It's witchcraft!

[Image from onlineweblibrary.com]

Bewitched in Oklahoma

Sometimes it's difficult to know which century we are living in. Crazed fanatics look forward to the reappearance of their skygod who, they believe, will whoosh them up into the sky to a heavenly kingdom among the stars. Others strive to bring about WWIII, which they describe as a biblical Armageddon designed to end the world as we know it resulting in a rearrangement of power so their illusory god will rule according to the laws laid down in what they call the Old Testament.

In the great State of Oklahoma, land of the flat-earth, global-warming denying senators, a school district suspended a student accused of witchcraft. Yup, good old witchcraft, just like Sinatra sang about; well, more or less.

It seems that back in 1999, Brandi Blackbear, 15, put a hex on a teacher who then proceeded to become ill. Blackbear was a member of the Wicca religion, which, as everyone knows, has tremendous power to cast spells that can make people sick!

Blackbear was, from all accounts, a good student with no discipline problems and a perfect attendance record. Nevertheless, suspicious school officials searched her book bag, in which they found "dastardly" writings, and suspended her for 19 days.

Yesterday, the Oklahoma ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against the school district, two principals and two counselors.

Let's see if these school officials, who preyed on this supposed "witch," can pray their way out of this one. Maybe they can ask Brandi to put a hex on the ACLU?

Witchcraft, indeed!

Florida school ordered to stop christianist activities

The Santa Rosa School District in Milton, Florida, has been attempting to make little Christians out of its students and a federal judge has ordered them to stop.

After school officials admitted the allegations in a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. District Court Judge Casey Rodgers shut their christianist efforts down.

On December 15, 2008, the School Board, the superintendent and the Pace High School principal filed an "Admission of Liability" with the court regarding districtwide constitutional violations.

These violations included the following:

* Elementary graduations and middle school Christmas concerts held at churches.

* Teachers and staff at Pace High School preaching about "Judgment Day with the Lord."

* Teachers and staff offering Bible readings and biblical interpretations during student meetings.

The district has also offered prayer at school events, including graduation ceremonies.


The injunction by the court bans the School District Board and its employees from:

* Promoting, advancing, aiding, facilitating, endorsing, or causing religious prayers or devotionals during school-sponsored events.

* Planning, organizing, financing, promoting or otherwise sponsoring religious baccalaureate services at all schools within the Santa Rosa School District, including at Pace High School.

* Holding school-sponsored events at religious venues when alternate venues are reasonably available.

* Permitting school officials to promote their personal religious beliefs and proselytize students in class or during school-sponsored events and activities.

* Otherwise unconstitutionally endorsing or coercing religion.


It's a shame that it takes legal action to force a public school district to obey the law and follow the Constitution of the United States, which they are chartered to teach.

But this is the kind of thing that happens when christianists consist of a majority in a community or on a school board, or a government committee, or a state legislature.

And for those of you who were around when the Christian Coalition was founded, this is exactly what was promised (or threatened) by the christianist wingnuts such as Pat Robertson who were involved at the time: an internal attack on our institutions in order to institute christianist religion in the various religious, educational and governmental agencies of our country.


Obviously, the officials of the Santa Rosa School District not only knew what was going on in the district, but gave their explicit approval. They should be removed from their positions for they have failed in their obligation to their students by illegally promoting a particular religion!


What's even more frightening is that it is very likely this kind of thing is being replicated in thousands of school districts around the country.


A complete report on this situation here.

The Santa Rosa School District site here.