Parky60 Loc: People's Republic of Illinois

What’s that book those presidents swear in on every four years? Of course, it’s the Bible. Is it just a prop or is there meaning to that tradition?

One of the great religious liberty groups in our day is First Liberty, founded by Kelly Shackelford and based in the Dallas area. First Liberty is fighting the good fight on behalf of our nation’s first liberty, religious liberty – in the courts of the land and in the courts of public opinion.

Recently, they sent out a communique, dealing with a battle over quoting the Scriptures in a school board meeting by a school board member in the Phoenix area.

Heather Rooks is the school board member who has been banned from quoting the Bible during board meetings.

First Liberty describes what happened:

“Ms. Rooks began her term as an elected member of the Peoria School Board in January 2023. During each Peoria School Board meeting, the agenda includes a brief ‘Board comments’ period where individual board members may offer remarks of their own choosing.”

And then they add,

“Since the beginning of her public service on the board, Ms. Rooks has opened her comments by quoting a short scripture from the Bible. The Peoria School Board subsequently received letters from anti-religious organizations demanding it stop Ms. Rooks from reading scripture. In August, the school board chairman instructed Ms. Rooks to stop quoting scripture during meeting time specifically set aside for board members to comment on any topic they choose.”

Rooks told First Liberty:

“I am grateful to be a part of the Peoria Unified School board. As a member of the school board, I understand the weight and significance of all of our decisions, and simply find quoting scripture out loud to be encouraging to myself and to many in attendance.”

First Liberty has now filed a lawsuit on behalf of Rooks, so that the censoring of the Bible will stop.

Four decades ago, the ACLU, which one conservative wag labeled, “the Anti-Christian Litigation Unit,” sued to halt the practice of chaplains to open the legislative sessions in the state of Nebraska because this supposedly violated the establishment clause. This case went to the highest court of the land.

In 1983, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case in favor of chaplains. This case, known as Marsh v. Chambers, is one of the SCOTUS decisions that First Liberty mentions in this new lawsuit.

In that case, the Supreme Court declared, “The practice of opening sessions of Congress with prayer has continued without interruption for almost 200 years, ever since the First Congress drafted the First Amendment.”

Did the Founders want America to be a secular wasteland? Not at all. The Bible was very important to those who founded this country. Some of them served in Bible societies, in order to distribute the Scriptures throughout the land.

When Bibles that had been printed in England ran out during the 1770s, the framers even v**ed to recommend a Bible published by a Philadelphia-based printer.

In the streets of Philadelphia, to this day, not too far from Penn’s Landing and Delaware River Waterfront, you can see a sign highlighting the Robert Aiken Bibles.

Here’s what the sign says:

“Robert Aitken (1734-1802). An influential revolutionary-era printer, he operated a shop on this block. In 1782, Aitken printed the nation’s first complete English Bible. It received the endorsement from Congress and was the only new Bible available to colonists due to printing restrictions and import embargoes.”

Bridwell Library Special Collections explains, “When America declared its independence from Britain at Philadelphia in 1776, America’s printers were no longer bound by the Royal Patent prohibiting the production of English Bibles in the colonies.”

Indeed, on September 10, 1782, Congress declared: “Whereupon, Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled...recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize [Robert Aitken] to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper.”

The Bible was important to virtually every founder of America. For example, John Adams made this entry in his diary on February 22, 1756:

“Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God...What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.”

Today’s secularists are on a mission to drive any vestige of our nation’s Christian heritage out of the public arena. But it is precisely that Biblical legacy that has given us our liberty. May the Bible be proclaimed throughout the land for freedom’s sake, yes, even at school board meetings.

RascalRiley Loc: Somewhere south of Detroit

I can remember when you got pissed at me for spouting alternative doctrine.
Reincarnation. It is probably.

Preaching is reviled on both sides.

Everyone’s religion/spiritualism should be individual. There is power in numbers. The power to control.

I know they must be brought to Jesus. Of all the beings that have inhabit Earth only those that come to him will pass on to something less then hell.

The most strident will enjoy eternal bliss. BS.

Parky60 Loc: People's Republic of Illinois

WTF are you trying to say?

RascalRiley Loc: Somewhere south of Detroit

Over your head, or as you would have retorted, under your feet.

I stand by my statement. Religion/spiritually should be private but I see a problem with that in that I follow meditation guides on instagram.

American Vet

LOL - what a rambling bunch of nonsense.

I take back what I said about 'take your meds' - from this post I say - cut back on the meds - especially the hallucinogenics.

American Vet

[quote=RascalRiley][/quoye]

Over your head, or as you would have retorted, under your feet.
Of course - you JUST KNOW so much more than others.

I stand by my statement. Religion/spiritually should be private but I see a problem with that in that I follow meditation guides on instagram.
Why should it be "private"? Afraid you might hear something you don't like?

youngwilliam Loc: Deep in the heart

[quote=American Vet]

The demon's ears burn when scripture is heard by them.

RascalRiley Loc: Somewhere south of Detroit

Scripture is high priest words. Those that manipulate then.

Now we know the Earth revolves around the sun.

youngwilliam Loc: Deep in the heart

Scripture is inspired by God. Do not let your pagen thoughts fool you.

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Both sides of what?
Again, speak for yourself.
Making an assumption based on your own opinion is a logical fallacy known as a hasty generalization.

In what way does your religion/spiritualism control you?

"something less than hell"? WTF are you talking about?

Why is the Holy Bible the greatest best selling and most widely distributed book in history?
The Bible still holds the Guinness World record.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

David L Loc: Central Wisconsin

Rascal is totally ignorant of American History. I have posted before, but will do it again. David Barton put together a book called, "The Founders Bible." It is the New King James version and whenever it comes to a portion that the Founders used as a guide to founding America, Barton publishes their speeches and letters, word for word AND gives foot notes as to which museum or Library the original can be seen. In spite of that indisputable evidence, the libs still call him a fraud and worse.

In this book it tells how the Holy Bible was the main textbook in schools of that time and the purpose of Public Schools was to teach Biblical principles to as many people as possible. It has been mentioned, and very correctly, on this site that if we lived according to biblical principles as taught by the Ten Commandments and Jesus Christ himself, this nation would be blessed with peace and prosperity. Our founders knew this and were proven correct because no nation in history has ever been blessed like America. BUT, the founders also warned that evil people would fight against Biblical principles and again, they were SO right.

okie don

If humans would follow the 10 commandments we wouldn't have all the crime and hatred, wars etc. that exist.

Forkbassman Loc: Missouri

Americans, esp, libs, need to read Barton’s Original Intent”. Most will not, too busy watching i***t CNN, ABC, CBS, MSNBC

LogicallyRight Loc: Chicago

The topic was about one person quoting from the bible during personal time speaking at a school board meeting. I think that they are right in banning that, or at least curtailing that. Your religion is not mine. The purpose is to discuss the business of the school board on that date. Not to preach to your fellow board members who are somewhat captured there as board members, and forced to listen to your ramblings. Personally I'm s**k of seeing in print and hearing quotes from the Bible, or Koran, always followed by book, chapter and verse as if it is absolutely fact. They are often some nice ideas. Defend the ideas, or put them forth, without your Bible or Koran as the good ideas they are, show why besides them being in some book and how to implement them.

Logically Right

okie don

In college, I was told that in England, the Episcopalian religion was basically forced on everyone.
The pioneers felt this was unfair to force this belief on them.
So, the 1st amendment " freedom of religion" among other things was paramount.
The government cannot force a religious belief on anyone.