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Student Sues Wisconsin School After Getting a Zero for Religious Drawing

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Ps104_33

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A Tomah High School student has filed a federal lawsuit alleging his art teacher censored his drawing because it featured a cross and a biblical reference.

The lawsuit alleges other students were allowed to draw "demonic" images and asks a judge to declare a class policy prohibiting religion in art unconstitutional.
"We hear so much today about tolerance," said David Cortman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal advocacy group representing the student. "But where is the tolerance for religious beliefs? The whole purpose of art is to reflect your own personal experience. To tell a student his religious beliefs can legally be censored sends the wrong message."
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344350,00.html
 
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gb93433

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When I taught high school I did not allow a student to make a marijuana leaf in class because I felt that it would have sent the wrong message to those outside of the classroom in the public.

I am not against the drawing. I have seen a drawing that is similar and when I first saw the drawing I wondered if he copied it from another source. As a Christian I am against using the classsroom to encourage things I would disagree with. I would not feel comfortable with a student making a Buddha, an idol or some kind of icon used in worship that is a cult. I can imagine the trouble that would create for anyone in a public school.
 
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bobbyd

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yeah, this is pretty much par for the course considering it is the United Socialist Republic of Madison.
 
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Ps104_33

New Member
Can you imagine if they took all the religious art from all the art museums around the world because they might offend someone?
Its usually a teacher, parent or a ACLU lawyer that gets offended and wants to make a case. Not a student.
 
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gb93433

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Ps104_33 said:
Can you imagine if they took all the religious art from all the art museums around the world because they might offend someone?
Its usually a teacher, parent or a ACLU lawyer that gets offended and wants to make a case. Not a student.
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Imagine what it would be like if that teacher had allowed any kind of drawing. I have seen kids draw satanic pictures. Imagine that coming out of a classroom. Would the Christians bless that?
 
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Ps104_33

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What would you rather see a student draw in your class, the one cited above or a satanic drawing? If you were walking down a dark inner city street, would you rather run into a bunch of youths carring bibles or nazi flags?
 
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gb93433

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Ps104_33 said:
What would you rather see a student draw in your class, the one cited above or a satanic drawing? If you were walking down a dark inner city street, would you rather run into a bunch of youths carring bibles or nazi flags?
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That is a no brainer. If a high teacher tells the class that they can draw whatever they want then that teacher should expect about anything good or bad. If the teacher limits the expression then the teacher will not get similar things. The purpose of an art class in the public school is not to encourage religious expression but rather teach art. However when I went to one of the top furniture making schools in the world I saw all kinds of things. We could make whatever we wanted. I saw a Japanese student make shrine.

Personally I thought that picture was a poor example of art and would not draw good attention as a fine work of art. A friend of mine has done a great job on some drawings that were later made into tracts. The art he has produced is incredible. They are not only truthful messages from scripture but they are also fine works of art. Anyone who sees them would recognize them as such.

When I saw the drawing my first thought is that the drawing is poor and then I thought about what was possibly behind such a drawing. I remember the days when a young boy was on TV as a kid preacher and Donahue interviewed him. They showed him preaching and asked him several questions. He was KJVO at the time. Today there is not a glimpse of him following Christ. He was proud then and dead now. It was the adults who help him down that path.
 
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Ps104_33

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I dont know what all that had to do with the price of tea in China but I consider this case closed.:wavey:
 
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gb93433

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Ps104_33 said:
I dont know what all that had to do with the price of tea in China but I consider this case closed.:wavey:
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My point was to suck it up and move on. That is what I did when I was shunned years ago when I witnessed to some Mormons and one of my professors did not like it because he was the Mormon bishop. He prevented me from getting my thesis through. Now I am working on my dissertation. So it didn't matter in the long run.
 
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Rubato 1

New Member
Were the rules clearly stated when the assignment was given? problem solved. I learned this in Intro to Education as a Freshman ___years ago...
 
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billreber

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Quote the OP:
"The lawsuit alleges other students were allowed to draw "demonic" images and asks a judge to declare a class policy prohibiting religion in art unconstitutional."

This says "demonic" images were allowed, but a Christian one was prohibited. Both are religious in nature. Were the students who drew demonic images also given a zero grade? I do not know. However, if they were NOT, then the lawsuit is a valid option.

What is wrong with some of my fellow Baptists on this board APPEARS to be a severe tolerance of every effort to silence the Christian message in our schools, without a similar insistence that the Christian message is constitutionally legal in the United States. Even in high school art classes!

Bill :saint: :godisgood:
 
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Revmitchell

Well-Known Member
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billreber said:
Quote the OP:
"The lawsuit alleges other students were allowed to draw "demonic" images and asks a judge to declare a class policy prohibiting religion in art unconstitutional."

This says "demonic" images were allowed, but a Christian one was prohibited. Both are religious in nature. Were the students who drew demonic images also given a zero grade? I do not know. However, if they were NOT, then the lawsuit is a valid option.

What is wrong with some of my fellow Baptists on this board APPEARS to be a severe tolerance of every effort to silence the Christian message in our schools, without a similar insistence that the Christian message is constitutionally legal in the United States. Even in high school art classes!

Bill :saint: :godisgood:
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And they ease their conscience by denying it is even happening.
 
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The Scribe

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More bias against Christianity. Why can't these liberals tolerate Christianity?

They are the ones telling everyone they must tolerate everything.
 
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just-want-peace

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The Scribe said:
More bias against Christianity. Why can't these liberals tolerate Christianity?

They are the ones telling everyone they must tolerate everything.
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Can you say H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y? :BangHead:

I thought you could.
 
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gb93433

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The Scribe said:
They definitely are hypocrites. They can't even follow their own rules of tolerance.
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When you read your Bible you will see the same things. Yet people became followers of Christ in the midst of that and worse. It is a well known fact that the church grows under persecution. If persecution in America came the Christians would stop complaining and start praying more. Whe that happens they will see God work beyond what they could ever imagine.

Today 2/3 of the churches in America are either plateaued or declining. That has nothing to do with the world.
 
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