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ABOUT US
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December 14, 2000 At Christmas time, we celebrate God’s great act of love —sending His Son into the world to die for us. Should America’s public schools be telling students that they can’t talk about God’s love? We don’t think so and I bet you don’t either! Dear Friend of the National Legal Foundation: You won’t believe the phone call we received since I last wrote you. We’ve been asked to help two Bible clubs in two different public schools in California where the students’ religious rights are being trampled. Let me tell you what is happening. Each of these Bible Clubs wants to put up posters in the school just like every other club gets to put up posters. Should this be a problem? NO! Ten years ago we won the famous Mergens Bible Club case at the United States Supreme Court. In that case, the Supreme Court declared that schools cannot discriminate against Bible Clubs in any way. If other Clubs can make announcements over the school’s public address system, so can the Bible Club. If other clubs get their pictures in the yearbook, so does the Bible Club. And if other Clubs can put up posters, so can the Bible Club. Ten years later, we should not still be fighting these battles. BUT WE ARE! The principals in these two schools tore down the Bible Club posters. Why? Because they both had the words "God is love" on them! Why would any principal want to censor that message? Especially when the Supreme Court has said they can’t censor it. We are still investigating the facts -- we don’t know if these posters were taken down out of ignorance of the law or out of hostility towards Christianity. But it doesn’t matter -- either way the National Legal Foundation is prepared to defend the rights of these students. Of course, we can’t defend these students if you don’t help us. We never charge for our services. These students would never be able to afford lawyers. Instead, they turn to us for help . . . and we turn to you. You are the key to the whole thing! You make all the difference! In a very real sense, you help protect religious liberty as much or more than we do. We can only do as much work as our friends like you enable us to do. This situation with the students is just one of the many requests for help we have received lately. There are many ways in which our religious liberties can be trampled. But I chose to share this story with you because it seems so ironic. During the very season in which we celebrate God’s great love, these students are being told that their "God is love" poster must come down. You and I together can give a gift to these students this Christmas by joining together to defend their right to declare God’s love. Let’s give them a Merry Christmas! Thank you so very much, Steven W. Fitschen P.S. I also want to take this opportunity to wish you a blessed Christmas. Your support of the National Legal Foundation means more to me than you will ever know. Thank you for all you do. |
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Post Office Box 64427, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 23467-4427 |
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© 2006 by the National Legal Foundation & Minuteman Institute |
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