“STUDENTS, BILL
OF RIGHTS”
PUBLIC SCHOOL
STUDENTS STILL HAVE
RIGHTS
The recent “See You
at the Pole” project
(Third Wednesday at
7:00 AM at schools’
flag poles) brought
together thousands
of Christian young
people to pray
outside their
schools. This should
be a vivid reminder
that young people
have the legal right
to express their
religious beliefs,
despite all the hype
to the contrary.
J. W. Brinkley and
Roever
Communications have
produced a
“Students’ Bill of
Rights” which is
reproduced below.
Parchment copies of
this (suitable for
framing) and a book,
Students’ Legal
Rights on a Public
School Campus, may
be obtained by
contacting the
publisher at P.O.
Box 136130, Fort
Worth, TX 76136
(phone
817/238/2005).
Christian parents
and church leaders
should feel
confident in
encouraging students
to live within both
the laws of God and
of our country.
STUDENTS’ BILL OF
RIGHTS ON A PUBLIC
SCHOOL CAMPUS
I. The Right to Meet
with Other Religious
Students.
The Equal Access Act
allows students the
freedom to meet on
campus for the
purpose of
discussing religious
issues.
II. The Right to
Identify Your
Religious Beliefs
Through Signs and
Symbols. Students
are free to express
their religious
beliefs through
signs and symbols.
III. The Right to
Talk About Your
Religious Beliefs on
Campus.
Freedom of speech is
a fundamental right
mandated in the
Constitution and
does not exclude the
school yard.
IV. The Right to
Distribute Religious
Literature on
Campus.
Distributing
literature on campus
may not be
restricted simply
because it is
religious.
V. The Right to Pray
on Campus.
Students may pray
alone or with others
so long as it does
not disrupt school
activities or is not
forced on others.
(Continued)
(Continued)
VI. The Right to
Carry or Study Your
Bible on Campus.
The Supreme Court
has said that only
state-directed Bible
reading is
unconstitutional.
VII. The Right to Do
Research Papers,
Speeches, and
Creative Projects
with Religious
Themes. The First
Amendment does not
forbid all mention
of religion in
public schools.
VIII. The Right to
Be Exempt.
Students may be
exempt from
activities and class
content that
contradict their
religious belief.
IX. The Right to
Celebrate or Study
Religious Holidays
on Campus.
Music, art,
literature, and
drama that have
religious themes are
permitted as part of
the curriculum for
school activities if
presented in an
objective manner as
a traditional part
of the cultural and
religious heritage
of the particular
holiday.
X. The Right to Meet
with School
Officials.
The First Amendment
to the Constitution
forbids Congress to
make any law that
would restrict the
right of the people
to petition the
Government (school
officials).
We need to praise
our God for men who
had a great respect
for God’s laws and
had the courage to
insist that the
Bible had a place in
our society. Our
nation was founded
upon Christian
principles which
caused us to
progress until those
who opposed
Christianity were
allowed to begin
inserting teaching
opposed to the
blessed teaching of
Christ. Should we
re-consider our
present day position
and possibly do some
“back-tracking”? If
you think so,
possibly your
statesman should
hear from you.
However, if we wait
for another to sound
the alarm - we may
see it all end in
disaster. Maybe you
are one who God is
calling to serve in
a public office so
that the above may
be reversed.
Now after years of
avoiding Sunday
School, many are
asking why do many
of our children have
no conscience, why
they don't know
right from wrong,
and why it doesn't
bother them to kill
strangers, their
classmates, and
themselves. It has a
great deal to do
with, ”WE REAP WHAT
WE SOW" (God said
that - if anyone
cares. Galatians
6:7). Hopefully,
every family in
America will awaken
and see the need to
allow the Creator of
this world to once
again be involved in
everyone’s life. If
this happens we will
see a decline in the
divorce rate as well
as a decline in
juvenile
delinquency.
KYOWVA Evangelistic
Association
1541 S. 7th Street *
Ironton, OH 45638