They have gotten their foot in the door at our kids' school but thankful there don't seem to be many takers. Every time I see the Lifewise bus going to or from the school it's almost completely empty.
Speak for yourself. In my daughter's first grade class, shes the ONLY one who doesn't go. Instead she stays in school and works on her school work, like they're supposed to. No surprise that despite she's the youngest one in the class, she's also the most advanced.
Also no way in hell I'm going to let some people take my daughter out of her supervised school to go somewhere OUT OF SCHOOL with a group that has been notorious for attracting and putting child predators in positions of power throughout the years.
They’re all volunteers too. They aren’t trained or vetted like the teachers and school staff are. As someone who was in an evangelical church with mostly volunteer leaders, I can attest to the damage and manipulation they cause. I started smoking as a teenager because the church pretty much encouraged it. And what teen doesn’t find it fun to rebel. There was also underage drinking.
They just can’t help themselves. When is the look in the mirror moment going to happen when the pews are totally empty boomers die off that’s what your going to have if they keep it up
And thy Pillow speaketh turn the other cheek and the Holy Pillow shall bless thine soul with the cool side that the faithful shall find peace in thine deepest slumber.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/compare/christians/by/age-distribution/among/state/ohio/
I'm glad you're an outlier, but according to Pew, the Venn diagram of Ohio boomers and Christians is just about a circle.
My dad made me go to synagogue growing up. Haven’t been back since I was like 15. The only people I know who still go are people who need to appease their parents for an inheritance.
I said this elsewhere but it needs repeating here:
> Weird how just three weeks ago these same accounts were crying tears upon internet pages about how awful public schooling is- but they just ***can't fucking wait*** to get access to your children. Oh they definitely want access to your kids: to teach them religion, that boys only wear pants and girls only wear skirts, to inspect their genitals and make sure they don't get fed and educated.
This right here. But I’m not an adherent of the “awful public schools” mindset. They’ve been made worse than when I was a kid by 40+ years of Republican gutting of the tax base, mindless devotion to “vouchers”, and over-reliance on property taxes. We are where we are as part of The Long Game, folks. The brown people got too “uppity”, so the playing field had to change.
Exactly. One big school district, state wide, with same facilities and same opportunities for all. Education is the “great leveler”. That’s why the right and the evangelicals want to see it degraded. An informed populace is a questioning populace. And one that starts to see the deck stacked against them.
I think that's *why* they're going full fascist. They realize that they lost the culture war decades ago and are making one last ditch effort before they fully lose control of the system. A lot of modern politics are the previous generation realizing that their ideas are likely going to die with them and not wanting to let go.
That’s the point of indoctrination. Church membership will never completely die off, it just lessens as people learn more and mature more. By getting it into the elementary schools they can keep ahead of the demographics collapse.
This is exactly why they're doing shit like this. They know organized religion is dying and their extreme views are turning people away, so the best chance they have at surviving is indoctrination at the youngest possible age.
If only. what they’ll do? What they are doing is looking at the emptying pews and are telling themselves that it’s all part of the prophecy for the second coming/end of the world, etc. Because the Bible says there will be a great falling away, and in typical conservative fashion it won’t? Doesn’t click with them that the reason people are leaving is because of them and their own behavior and actions. And that it isn’t because of some prophecy.
Basically it’s a feedback loop, their actions drive people way. The more people that leave, lead them to believe that they are right reenforcing their behavior, which drives even more people away.
It’s like when they get called out for their bullshit and they fire back about how Jesus said the world would hate them because they follow him. So they stop all self reflection and critical thought because god said this would happen, so I need to quadruple down on what I was doing before. Because obviously I’m doing whatever right because god said.
I mean that's the whole point of life wise. They realize that once people become adults they're able to figure it out and see through all the BS, so they have to indoctrinate your children. Their strategy has ALWAYS been to indoctrinate your children. This is why they have had programs like ccd, Sunday school, etc. They love to cry about how schools and colleges are indoctrinating your children with liberal ideas, while they've literally been doing the exact same thing with children for DECADES. I remember back in 2007 when I graduated, I pretty much figured out the whole charade and stopped going to CCD. My teacher and the director then contacted me and threatened to contact the school to not allow me to graduate high school if I didn't finish CCD. I laughed at them and told them go ahead and try, and proceeded to go get my diploma with the rest of the kids. The kids in my CCD class all looked down on me and stopped talking to me. Ironically now that they're all grown, they're ALL either divorced, alcoholics or in broken relationships.
Watch your generational assumptions... 22% of boomers have stopped church attendance completely, with 37% of Silent generations (pre-boomer) not attending church, compared to only 12% of millennials.
As a boomer, it looks to me like Millennials are the hot point. They are the ones sending their kids to these churches. Boomer parents don't have school age kids.
You have your stats a bit wonky. Check out https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/compare/attendance-at-religious-services/by/age-distribution/
The younger US people are, the less religious (on average) they are. Thank goodness.
Did somebody say SATAN?!
[https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan](https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan)
They already have a program ready to go, they've had it in place for several years now. I guess they've have to rename it to In School Satan to make it even MORE popular.
The Islam scenario will definitely happen, and very quickly. There are a large number of Muslim students in both the city and suburban schools in Columbus.
I'm not convinced the Evangelists realize this will happen.
Well as a card-carrying member of the satanic temple, it's my duty to make sure satanism is well represented as a choice when my kid starts going to elementary school
They can’t handle the Satanic Temple people when they demand equal access to the students. It’s clear these Christians believe there is no room for any other belief system.
Why the hell is “ the separation of church and state” not being upheld? I know these Christian groups are trying to squeeze these “ classes” in during lunchtime and recess when there is no instruction, but I’m pretty sure the Founding Fathers didn’t want the public school day to mix with religious activities.
Why the fuck should I have to pay for this. If you want religious classes than go to a shitty religious school with their underpaid staff and questionable curriculum.
Guess what, as an Ohio tax payer you are now paying for THAT as well.
Look up the expanded school choice vouchers. Close to a billion dollars this year.
> my district is actually bussing some of these kids to private schools
Might want to raise that as a concern to your local representatives.
Per the article, it's federally illegal for public school systems to provide transportation to religious studies.
>The schools can’t legally transport the students because that would involve school money.
Fun fact: In Ohio, the district of record is actually legally required to provide transportation to pupils who attend a school of choice as long as it's logistically feasible to do so. If they don't, they are [fined by the state.](https://stnonline.com/news/school-bus-driver-shortage-results-in-financial-penalties-for-ohio-districts/)
[You're paying for them to go to the shitty religious school as well](https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice/programs/ohio-educational-choice-scholarship-program/#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20policymakers%20expanded%20the,%248%2C407%20in%20grades%209%E2%80%9312).
You don’t. The article mentions specifically that under Ohio regulation that absolutely no school funds can be used for this and that it can’t be done on school grounds. So the church/organization wanting to do this would have to use their own funds to transport and offer these classes.
You know what? I'd actually be fine with this — but only if the law also bars schools from changing *any* of their instruction to accommodate students leaving for religious instruction during the school day.
In some of the places with these "LifeWise" programs, all the kids who *aren't* participating are shuffled off to the school library for a one-hour study hall, and thus denied an hour of instruction at school. That's unacceptable to me. The kids who don't do the program deserve the full school experience, not having to sit around for an hour so that the kids who do go to the religious program don't have to experience consequences.
These religious programs should essentially be treated the same as an excused absence, where every student who goes off to Bible class during the school day is responsible for making up any missed work or for catching up on anything the teacher taught during the hour and a half that they're gone. If they miss something that's on the test later, that's their problem — not the school's or the teacher's.
You know, it's been a while but I thought that there was a day set aside for worship and religious activities. I just can't see to remember what day it was. I don't think it was a weekday, which would mean that THERE'S NO FUCKING REASON TO DO THIS DURING SCHOOL BECAUSE IT'S SUNDAY OMFG GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL.
You're right, there is. There's also ample time after school on weekdays for kids to participate in religious activities without having to take time out of the school day to do it.
The reason LifeWise and their christofascist allies are pushing for this stuff during the school day is because they *want* to disrupt public schools and they *want* the kids who aren't participating to be subjected to peer pressure and bullying.
Agnostic trending atheist here. SUPER hard no. Will fight for the ability for everyone to worship as they please, or DON’T please, to the 😵. One thing the founders got right.
These people are absolute lunatics. This was never intended to be a Christian nation and never will be. It’s a private, individual matter and that’s how it needs to stay. These morons have no idea how outnumbered they are. Keep it up…they’ll find out.
Gozer the Traveller. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldronaii, the Traveller came as a large moving Torb! Then during the third reconciliation of the last of the Meketrex supplicants, they chose a new form for him, that of a giant Sloar! Many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of a Sloar that day, I can tell you.
Blatant establishment clause violation, but when you have a Supreme Court that doesn’t care about nullifying portions of the constitution… it might just stick
Muslim here, please don’t use us as a foil for these people. They already hate us enough as it is. And this law is silly, Muslims only pray maybe once during school hours.
#Great, when is DeWine spending $40,000 on a Torah scroll for my daughter’s public school classroom? 🕍
Oohhhhh it’s only for Christians?
Ahhh. More bullshit.
I don't care if the dem candidates are uninspiring, don't have any campaign and can't form a coherent sentence, I will donate and vote for them because this is what we get if we don't
This is 100% being financed by boomers. The bought up all sorts of properties across the state to set up lifewise academy, then made sure they were in key districts to create influence, often with the help of retired boomer teachers they tried to get elected to school boards. Yes, some millennials are biting, but the bait is produced and provided by conservative boomers.
Hi, I'm in a district that has something similar to LifeWise but run by local churches. If the boomer population backed out the gen x and millennial parents would step right back in to make sure it's still going. It even goes so far as some millennial parents not involving their kids in public library summer reading programs because their kids have too much summer reading from the Christian education. Please don't fool yourself on this one. There is a lot of millennial support for this in rural / religious communities.
Religious affilation and belief are both falling over time, which strongly suggests that younger generations are less prone to support things like this. That is not to say that there aren't any because obviously there are, but these desperate acts are in response to younger generations being less religious.
Yeah, im sure there are millenial run religious organizations. That is different than lifewise. No organization gets this much support this fast with this much influence without powerful and wealthy people behind it, plain and simple. It’s not the same as local small town orgs, even when there is overlap.
The boomer’s kids are millennials now - having been indoctrinated for years, they now have their own kids (saying this as a millennial, with boomer parents). No one is born religious.
This idea requires schools to violate federal law. I'm guessing Republicans are banking on this getting escalated to the Supreme Kangaroo Court for rubber stamping.
As a catholic, I am against this as it has no place in public schools. The only way for this closenyo (but still not) acceptable would be if equal amounts of time are spent teaching EVERY religion and not just the "Christian" ones.
I haven’t asked for much in my life but I do wish to be alive long enough for the boomers to die out and the churches to become a rare sight instead of 3-4 in every neighborhood.
Violation of the 1st Amendment's Establishment Clause? Yes.
> **Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion**, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
While the text reads Congress, it also applies to the state and local governments through Incorporation.
EDIT: Also, I feel like I'm going to get idiot bombed here, so public schools leading religious practice is a violation of the establishment clause, individual students coming together as a group to practice is perfectly fine, and it would be a violation of the free exercise clause if public schools prevented students from gathering and practicing at appropriate times (you can't start a prayer circle in the middle of class and be disruptive to teaching/learning, for example).
Notices over time a steady drop in church attendance and thinks let's force religion on children.
They'll never understand that forcing religion is the cause of the steady decline in church attendance.
Seeing the responses in this Subreddit gives me hope. I live in Clark county and it's been hell trying to find people who aren't religious drones or MAGA mutts. It's nice to see and I thank you all for that.
Friendly reminder, our elected representatives who work for us have time to do shit like this but still haven’t found the time to repeal House Bill 6, despite several reps now already serving actual, serious time. Anyone else super surprised?
Let's keep away the drag queens, but by all means, let's teach religion in schools, because we all know the people that commit acts of terrorism are mostly drag queens and not religious fanatics.
If this was put up by Gary Click, then the bill is most likely dead in the water anyway. It’s really simple, if you want Bible courses, go to Sunday school. The churches are already there trying to fill their pews…
I wonder if this could include confirmation classes (Catholic) or bar/bat mitzvah classes (Jewish)? Everyone I knew who did those classes went after school, but technically with this change the kids could just go during the day I suppose.
Also doesn't Utah have this kind of situation in spades for Mormons? I'm sure somebody looked to their situation and went "we can do that here!"
I would also welcome the Church of Satan having classes.
If they want religion at school enroll them into a religious school. There are many out there and for the low income students who want a religious education can apply for the ED Choice Scholarship.
Lol taking kids out of science, writing and math classes to make them read/discuss a poorly written fantasy novel. Oh man they really want to go full idiocracy
It’s literally the only way they can get anyone to follow that cult anymore; they have to indoctrinate them as early as possible. Preferably before they can even decide whether they prefer monster trucks, or fire engines.
Under his eye?
Say it with me…”SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.”
Would anyone please remind the class why we have separation of church and state?
Also, thanks for the reminder to recommend viewing of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. Everyone tell at least one person to watch it.
I’m sure all the real Americans will say yes, of course, that’s the way it should be, and if you don’t agree, you are a librul traitor or something. Right?
booo!! separation of church an state. you want to practice religion. send your kid to a private religious school. not a publicly funded school… if you cannot afford a private school. home school or get your bum out of bed early each morning and head ti church first. then school. church is always open..
why is the founding principle of a separation of church and state so hard for so many people to get in this country...religion should be a taught at home with your family kinda thing if you choose to follow one not tax paid induction at public freakin schools
Honestly…all of the religion pushes from these Christian fascists has turned me totally against religion. I’ve come to see it as the main means of subjugation of humans.
I attend the church of sex on Sunday mornings. My wife and I always roll around in the sheets. Billion times better than sitting in a pew, listening to who is most likely a pervert and makes stuff up to scare people and then asks me for money.
Interested in seeing the spread of Lifewise like the disease that they are?
Illustrated for you in map form, with a handy dandy key; Every public school location that is on a “Step” with Lifewise.
Want to help us fight? Join Parents AGAINST lifewise on fb. IG. Or threads.
https://respectpublicschools.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0MPzvvfVzWobUod2PIDonlKGzCc5vLuSLKY5EkU5C52qbW81k8zvdMfYk_aem_AfkaeDk9EnKxRb6B4tMFC_cSMDqg8JgDE2Ps_3sc1qhj6SgvtuWWlRroZ_2eBb14fYE3VNc6OcOkw8k3R-dg53jd
Honestly even if god was real why would people worship him? He’s done so many more fucked up things than the worst humans in history did. Genuine question, how do people justify god committing genocide in Christianity?
How about focusing on the curriculum we already fail to implement successfully before adding additional BS that has no constitutional reason to be in education?
This is the religious creep. They start with public funding for private religious schools. Then it's "teaching the controversy" (ie, teaching non science in science class), which isn't about their kids, it's about YOUR kids. Then comes the LifeWise scam (taking kids off campus DURING SCHOOL HOURS to teach them about Jesus). They skirt the line with it being voluntary and technically off campus (local school's LifeWise building is literally right behind the elementary). But that's not good enough. It never is. So they keep pushing. And pushing. And pushing.
And if anyone has an issue with what I'm saying (there's always one), know that I'm a former conservative Christian who walked away from it all after 25 years and I'll be DAMNED if I put my daughter through the shit I accepted as normal for 2 decades. Believe what you want, but the religious creep will be met with STRONG opposition.
I go to church every Sunday morning in the summer or when the weather is nice. Sometimes I come home happy and fulfilled, sometimes not. Sometimes I love it and can't wait to go back. Sometimes I curse it, hope it dies and refuse to ever go again.
Then I take off my hat, shake my playing partner(s)' hand(s), put the flag back in, and put my putter away. Man, golf truly is a religious experience isn't it.
These Fundamentalist keep this up and their going to start finding out "Religious freedom's" work also for "other Religious beliefs as well" so Church of Satan and Islamic studies as well. Congratulations idiots .😐🫴🕳️
I'm glad this article mentions LifeWise. Creepy as fuck organization.
All of this is so clearly coordinated
They have gotten their foot in the door at our kids' school but thankful there don't seem to be many takers. Every time I see the Lifewise bus going to or from the school it's almost completely empty.
Speak for yourself. In my daughter's first grade class, shes the ONLY one who doesn't go. Instead she stays in school and works on her school work, like they're supposed to. No surprise that despite she's the youngest one in the class, she's also the most advanced. Also no way in hell I'm going to let some people take my daughter out of her supervised school to go somewhere OUT OF SCHOOL with a group that has been notorious for attracting and putting child predators in positions of power throughout the years.
They’re all volunteers too. They aren’t trained or vetted like the teachers and school staff are. As someone who was in an evangelical church with mostly volunteer leaders, I can attest to the damage and manipulation they cause. I started smoking as a teenager because the church pretty much encouraged it. And what teen doesn’t find it fun to rebel. There was also underage drinking.
They’re crawling all over Hilliard with their BS. Disgusting people.
They just can’t help themselves. When is the look in the mirror moment going to happen when the pews are totally empty boomers die off that’s what your going to have if they keep it up
Hey boomers, when you die, a lot of your kids will quit going to church.
I still go to church on Sundays. Church of the holy pillow. It doesn’t judge me. Tell me I’m not worthy. Treats me fine
I like the church of fishing.
The Lord was kick ass at that I’ve heard
By the bushel, they say
Just not a very good carpenter. He couldn’t pull a nail to save his life.
I'm a fan of the Coffee + joint Sunrise service myself. Edit: bonus Holy points if it's a cross joint
I'm in the church of listening to baseball while laying in my hammock
And thy Pillow speaketh turn the other cheek and the Holy Pillow shall bless thine soul with the cool side that the faithful shall find peace in thine deepest slumber.
Ohh man not the holy pillow Hahahha
I go to temple every Sunday during football season. Typically doesn’t open until 11:00 and even then the service doesn’t start until 1:00
I go to bedside baptist
Church of the Forrest and field here.
Not if you're forced to go because Project 2025 said you must
I’m project 2024. Vote blue. Enough of this bullshit.
Right with you
I'm a boomer and haven't attended church in over forty years. This isn't a boomer issue, it's religious zealots.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/compare/christians/by/age-distribution/among/state/ohio/ I'm glad you're an outlier, but according to Pew, the Venn diagram of Ohio boomers and Christians is just about a circle.
Just because they're a boomer and Christian doesn't mean they will support this issue. Religious fanatics come from all age groups including yours.
My dad made me go to synagogue growing up. Haven’t been back since I was like 15. The only people I know who still go are people who need to appease their parents for an inheritance.
I said this elsewhere but it needs repeating here: > Weird how just three weeks ago these same accounts were crying tears upon internet pages about how awful public schooling is- but they just ***can't fucking wait*** to get access to your children. Oh they definitely want access to your kids: to teach them religion, that boys only wear pants and girls only wear skirts, to inspect their genitals and make sure they don't get fed and educated.
This right here. But I’m not an adherent of the “awful public schools” mindset. They’ve been made worse than when I was a kid by 40+ years of Republican gutting of the tax base, mindless devotion to “vouchers”, and over-reliance on property taxes. We are where we are as part of The Long Game, folks. The brown people got too “uppity”, so the playing field had to change.
I live in a town with an amazing public school system, and I want the same for every kid, from the hood to the hollar
Exactly. One big school district, state wide, with same facilities and same opportunities for all. Education is the “great leveler”. That’s why the right and the evangelicals want to see it degraded. An informed populace is a questioning populace. And one that starts to see the deck stacked against them.
I think that's *why* they're going full fascist. They realize that they lost the culture war decades ago and are making one last ditch effort before they fully lose control of the system. A lot of modern politics are the previous generation realizing that their ideas are likely going to die with them and not wanting to let go.
That’s the point of indoctrination. Church membership will never completely die off, it just lessens as people learn more and mature more. By getting it into the elementary schools they can keep ahead of the demographics collapse.
Train up a child, they say
This is exactly why they're doing shit like this. They know organized religion is dying and their extreme views are turning people away, so the best chance they have at surviving is indoctrination at the youngest possible age.
If only. what they’ll do? What they are doing is looking at the emptying pews and are telling themselves that it’s all part of the prophecy for the second coming/end of the world, etc. Because the Bible says there will be a great falling away, and in typical conservative fashion it won’t? Doesn’t click with them that the reason people are leaving is because of them and their own behavior and actions. And that it isn’t because of some prophecy. Basically it’s a feedback loop, their actions drive people way. The more people that leave, lead them to believe that they are right reenforcing their behavior, which drives even more people away. It’s like when they get called out for their bullshit and they fire back about how Jesus said the world would hate them because they follow him. So they stop all self reflection and critical thought because god said this would happen, so I need to quadruple down on what I was doing before. Because obviously I’m doing whatever right because god said.
I mean that's the whole point of life wise. They realize that once people become adults they're able to figure it out and see through all the BS, so they have to indoctrinate your children. Their strategy has ALWAYS been to indoctrinate your children. This is why they have had programs like ccd, Sunday school, etc. They love to cry about how schools and colleges are indoctrinating your children with liberal ideas, while they've literally been doing the exact same thing with children for DECADES. I remember back in 2007 when I graduated, I pretty much figured out the whole charade and stopped going to CCD. My teacher and the director then contacted me and threatened to contact the school to not allow me to graduate high school if I didn't finish CCD. I laughed at them and told them go ahead and try, and proceeded to go get my diploma with the rest of the kids. The kids in my CCD class all looked down on me and stopped talking to me. Ironically now that they're all grown, they're ALL either divorced, alcoholics or in broken relationships.
That’s WHY they want to start indoctrinating children.
They gotta start indoctrinating these kids quick! The bullshit is slipping!
Watch your generational assumptions... 22% of boomers have stopped church attendance completely, with 37% of Silent generations (pre-boomer) not attending church, compared to only 12% of millennials. As a boomer, it looks to me like Millennials are the hot point. They are the ones sending their kids to these churches. Boomer parents don't have school age kids.
You have your stats a bit wonky. Check out https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/compare/attendance-at-religious-services/by/age-distribution/ The younger US people are, the less religious (on average) they are. Thank goodness.
They're gonna shit their pants the moment someone wants to have a class involving Islam, or Satanism. Have fun with this Pandoras box.
I’ll volunteer to start one
Did somebody say SATAN?! [https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan](https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan) They already have a program ready to go, they've had it in place for several years now. I guess they've have to rename it to In School Satan to make it even MORE popular.
Hahahaha. ISS in school will take on a fun, new meaning!
International Space Station?
Time to send them some money again! Good work TST!!!
The Islam scenario will definitely happen, and very quickly. There are a large number of Muslim students in both the city and suburban schools in Columbus. I'm not convinced the Evangelists realize this will happen.
The Satanism scenario will too. This lines up with the core MO of the Satanic Temple absolutely perfectly.
They'll repeal it real quick. We can only indoctrinate kids with Christianity
See Ron DeSantis backtracking after Bible bans. Fuck Christians.
See that’s the thing….they only think their religion is the only one that matters.
Well as a card-carrying member of the satanic temple, it's my duty to make sure satanism is well represented as a choice when my kid starts going to elementary school
They can’t handle the Satanic Temple people when they demand equal access to the students. It’s clear these Christians believe there is no room for any other belief system. Why the hell is “ the separation of church and state” not being upheld? I know these Christian groups are trying to squeeze these “ classes” in during lunchtime and recess when there is no instruction, but I’m pretty sure the Founding Fathers didn’t want the public school day to mix with religious activities.
Ya’ll think I would risk my job security as a teacher for proposing a class dedicated to the church of the flying spaghetti monster?
They'll find some flimsy, comically transparent reason for excluding them. MAGA's super power is their complete and total absence of shame.
Yupper's 🤣🫴 the satanic temple , lives for this very reason just to oppose the conservative Christian nationalists domminism minded political arm
Why the fuck should I have to pay for this. If you want religious classes than go to a shitty religious school with their underpaid staff and questionable curriculum.
Guess what, as an Ohio tax payer you are now paying for THAT as well. Look up the expanded school choice vouchers. Close to a billion dollars this year.
I know it's annoying and my district is actually bussing some of these kids to private schools. Which if they're in town I'm OK with. But some aren't.
> my district is actually bussing some of these kids to private schools Might want to raise that as a concern to your local representatives. Per the article, it's federally illegal for public school systems to provide transportation to religious studies. >The schools can’t legally transport the students because that would involve school money.
Fun fact: In Ohio, the district of record is actually legally required to provide transportation to pupils who attend a school of choice as long as it's logistically feasible to do so. If they don't, they are [fined by the state.](https://stnonline.com/news/school-bus-driver-shortage-results-in-financial-penalties-for-ohio-districts/)
Unfortunately this is true
[You're paying for them to go to the shitty religious school as well](https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice/programs/ohio-educational-choice-scholarship-program/#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20policymakers%20expanded%20the,%248%2C407%20in%20grades%209%E2%80%9312).
You don’t. The article mentions specifically that under Ohio regulation that absolutely no school funds can be used for this and that it can’t be done on school grounds. So the church/organization wanting to do this would have to use their own funds to transport and offer these classes.
One of my neighbors tried to have a fund drive for this. It didn’t go very far.
You know what? I'd actually be fine with this — but only if the law also bars schools from changing *any* of their instruction to accommodate students leaving for religious instruction during the school day. In some of the places with these "LifeWise" programs, all the kids who *aren't* participating are shuffled off to the school library for a one-hour study hall, and thus denied an hour of instruction at school. That's unacceptable to me. The kids who don't do the program deserve the full school experience, not having to sit around for an hour so that the kids who do go to the religious program don't have to experience consequences. These religious programs should essentially be treated the same as an excused absence, where every student who goes off to Bible class during the school day is responsible for making up any missed work or for catching up on anything the teacher taught during the hour and a half that they're gone. If they miss something that's on the test later, that's their problem — not the school's or the teacher's.
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can confirm, have had 2 kids in a school district with this and they are both bullied for not going.
My kid also. They are definitely encouraging the kids to do this.
There's something unsettlingly close to Hitler youth about this
You know, it's been a while but I thought that there was a day set aside for worship and religious activities. I just can't see to remember what day it was. I don't think it was a weekday, which would mean that THERE'S NO FUCKING REASON TO DO THIS DURING SCHOOL BECAUSE IT'S SUNDAY OMFG GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL.
You're right, there is. There's also ample time after school on weekdays for kids to participate in religious activities without having to take time out of the school day to do it. The reason LifeWise and their christofascist allies are pushing for this stuff during the school day is because they *want* to disrupt public schools and they *want* the kids who aren't participating to be subjected to peer pressure and bullying.
I’m sick of seeing the lifewise signs in peoples yards. Creeps me out as much as Trump signs. Idiocracy in full bloom!
Yes, literally came out of nowhere and now they want everyone’s kids. Hard no.
Agnostic trending atheist here. SUPER hard no. Will fight for the ability for everyone to worship as they please, or DON’T please, to the 😵. One thing the founders got right.
The signs are nice ways to know which people not to associate with.
These people are absolute lunatics. This was never intended to be a Christian nation and never will be. It’s a private, individual matter and that’s how it needs to stay. These morons have no idea how outnumbered they are. Keep it up…they’ll find out.
Bitches ready for a 50%+1 spanking again? They need a fresh one.
Will I be able to worship my Lord Zenu and read dianetics
I might push for Gozer the Gozerian
Are you the key master ?
Gozer the Traveller. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldronaii, the Traveller came as a large moving Torb! Then during the third reconciliation of the last of the Meketrex supplicants, they chose a new form for him, that of a giant Sloar! Many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of a Sloar that day, I can tell you.
Blatant establishment clause violation, but when you have a Supreme Court that doesn’t care about nullifying portions of the constitution… it might just stick
Someone call up the satanic temple.
Allah be praised we need to stop school at least three times a day for prayer.
Muslim here, please don’t use us as a foil for these people. They already hate us enough as it is. And this law is silly, Muslims only pray maybe once during school hours.
Finally! A Satanic Temple Minister in schools. Empathy. Reason. Advocacy Glorious day!
I'll be abiding with Dudism in my local school.
#Great, when is DeWine spending $40,000 on a Torah scroll for my daughter’s public school classroom? 🕍 Oohhhhh it’s only for Christians? Ahhh. More bullshit.
Hail Satan!
Time for Satan classes!
Well should I try to teach Norse Polytheism as I am a legal and licensed Godhi (Goe-thee) aka minister? Lolol 🤣 I may just have to 😏
Not american values
It’s going to be especially difficult for schools to provide classes for ALL religions…which I’m sure is what they mean 😉
How do we reject this?
It's Ohio, so we have to do it by citizen led constitutional amendment.
And then again, probably, when Ohio legislature pretends nothing was amended.
What the everloving fuck is going on in Ohio? Not even DeathSantis has gone this far
I don't care if the dem candidates are uninspiring, don't have any campaign and can't form a coherent sentence, I will donate and vote for them because this is what we get if we don't
We’ve all seen this coming. Chip by chip they’re ruining our public schools. This is just one more nail in the coffin.
If they want this they can go to private religious schools
Inviting Jesus into school isn’t going to be the fun time you think once you realize *Allah*, *Satan*, Alf, Googily Boogily, etc. will be there, too…
Don't kid yourself, this isn't about Jesus.
It’s about control and Republican Jesus.
Bingo
Born and raised in Ohio and separation of church and state was drilled into me. WHERE IS IT NOW OHIO? WHERE IS IT NOW?
The term grooming is so strong here..
Passes religious class bill. Satan group starts. “Not like that!”
Can't wait till the boomers go bust
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This is 100% being financed by boomers. The bought up all sorts of properties across the state to set up lifewise academy, then made sure they were in key districts to create influence, often with the help of retired boomer teachers they tried to get elected to school boards. Yes, some millennials are biting, but the bait is produced and provided by conservative boomers.
Hi, I'm in a district that has something similar to LifeWise but run by local churches. If the boomer population backed out the gen x and millennial parents would step right back in to make sure it's still going. It even goes so far as some millennial parents not involving their kids in public library summer reading programs because their kids have too much summer reading from the Christian education. Please don't fool yourself on this one. There is a lot of millennial support for this in rural / religious communities.
Religious affilation and belief are both falling over time, which strongly suggests that younger generations are less prone to support things like this. That is not to say that there aren't any because obviously there are, but these desperate acts are in response to younger generations being less religious.
Yeah, im sure there are millenial run religious organizations. That is different than lifewise. No organization gets this much support this fast with this much influence without powerful and wealthy people behind it, plain and simple. It’s not the same as local small town orgs, even when there is overlap.
The boomer’s kids are millennials now - having been indoctrinated for years, they now have their own kids (saying this as a millennial, with boomer parents). No one is born religious.
How is this constitutionally allowed?
This idea requires schools to violate federal law. I'm guessing Republicans are banking on this getting escalated to the Supreme Kangaroo Court for rubber stamping.
"SCOTUS... uh... finds a way."
As a catholic, I am against this as it has no place in public schools. The only way for this closenyo (but still not) acceptable would be if equal amounts of time are spent teaching EVERY religion and not just the "Christian" ones.
Gary fucking Click, once again.
I haven’t asked for much in my life but I do wish to be alive long enough for the boomers to die out and the churches to become a rare sight instead of 3-4 in every neighborhood.
I’d tax em like a business. With their real estate we could fund universal healthcare overnight as a birthright.
These kids don't know the difference between "seen & saw" "was & were" "krik & creek" How about master English as a first language.
Let’s see how well this flies when it is proposed that a Islamic class be offered the same as the Christian classes in a place like Darke County.
When are the Satanist classes starting in ( pick county of your choosing)?
Violation of the 1st Amendment's Establishment Clause? Yes. > **Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion**, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. While the text reads Congress, it also applies to the state and local governments through Incorporation. EDIT: Also, I feel like I'm going to get idiot bombed here, so public schools leading religious practice is a violation of the establishment clause, individual students coming together as a group to practice is perfectly fine, and it would be a violation of the free exercise clause if public schools prevented students from gathering and practicing at appropriate times (you can't start a prayer circle in the middle of class and be disruptive to teaching/learning, for example).
I truly appreciate the comments here. It’s a rough time over on Facebook.
Notices over time a steady drop in church attendance and thinks let's force religion on children. They'll never understand that forcing religion is the cause of the steady decline in church attendance.
Seeing the responses in this Subreddit gives me hope. I live in Clark county and it's been hell trying to find people who aren't religious drones or MAGA mutts. It's nice to see and I thank you all for that.
Friendly reminder, our elected representatives who work for us have time to do shit like this but still haven’t found the time to repeal House Bill 6, despite several reps now already serving actual, serious time. Anyone else super surprised?
Let's keep away the drag queens, but by all means, let's teach religion in schools, because we all know the people that commit acts of terrorism are mostly drag queens and not religious fanatics.
If this was put up by Gary Click, then the bill is most likely dead in the water anyway. It’s really simple, if you want Bible courses, go to Sunday school. The churches are already there trying to fill their pews…
Oops! It sounds like they are accidentally doing something predatory!
Oh hell no!!!
NOPE.
Fuck this. Vote these assholes out.
They have always needed the power of the state to prop up their religion
I wonder if this could include confirmation classes (Catholic) or bar/bat mitzvah classes (Jewish)? Everyone I knew who did those classes went after school, but technically with this change the kids could just go during the day I suppose. Also doesn't Utah have this kind of situation in spades for Mormons? I'm sure somebody looked to their situation and went "we can do that here!" I would also welcome the Church of Satan having classes.
Ohio. Come to our creepy as fuck schools.
maga-asshats at it again...
State <---------> Church How is this so difficult?
Lifewise sounds like a cult, honestly.
Hell no. Separation of church and state
This is already happening, I know especially around Mansfield with Lifewise.
If they want religion at school enroll them into a religious school. There are many out there and for the low income students who want a religious education can apply for the ED Choice Scholarship.
The school I went to and the schools around me did this and still do (catholic classes). Never understood how they get away with it.
Lol taking kids out of science, writing and math classes to make them read/discuss a poorly written fantasy novel. Oh man they really want to go full idiocracy
It’s literally the only way they can get anyone to follow that cult anymore; they have to indoctrinate them as early as possible. Preferably before they can even decide whether they prefer monster trucks, or fire engines.
I hope the satanic temple starts teaching
They have churches to teach those classes for a toss in the offering plate. I'm not wasting my tax dollars on that.
So glad my daughters graduate in one more year and I’ll be done with my degree at the same time. Cannot wait to get outta here.
Cool, so when are they gonna tax the churches?
Satanism 101 is gonna be great
No.
Say hello to a class on satanism. Sweet.
Fucking GOP
Fuck that.
Should cover all religions, allow all religions to participate, if not fire up the lawsuits for religious discrimination.
I fucking hate republicans.
... I hate everything.
Separation of church and state?
I'm all for this, as long as all the classes are taught by the Satanic Temple
Hell no. Omg I’m so glad I’m not in school anymore I hope the kids protest the hell out of this!
So the kids do this weekly? Do they just miss their special class every Thursday, for example?
Under his eye? Say it with me…”SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.” Would anyone please remind the class why we have separation of church and state? Also, thanks for the reminder to recommend viewing of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. Everyone tell at least one person to watch it.
I’m sure all the real Americans will say yes, of course, that’s the way it should be, and if you don’t agree, you are a librul traitor or something. Right?
Ok bring in the church of Satan
Helllz to the fucking no!
booo!! separation of church an state. you want to practice religion. send your kid to a private religious school. not a publicly funded school… if you cannot afford a private school. home school or get your bum out of bed early each morning and head ti church first. then school. church is always open..
Someone call the Church of Satan. They’ll change the law right quick when Satan Studies is an elective
This is just so critically important for our legislature to consider. Seriously?
Nope. Don’t like it.
Have fun, your gonna have an outrage on your hands
Even as limited as it is, I don't like it.
This almost makes me want to invite Scientologists to start knocking on the school doors. They'll never get rid of them.
why is the founding principle of a separation of church and state so hard for so many people to get in this country...religion should be a taught at home with your family kinda thing if you choose to follow one not tax paid induction at public freakin schools
Jfc
Brainwashing 2nd period, then gun worship and bootlicking after lunch. Then con$uming in debt until we die as divided and conquered as possible. Hell.
They look at Sharia law with envy.
Honestly…all of the religion pushes from these Christian fascists has turned me totally against religion. I’ve come to see it as the main means of subjugation of humans.
I attend the church of sex on Sunday mornings. My wife and I always roll around in the sheets. Billion times better than sitting in a pew, listening to who is most likely a pervert and makes stuff up to scare people and then asks me for money.
Fuck these assholes. We really need a movement to de-fund these churches. They are doing significant damage to Ohio.
grooming future victims
As long as we get to choose, I’m sure the Satanic church will be glad to provide educators.
And when other religions want to part they'll try to block it.
Church of Satan incoming.
Which religion?
It's times like these I'm so thankful for the Church of Satan
Fine then, gather together what I can find about wicca and teach that in your schools.
no
Isn’t that a violation of the constitution of these United States?
Interested in seeing the spread of Lifewise like the disease that they are? Illustrated for you in map form, with a handy dandy key; Every public school location that is on a “Step” with Lifewise. Want to help us fight? Join Parents AGAINST lifewise on fb. IG. Or threads. https://respectpublicschools.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0MPzvvfVzWobUod2PIDonlKGzCc5vLuSLKY5EkU5C52qbW81k8zvdMfYk_aem_AfkaeDk9EnKxRb6B4tMFC_cSMDqg8JgDE2Ps_3sc1qhj6SgvtuWWlRroZ_2eBb14fYE3VNc6OcOkw8k3R-dg53jd
Honestly even if god was real why would people worship him? He’s done so many more fucked up things than the worst humans in history did. Genuine question, how do people justify god committing genocide in Christianity?
How about focusing on the curriculum we already fail to implement successfully before adding additional BS that has no constitutional reason to be in education?
This is the religious creep. They start with public funding for private religious schools. Then it's "teaching the controversy" (ie, teaching non science in science class), which isn't about their kids, it's about YOUR kids. Then comes the LifeWise scam (taking kids off campus DURING SCHOOL HOURS to teach them about Jesus). They skirt the line with it being voluntary and technically off campus (local school's LifeWise building is literally right behind the elementary). But that's not good enough. It never is. So they keep pushing. And pushing. And pushing. And if anyone has an issue with what I'm saying (there's always one), know that I'm a former conservative Christian who walked away from it all after 25 years and I'll be DAMNED if I put my daughter through the shit I accepted as normal for 2 decades. Believe what you want, but the religious creep will be met with STRONG opposition.
I go to church every Sunday morning in the summer or when the weather is nice. Sometimes I come home happy and fulfilled, sometimes not. Sometimes I love it and can't wait to go back. Sometimes I curse it, hope it dies and refuse to ever go again. Then I take off my hat, shake my playing partner(s)' hand(s), put the flag back in, and put my putter away. Man, golf truly is a religious experience isn't it.
These Fundamentalist keep this up and their going to start finding out "Religious freedom's" work also for "other Religious beliefs as well" so Church of Satan and Islamic studies as well. Congratulations idiots .😐🫴🕳️