Help, I got in trouble at school for my atheist pamphlets.

I deleted this thread for my own good, I'm sorry.

 

There's nothing wrong with what you did, and I think its really awesome that you would use your free speech in protest like this. I'm not really an atheist, but I don't follow any one religion either, so I'm also in the "different" category, and people generally don't get what I have to say. But I'm here, and I'd like to talk to you, and do what I can for you, so I added you to msn, and I'll talk to you on there...

 

I'll take your word for it that you are really 15. I don't know why. The answer is very simple. Schools have rules about handing out any type of literature that is not school related. This is because the school system is NOT designed to accomodate thinkers. It is designed to turn out good little robots who will follow orders well. Look into the history of public school.

You are far too intelligent for your own good. It's got your brain all tied up in knots. You are analysing life and everything in it way too much. You will never fit in when you are lightyears away from others in intellect. It is far easier to be an idiot like the majority of the population. Ignorance IS bliss. This is all that is expected of you at 15. Follow orders and get good grades. Be part of the status quo. If you go too far afield of those things, people can't deal with it. It scares them.

Religion is the biggest no-no of all. Opinions get too strong. Too much hipocracy. Definately not in school. They can't handle it. Too controversial of a subject. They don't have the mentality for it. But really, all religion is superstition. Myths. Legends. No one knows what's real, obviously, or there wouldn't be so much arguing over it.

Relax. This is a cakewalk. No one can ever take away your intelligence. Even if no one understands it. Use it wisely. In the meantime, just figure you are a senior kind of guy in a kindergarten world, so you can take it easy and come out smellin' like a rose... And in a few more years it will begin to make sense.

When yo finally reach the stage where you understand that you really know nothing, then you will begin to learn.

 

Thanks, I got scared and posted this in 7 other forums... -__-;

I'm going to say this: "I'm not clear on what rule I broke. I understand that it is due to the pamphlets, but I'm not sure why it's not acceptable. Can you please give me a written copy of the broken rule? That way I can make sure I don't break it in the future."

Socrates also believed his knowledge was limited by his perception of his own ignorance.

 

Ask your school for their pamphlet on school policy. All schools are somewhat different. There should be something about handing out literature, or possibly it is beig seen as a disruptive action. Just go thru the school rules. If it's not there, ask your principal to point out what rule you broke. They will probably get angry and accuse you of being a smartass. School is NOT a good place, and it makes no sense.
The sooner you realize that, the sooner you will figure out how to stay our of trouble.

Are you in a military family? Just curious.

 

Probably 85% of the men on my dad's side of my family has been in the military and my sister is in it right now.

My intent is not to harm anyone by the way. I hope the school understands that.

 

I am sure the school realises that. But you probably don't fit well into their program... It's hard when you are smarter than the teachers.

It would suck to feel you had to be scared of your dads anger. He should be proud to have a kid who is so smart. Maybe you are smarter than he is and he feels intimidated? He should not get angry OR send you anywhere. You have only committed a tiny infraction of the "school policy". What he SHOULD do is try to give you some direction. You are somewhat like a fast, high powered car. Without a steering wheel you might end up anywhere doing anything. A good dad should help with the steering. You can tell him I said that.

 

Here's lookin' you in the eye.

 

I emailed the president of the American Atheists Org. Apparently I'm well within my rights to hand these out as long as it is not hate speech or offensive and distributed at an appropriate time.

"students have the right to distribute religious literature to their schoolmates, subject to those reasonable time, place, and manner or other constitutionally- acceptable restrictions imposed on the distribution of all non-school literature. Thus, a school may confine distribution of all literature to a particular table at particular times. It may not single out religious literature for burdensome regulation."

She's also requesting that they put their objections in writing so I can give it to an Atheist Civil Rights group. She says they have attorneys who will help me.

Is this BS? What am I getting myself into?

 

Hey, update on the pamphlets... (I'm at school right now btw)

I talked to my principal during the lunch break and he was fine with me handing them out. He said it doesn't matter what my pamphlets are about, whether he agrees with what's contained or not, as long as the pamphlets do not incite activity that will "interrupt the learning process".

So I guess that's the end of it.

This motivated me to make more pamphlets because of the positive reaction out of it.

I think a pamphlet "Was this country founded on Christianity?" would be a good topic. I don't know what I'm allowed to put in it or not.

 

Congratulations!

It sounds like your principal is a reasonable guy. If your pamphlets talk more about ideas than about people, you should be OK.

Have you read Jefferson on the role of religion in the new country?

 

No I haven't, I'm still young and ignorant of history.

 

I don't completely agree because I believe in God of Love and so I'm slightly naive about how you as an atheist thinks, but i agree with you that you have the right for expression, and that school finds it immensely easier to just mould people into the socially acceptable robots who are afraid of change and expression. It's a sad development, and hopefully people who learn will be able to learn through discussion, sharing, and ideas, so they can stand up and get out there to defend what they believe in. The mistake schools make is wrapping them in cottonwool, so much that they are likely never to get free. You hadning out pamphlets and then getting into trouble for it is the equivilant of you slicing through all that cottonwool sooner than the organization would like. Don't be afraid to express, but remember to respect others, however lost or trapped you may think they are. If they are in these states, they will explore in their own time.

 

Glad to hear your principal was reasonable. But was the US founded on Christianity? The Republicans seem to think it was. I think our founding fathers took great pains to allow for religious diversity, but that seems to be a minority opinion at the moment.

When Bush first came into office and pushed for allowing churches to receive Federal funds I became very nervous, but many promoted it. I now know I was right in being nervous about it.

Seperation of church and state is what made the US great, it's demise may mean the end of democracy as most of us have known it.

 

that is awsome... you shouldn't be able to get into trouble for that but i know the feeling, they get pissed at me if i don't stand for the pledge.. one kid got kicked out of the library for good and detention,.... it's crazy

 

When I was 14 I wrote pamphlettes that called on students to rebel at the life the state had mapped out for them, and to go on strike until the students had a veto on teachers appointed at the school. Essentially it was calling for pupils to stop accepting that teachers knew everything because some were clearly not up to the job and hadnt a clue about the subject matter. The problem was that the pamphlettes also called on students to set up a branch of the communist party. At that time teachers in the UK were allowed to punish with a stick and I got six strokes of it across both hands. It strengthened my resolve to defeat not only schools but government.
Ludicrous now but still good fun and BTW we did have a strike but lost when the police forced us back to school that afternoon.
I admire your courage to stand up for what you believe. I would make one point though, you are still young and there is always room for improvement on the system of your beliefs, dont let this stop you from learning more or still having ambitions to persuade people that you have a good argument.
In order to do this you must learn more about your subject and you must learn that often it is not a good idea to voice those sentiments in certain situations, for example, at school where the government protects the curriculum against subversion, because it is the governments agenda not yours - best to fight them outside the school gates where the enemy is not so in control