State "The First Amendment protects religion, not secularism"

By Peter J. Smith

LEXINGTON, Massachusetts, February 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "Lawyers for parents aggrieved over material normalizing homosexual families taught to their children, argued that the Lexington school system's refusal to permit them to withdraw their primary school-age children violated their First Amendment Rights under the US Constitution."

"'The defendants have chosen to brazenly use tiny children's psyches to promote ideology over faith,' said lawyers for parents David and Tonia Parker, and Rob and Robin Wirthlin. The parents' requests to compromise and withdraw their children from homosexual material and discussions in the classroom were rebuffed by school officials, who claim a 'legitimate state interest' to normalise same-sex romantic relationships in the minds of schoolchildren."

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By Paul Weyrich

"One of the clearest measures of a society can be found in its public school system. For example, it is no accident that in totalitarian states, such as North Korea, what may be taught comes directly from the government. Children are indoctrinated early to believe their "Dear Leader" never is wrong even though many do not have enough food to eat. And in war-torn countries or those which are deeply divided by religious differences there are few, if any, functioning public schools."

"By contrast the United States has a proud history of public education for all of its children. Or at least it did. I have watched as American public schools have gone from generally good to abysmal because of the many changes in our society and because of government meddling. From forced school- busing to classes taught in every language except English, to removing "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, our State and Federal Governments have been butting into the business of local schools for more than 30 years and the schools are the worse for it."

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Parents say they have the right to pull students from lessons at odds with religious beliefs

Janet Steffenhagen, CanWest News Service

VANCOUVER -- "Thousands of British Columbians have signed petitions and sent letters to the Education Ministry insisting that parents be allowed to pull their children from public school lessons to avoid gay-friendly messages that conflict with religious or family values."

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