*ACLU OF VIRGINIA E-NEWS*
*October 6, 2006*
* *
*We sent a letter to the Loudoun County High School Principal asking him
to ensure that the religious rights of students were protected during an
upcoming event to discuss abstinence, featuring self described
"Christian comedian" Keith Deltano. The event is paid for by the
**Life** **Line** **Pregnancy** **Care** **Center**, a faith-based
organization. With this advance warning, we hope **Loudoun** **County**
**HS** will not be off guard like a **Williamsburg** area school was
when it held a similar event last year and the speakers used the
opportunity to promote attendance at a religious gathering. *
* *
*To learn about Keith Deltano's programs, visit his website:
http://www.keithdeltano.com/ *
*Elizabeth T. Wong*
*Public Education Coordinator*
*(ewong@acluva.org)*
October 6, 2006
ACLU Asks Loudoun County High School
to Protect Students' Religious Rights
/Abstinence program conducted by "Christian Comedian" and paid for by/
/faith-based group is permissible, but school officials warned not to
allow proselytizing /
Loudoun County, VA - The ACLU of Virginia has asked Loudoun County High
School Principal Bill Oblas to offer assurances that an abstinence
advocate scheduled to speak at the school next Thursday will not use the
opportunity to impose his religious views on students.
The speaker, Keith Deltano, bills himself as a "Christian comedian" who
offers a variety of entertaining faith-based programs for young people
and parents. The tab for Deltano's appearance at the school is being
picked up by Life Line Pregnancy Care Center, a religiously-based family
planning center located in Leesburg.
"There is nothing wrong with abstinence as the topic of the program, and
there is nothing wrong with the fact that it is being performed by a
self-described Christian comedian or paid for by a faith-based
organization," said ACLU of Virginia executive director Kent Willis.
"But this is a public school, and we are naturally concerned that the
religious views of the speaker and the sponsoring organization, both of
whom make faith-based arguments for abstinence, will seep into the
presentation."
"We simply want the school to get assurances from the speaker that he
will not use the school program to impose his religious beliefs on a
captive student audience," added Willis.
The ACLU's concerns stem not just from the religious objectives of
Deltano and Life Line Pregnancy Care Center, but also from experiences
with other faith-based speakers who have offered secular programs at
public schools in Virginia and then used the programs to promote their
religious views. Last year, twins Rick and Mick provided a free good
citizenship program for students at a high school in the Williamsburg
area, but used the program -- and the offer of free pizza, soft drinks
and door prizes -- to entice students to attend their evangelical event
scheduled for later that evening. School officials, unaware of Mick and
Rick's hidden agenda, admitted they were duped by the duo and later
vowed not to invite them back.
A similar incident took place in the Charlottesville area several years
ago when Rev. Franklin Graham offered a non-religious program at area
schools, but recruited volunteers to hand out tickets to his religious
revival as students departed.
In a letter from legal director Rebecca Glenberg, the ACLU of Virginia
asked Oblas to get assurances from Deltano that there will be no
religious references during the school program, no promotion of his
religious books and videos or of the Life Line Pregnancy Care Center,
and no written or oral invitations to Deltano's evening programs or
other off-campus religious activities. The letter was faxed to Oblas on
October 4.
ACLU of Virginia
530 East Main Street, Suite 310
Richmond, VA 23219
www.acluva.org
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You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the US and a couple from overseas as well]
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.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
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USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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