Topic: Univ. of Wisconsin Removes Bibles From Guest Rooms Following Atheist Complaint

[oldcoastie6468]

University of Wisconsin Removes Bibles From Guest Rooms Following Atheist Complaint

January 17, 2014  By: Heather Clark

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Extension has removed all of the Gideon Bibles from its conference center guest rooms at the urging of an atheist activist organization.

The Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) states that it received a complaint last November from a visitor to the university’s Lowell Center, who noticed the Bible in their room.

The organization then sent a letter to university officials, asserting that the placement of the Gideon Bibles violated the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution, which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

“It is a fundamental principle of Establishment Clause jurisprudence that a government entity cannot promote, advance or otherwise endorse religion,” the letter stated. “Permitting members of outside religious groups the privilege of placing their religious literature in public university guest rooms constitutes state endorsement and advancement of these Christian publications.”

FFRF contended that if visitors want to read the Bible, they can bring their own copy during their stay, or obtain one from the library. It demanded that all Bibles be removed from the premises, and that a written response be provided regarding the matter.

University of Wisconsin Chancellor Ray Cross then replied to the letter, providing a brief notice that the Bibles would be removed as requested.

“After carefully reviewing your concern, we have decided to remove the Gideon Bibles from all guest rooms,” he wrote. “Thank you for making us aware of this concern.”

http://christiannews.net/2014/01/17/university-of-wisconsin-removes-bibles-from-guest-rooms-following-atheist-complaint/

[rustybayonet]

Another leader[?] with no b#lls, bowing down to a small minority.   

Talk about timing, got this e-mail today;

[Dan]

I can't tell your how much this pisses me off! Even as a"heathen", the war on religion is proving to be the ruin of us all.
And the idiots clearly don't understand that congress wasn't involved in the decision to place bibles in hotel rooms.

[Pablo de Fleurs]

Maybe they Do understand...but merely wave the "Establishment" clause, 'cause they know it's effective (almost as much as "racist")...

...anyways...I'm searching for stats on just how long it takes to:

A. Beat someone senseless using a leather bound King James Bible and,
B. How long also to beat them to their demise...

...Google isn't cooperating. I may have to perform my own research...

[BigAlSouth]

Here we are after two hundred years: Atheists can compel their ideology upon their fellow citizens, but Christians must not be allowed to offend anyone with their theology.

[Glock32]

The effort to purge religion (specifically Christianity) from the public sphere does not mean we're going to have a society free of what is derisively termed superstition, it means we're going to have a society where the State inserts itself into the vacuum.

Totalitarian regimes are always hostile to the faithful, because belief in God means there is something above the State.

[IronDioPriest]

What was the first judicial ruling that conflated "congress shall make no law" with "no government entity may ____?"

Whoever handed down that ruling needs to be retroactively terminated by a time traveler.

[Pablo de Fleurs]

What was the first judicial ruling that conflated "congress shall make no law" with "no government entity may ____?"

Whoever handed down that ruling needs to be retroactively terminated by a time traveler.

LOOPER First and Last Scene 2012 [HD] | Bruce Willis | Joseph Gordon-Levitt

[Pandora]

What was the first judicial ruling that conflated "congress shall make no law" with "no government entity may ____?"

Whoever handed down that ruling needs to be retroactively terminated by a time traveler.

Agreed. 

This, as I see it, is the main problem with Stare Decisis; instead of each new decision issuing from the Constitution itself, the court proceeds from the last ruling.

[Libertas]

On the plus side...when it all goes sideways mindless complainers like this won't last long...

[John Florida]

On the plus side...when it all goes sideways mindless complainers like this won't last long...

 Sure they will. You don't think they'll keep their sh*t up if all hell breaks lose do you?They will be in church praying their butts off that nobody finds them out.

[Libertas]

On the plus side...when it all goes sideways mindless complainers like this won't last long...

 Sure they will. You don't think they'll keep their sh*t up if all hell breaks lose do you?They will be in church praying their butts off that nobody finds them out.

People like that will be recognized by someone...each day they are alive they are annoying somebody...that's a lot of somebody's...and when interrogated by others it won't take long for someone to spot a genuine PITA!

[Pablo de Fleurs]

On the plus side...when it all goes sideways mindless complainers like this won't last long...

On the plus^plus side...when it all goes to Heaven vs. Hell mindless complainers like this.............................

[Pandora]

The University didn't have to remove the Bibles just because of a complaint by the anti-theist whiners.  That they did so without a fight puts them atop the list.

[John Florida]

  Why did they remove all the Bibles? They could have just taken out the one book or sent them on their merry way to a Howard Johnson.

[Glock32]

These Bibles are donated to hotels and other lodgings because it has traditionally been a comfort to travelers. If they're so concerned about the asinine notion that this somehow equates with "establishing" a religion they could simply point out that other faiths are free to donate a religious book too.

But even that is too much like accepting the premise of their complaint. The 1st Amendment restrains the State from establishing an official religion, and restrains it from infringing on the free practice of religion. This modern notion of the "separation of Church and State" is a perversion of the concept. The onus of restraint is meant to be on the State.

[Pablo de Fleurs]

These Bibles are donated to hotels and other lodgings because it has traditionally been a comfort to travelers. If they're so concerned about the asinine notion that this somehow equates with "establishing" a religion they could simply point out that other faiths are free to donate a religious book too.

But even that is too much like accepting the premise of their complaint. The 1st Amendment restrains the State from establishing an official religion, and restrains it from infringing on the free practice of religion. This modern notion of the "separation of Church and State" is a perversion of the concept. The onus of restraint is meant to be on the State.

Usually the nightstand next to the bed contains 2 drawers: one with a bible placed by the Gideons & an empty drawer, the contents of which are placed by the Atheist's Society.

[Libertas]

These Bibles are donated to hotels and other lodgings because it has traditionally been a comfort to travelers. If they're so concerned about the asinine notion that this somehow equates with "establishing" a religion they could simply point out that other faiths are free to donate a religious book too.

But even that is too much like accepting the premise of their complaint. The 1st Amendment restrains the State from establishing an official religion, and restrains it from infringing on the free practice of religion. This modern notion of the "separation of Church and State" is a perversion of the concept. The onus of restraint is meant to be on the State.

That's they way it was meant to be and the way it was for most of our history...that is until progressives came along...

[Pandora]

These Bibles are donated to hotels and other lodgings because it has traditionally been a comfort to travelers. If they're so concerned about the asinine notion that this somehow equates with "establishing" a religion they could simply point out that other faiths are free to donate a religious book too.

But even that is too much like accepting the premise of their complaint. The 1st Amendment restrains the State from establishing an official religion, and restrains it from infringing on the free practice of religion. This modern notion of the "separation of Church and State" is a perversion of the concept. The onus of restraint is meant to be on the State.

Usually the nightstand next to the bed contains 2 drawers: one with a bible placed by the Gideons & an empty drawer, the contents of which are placed by the Atheist's Society.

Okay, I lol'd.

[fordguy_85]

These Bibles are donated to hotels and other lodgings because it has traditionally been a comfort to travelers. If they're so concerned about the asinine notion that this somehow equates with "establishing" a religion they could simply point out that other faiths are free to donate a religious book too.

But even that is too much like accepting the premise of their complaint. The 1st Amendment restrains the State from establishing an official religion, and restrains it from infringing on the free practice of religion. This modern notion of the "separation of Church and State" is a perversion of the concept. The onus of restraint is meant to be on the State.

Usually the nightstand next to the bed contains 2 drawers: one with a bible placed by the Gideons & an empty drawer, the contents of which are placed by the Atheist's Society.

I think I may need to borrow that line, if I may.