Posted originally at
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 U.S. and a couple from overseas as well]


From: "buckeyeelo" <buckeyeelo@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:56 am
Subject: AMERICANS UNITED RAPS FLORIDA GOVERNOR FOR CONTEST PROMOTING
RELIGIOUS BOOK

AMERICANS UNITED RAPS FLORIDA GOVERNOR FOR CONTEST PROMOTING RELIGIOUS
BOOK

AU's Lynn Says Bush Should Open Constitutionally Suspect Contest To
Non-Religious Books

In a letter today to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Americans United for
Separation of Church and State called a state-sponsored contest
promoting a religious book constitutionally problematic.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, said
Bush's "Just Read, Florida!" contest employs government channels to
encourage state students to read C.S. Lewis' Christian allegory, The
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

"Gov. Bush's contest to promote a religious story is an offense to the
First Amendment," Lynn said. "It's simply not the function of state
officials to promote religion. This contest should be opened up to
include non-religious books as well."

The Florida reading contest coincides with the major motion picture
release based on the book. According to the governor's Web site, the
contest asks students in grades 3-12 to submit essays, artwork or
videos after reading the Lewis book, in which a group of children face
good and evil in fantasy land filled with talking animals known as
Narnia. The book is a Christian allegory that many religious leaders
use to introduce children to Christianity.

The awards for the winners include a private movie screening in
Orlando, a two-night stay at a Disney resort, gift certificates to
Borders and Starbucks and a copy of the book signed by the governor
and his wife Columba.

In his Oct. 20 letter, Lynn noted that The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe, is part of the 7-book Narnia series "widely recognized as a
Christian" based collection. Lynn's letter cited a 2005 National
Review article that states "the fundamental purpose of the Narnia
stories is to convey the reality of Christian truth."

Lynn wrote that the state's contest featuring the book "creates the
appearance of a governmental endorsement of the book's religious
message" in violation of the separation of church and state.

Because the contest is already under way, Lynn urged the governor to
"allow students to submit entries based on an alternative,
non-religious book" instead of discontinuing the contest.

"The contest is another example of Jeb Bush's long running effort to
fund and promote religion," Lynn added.

Since the start of his administration, Bush has pushed a sweeping
statewide school voucher program that funnels millions of public
dollars to private sectarian schools. The constitutionality of Bush's
so-called "A+ Plan for Education" has been challenged and is before
the state's supreme court.

During the summer, Bush unveiled his "All Pro Dad" program calling on
the state's public schools to host a Christian-based program to
encourage fathers to become more involved in their children's lives.

The governor has also staunchly called for prison ministry programs,
opening the nation's first "faith-based" prison.

"Bush appears intent on running roughshod over a fundamental
constitutional principle," Lynn added. "He should change course now
and correct the constitutionally suspect state-sponsored book reading
contest."

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in
Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans
about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding
religious freedom.

**************************************************************
Posting and reading from alt.politics.usa.constitution OR alt.education

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 U.S. and a couple from overseas as well]

***************************************************************
. . . 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)
. . .
****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
****************************************************************