pagans? The Agnostics or Atheists? Do Buddhists have space? Taoists? Followers of Shinto?
I have never minded Christian student groups meeting and having events on school property – groups formed by and for students can be very beneficial – I mind the denial of access or equality to similar groups.
I guess I have a sort of all-or-nothing mentality about it. I would prefer all, but sadly we usually end up with nothing – I say sadly because I do think a spiritual life is necessary, especially during time of turmoil or upheaval (and childhood can be the very definition of those things).
What concerns me more is the lack of oversight, the lack of background checks on the people who are (ahem) exposing young, impressionable minds to something as deeply personal as religion/faith/spirituality…and who knows what else??
I would NOT permit my child access to such a potential for horror, eve if we weren’t Pagan, because it just doesn’t seem to be very well thought out.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
Aww, nertz – of course I posted and then had another thought:
I also happen to think that it’s wholly inappropriate to proselytize to children.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
I love Jesus too. And I am with you on this.
Jesus is my man.
But that is a little weird, I would write my school board.
Yikes! I am a Jesus Freak and am completely Weirded Out by having a trailer of any kind near a school. One more confirmation of our choice to homeschool.
That is so wrong on so many levels! I would not let this one get by. Children should not be subjected to this on school grounds for any reason.
First of all, that picture of the van is going to give me nightmares all night, thanks.
Second, this is weird. I haven’t heard of it before and just because they slap “Christian’ in there doesn’t really tell you a lot about who they are.
Good for you for finding out more–as usual. You’re so good.
Holy crap! (and yes, I do mean “holy”)
How can this be even remotely legal?
Call me old-fashioned, but I like my church and state separate.
SO late to this party, but again I applaud your cojones, Miss Marcy. Way to make the guy sweat, and keep going!
I’m with Kyddryn on this: it has never bothered me to have religious groups present on campus — as long as ANY religious group is given equal access — though I am at heart a separation of church and state person. But I think it’s necessary to define which campus: HIGH SCHOOL. By then kids are in clubs and old enough to discern their own interests. Younger than high school it should be completely separate.
Background checks run by the organization are probably in place, as Headless Mom said, but the school district cannot rely on them. They need to run their own checks against all lists, and permission slips from the parents need to be signed before the kids can partake. Duh.
Also? Aren’t they teaching the wrong thing? “It’s okay to leave campus to get into a stranger’s van.” Even if these people are stellar, as they likely are, this sends exactly the wrong message.
Climbing down off of your soapbox, and thank you for your time. YAY MARCY! GO GET ‘EM, GIRL!!
I felt the Lord calling me to clarify your accusations about the Chapel on Wheels trailers that you see in front of some of the schools in O.C.
I am a Christian and I get very excited when I see the trailers in front of a school. I was a student in one of those trailers over 30 years ago. I had very good experiences in there. The people who teach for Chapel on Wheels are loving Christian Faith based people. They are background checked and finger printed before they are allowed to help or teach. They teach from the New International Version of the Holy Bible. They are so blessed by each of the kids that come and as are the kids that come.
Both of my kids have attended Chapel on Wheels, and one is still going. They have been at two different schools to experience it. Chapel on Wheels is for 4th, 5th, and in some schools, 6th grade. I have only had kind and wonderful words come back about the people that are teaching and the things they were teaching. I have also met their teachers at social gatherings throughout the years my kids attended.
I have been so pleased with how much my children have learned and are learning right now. They have learned order of the books of the Bible, the Old Testament, Jesus’ Birth, his walk, and John the Baptist. They are now going to move into Jesus and the Resurrection of Christ, for Easter. They teach that God is a loving God and he loves us no matter what. Everything is scripture based and is read right from there Holy Bible. They memorize a scripture each week. The kids who come really enjoy it and welcome their friends and kids that don’t have friends, etc. to come to Chapel on Wheels. It is a safe place to be themselves and to learn about God.
They are blessed by every child that steps into that trailer. I hope I have shed some light on the subject and now you have the facts so that you can all put your minds at ease and not let them wander off the straight and narrow path that Jesus would want us to be on.
Thank you for allowing me to tell you about Chapel on Wheels. I hope if any of you have kids that go to a school with a trailer, that you will go and meet the teacher. They meet during lunch time. Maybe you too will be so impressed that you will send your child to Chapel on Wheels to learn all about our wonderful God and Savior Jesus Christ. The teachers for Chapel on Wheels donate their time to teach our children the most important foundations about God and his Son Jesus Christ. Almost all of the children that come to Chapel on Wheels are Saved or will become Saved and will live eternal life in Heaven with our Father God. Their names will be written in the Lambs book of Life forever and ever, Amen. (That is a quote in the Bible but I can’s find it right now) Now if that isn’t worthy of a “Hallelujah” I don’t know what is!
I have written a couple of scriptures below to give you hope and peace in Christ Jesus. These are given to you from me personally. They were on my heart and I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to put the two below:
23″For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” l 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”m Romans 10:9-13
You can pray that same prayer above and confess your sins to God and he will wash them all away and make you clean again. Our God cannot see Sin, He is to pure for us, this is why we need to confess our sins to Him, and Him alone, daily. He is our God Almighty, our Alpha and our Omega, He is our One and Only God.
If you have done this, Praise God. Now go and read your Bible and learn about Jesus and have a relationship with Him and get yourself on the straight and narrow path that God ordained for you.
We all know that there is a Heaven and a Hell, even the demons shutter at that. The more help I get teaching my children about our loving God and who He is and that they need to have a relationship with Jesus, the easier it will be for them to lead a life pleasing to God. They will have many blessings and they won’t miss out on opening the treasure boxes when they stay on Gods’ path. We all know that when we let our flesh lead our path, we get caught up in a lot of trouble and look to God to help us back to him and his path.
I hope this has inspired you, and if you have children, read with them and teach them about God the Father and Jesus Christ and how they are One. You can go the the Christian Bible Stores or online and find Daily Devotional for Kids and Adults. Be in the Word daily, put on the Armor of God each morning and Pray. This will help to keep you on the straight and narrow path that God has for you and it will protect you from the evil ways of this world.
God Bless all of you.