Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Aided by atheists, Bible stays in school Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 14:23:38 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \SS (WS) \HD Aided by atheists, Bible stays in school \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) - A school board unanimously rejected a bid to ban the Bible from its public schools. An atheist, Gene Kasmar, filed a petition in July asking the school district to remove the Bible on the grounds that it is full of obscene and offensive passages. The school board in Brooklyn Center, a Minneapolis suburb, announced the result of its roll call Monday night, to a cheering crowd. During the meeting, a legal expert for the Rev. Pat Robertson made a case for the Bible after flying in from Virginia at the last minute. And, in the spirit of anti-censorship, the leadership of the Minnesota Atheists lined up firmly against Mr. Kasmar and for keeping the Bible on school shelves. Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the Robertson-backed American Center for Law and Justice in Virginia Beach, told the board that court decisions have consistently held that the Bible "is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities." "These students here today have not only the desire to see the Bible in the school library, they have a constitutional right," he said. Mr. Kasmar, 55, reiterated his view that the Bible is a filthy text of questionable historical value. After the vote, Mr. Kasmar said the board "caved in to community pressure and religious prejudice." But he said he had no plans to press the issue further. Assistant Superintendent Dennis Morrow has said Bibles are used in the school system for learning purposes. Without referring to biblical sources, Mr. Morrow said, it is nearly impossible to explain topics in art history or entire themes in humanities courses. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM