Bible Banned from Free Reading Time in Florida School

Fifth grader Giovanni Rubeo was really pushing the envelope during “free” reading time in class. Was he reading Mein Kampf or Hustler? No. He was reading the single most controversial book in our politically correct world—the Bible. His open-minded teacher told him he wasn’t allowed to read the Bible, since it was a religious book.

Young Giovanni asked the teacher to call his father about the incident. The teacher left a voicemail saying, “I noticed that he [Giovanni] has a book—a religious book—in the classroom. He’s not permitted to read those books in my classroom.”

It’s hard to say if Giovanni would have gotten the same treatment for reading the Koran or Aliester Crowley’s Libri, but the actions of his very tolerant teacher raised the ire of Rubeo’s father, who enlisted the help of the Liberty Institute and is filing suit.

The Liberty Institute commented on the situation:

“Banning religious books like the Bible violates Giovanni’s civil rights to religious free speech and free exercise,” said Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute Director of Litigation. “The school’s actions exemplify the hostility to religion that the U.S. Supreme Court has condemned.”

 

“We expect Broward County Public School officials to resolve this unfortunate incident quickly and amicably,” says Liberty Institute Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys. “Absent such an apology and assurance that students in Broward County Public Schools may read religious books like the Bible during free reading times, our client is prepared to take legal action.”

As well he should. This kind of intolerance is just part and parcel of the hypocritical and selective interpretation of the First Amendment that has infected this country. The Supreme Court recently came out in favor of Christian prayer for city council meetings, and it is likely they would also side with Giovanni in this case. It is obvious that “free” reading time should in fact be free, and that the personal exercise of religion should be allowed to exist, even in public schools, without interference.

But the real solution here is to send Giovanni elsewhere. He’ll get a better education outside the public school, and he would be allowed to believe and exercise the religion of his own choice. As it is, only one religion is allowed in the public school system—secular materialism. So much for freedom of religion.

102 responses

  1. There’s no use beating a dead horse. Democrats will fight allowing the bible to be read in school whenever the opportunity to fight arises. They’ve identified the power the bible has to influence minds, young and old… AND THEY HATE IT!

    We need to keep our eye on the prize and remember the truth will set us free.
    So glad to see the willingness of the parents to put up a fight.
    Sometimes turning the other cheek is worse than losing the battle.

    • Very true. I voted democrat in my first election. Then shortly after, I became born again and very conservative. Now I vote based on what values the candidates and I share.

        • Please tell us, dumbass, just how did you become a member of the Gaybama Mafia and the Barry Obama Bathhouse crowd?

          • I didn’t realize there even was a Gaybama Mafia or Barry Obama Bathhouse crowd but if you’re offering me an invitation to join I’m going to have to decline. I told you I was straight.

          • That’s your fault, Bobbie. Every time I see you on here I am reminded of it. If you would just go away, it wouldn’t cross my mind.

          • You a self loathing conservative Christian that’s a closet homosexual. If it wasn’t me you dream of blowing it would just be someone else.

          • There you go again, Bobbie, blaming me for what you apparently are. How can you blow somebody who doesn’t have any gonads? Of course you probably have.

          • Man, you really hate it when I talk about your boyfriend, don’t you, woonie?

          • Then why do you support the liberals and gay punks that hang with the obama’s.

          • You’re obviously not the sharpest knife in the drawer so I’ll let you in on something … You don’t have to be black to support civil rights, you don’t have to be a woman to support woman’s rights & you don’t have to be gay to support gay rights.

          • Oh yes, just look at the muslim brotherhood in his administration.

          • Sorry, I no more believe that Mohammad rode a flying horse to heaven then I do god lives on the planet Kolob!

          • Try Freedom Outpost, article Sharia Advisors-Barrack Obama Muslim Appointees in High Security Positions

          • You sound like you know everything about bath houses. If Obama went to your bath house, would you steal his birth certificate from his locker?

          • Oh, woonie, you’re just mad because I dissed your boyfriend, Bobbie. FYI, Obama doesn’t have a legal BC, the ones he has now are fake.

          • Bob speaks for himself very well. It must really get to you when we express OUR freedom of speech. That freedom isn’t just reserved for conservatives. This a public site for everyone so stop talking like dissenting views shouldn’t be here.

          • Not saying where the POTUS was born, the BC he is using is fake. PERIOD.

          • Ideological purity, compromise as weakness, a fundamentalist belief in scriptural literalism, denying science, unmoved by facts, undeterred by new information, a hostile fear of progress, a demonization of education, a need to control women’s bodies, severe xenophobia, tribal mentality, intolerance of dissent and a pathological hatred of the U.S. government. Sounds to me like the Taliban but it’s the tea party!!!

      • Good for you; I was a Dimocrat too until I wised up. The Dem party today is anti-male, white, Christian, and conservative.

        • That’s not true, the gop have morphed into a cult of religious kooks which is why you feel right at home

          • You must be one of the nazis that don’t want our children to have a choice of what they want to read during their free time. It must suck being an obama butt buddy like you. Religion helped build this country, and your ilk don’t like it. Maybe you should move to China, or maybe Iran. The main line gop’s have ll morphed into RINOs. But they are still a lot better than any of your dimorats out there.

          • He is neither he is just some crack pot trolling creep, just do not pay him any attention and he will eventually go away!

          • Boobie, is a troll, probably being paid to harass those, who have more intelligence than to blindly follow the blind. They will use any dirty trick or hire any unscrupulous person to get what they want, anyone who will bow to their demands for fifthly lucre. This one is their pet of the crop and you see him, in something like “fools names are like their faces , always seen in public places, making stupid lying remarks. “

          • I don’t care what a kid reads in school during their free time. I just think ANY book that is filled with perversion & violence should have a warning label on it before minors read it. The toxic fairy tale of religion is dying, and it can’t come too soon. Someday sick,demented, hateful pukebags like you will only exist in history books

          • You’re an insult to the men and women who gave their lives in WWII. Don’t try to lead with that when Republicans take money from Sheldon Adelson. Trivializing what Jews, gays, gypsies & political prisoners went through is repugnant.
            If you want to talk about religion I’m sure that Jews wouldn’t mind telling you to shut the **** up because you don’t know what you’re talking about.

          • Hey butt-socket, you don’t know me, and I am one of the vets that spent 2 years in vietnam, and watched people like you spit on us as we came home. Take your worthless liberal soros loving butt back to where you came from. Your obviously a full blown hate America baby killer. I have a lot of jewish friends, so don’t even go there. Some of them were in the Marines with me.

          • I’m not exactly sure who Soros is but I DO know a lot about the holocaust. Where do you get off on telling me that I spit on vets? I don’t believe that your Jewish friends think that Obamacare is like the holocaust. Republicans in the party are as offended as I am.

            You’re offensive and in need of mental help.

          • You don’t know who George Soros is!? What rock have you been living under for the last couple of decades?

          • They think that they are the cult of protecting fetuses but they fail miserably. How? A history of preventing poor pregnant women from access to health insurance.

          • You’re full of it. All you can do is repeat the liberal, secular-progressive rhetorical catch phrases which is just meaningless mumbo-jumbo based on nothing except what you and your ilk pull out of your anuses.

          • Thru lack of time, labor and money, we can’t manage to help all of the poor, pregnant women so you suggest just allowing them to abort their babies. Tell why that sounds barbaric?

            Know how you prevent pregnancy 100%? Don’t have sex.

          • Killing children that are born and unborn, is called murder. Far from being called health care. Period.

      • Republican values = Suffering & Death.
        How can you say that you have “values” when you gave the last admin. a free pass for lying to the world about WMD’s in Iraq. How about your “values” that leave the working poor without health insurance?

        Clean up your own back yard instead of telling your dog to his “business” on ours.

    • Jessica, part of what you say is true. The Bible, Koran & Torah DO have the power to influence minds which is why they are more then just books (they are WMD’s) & should at the VERY least have a warning label put on them before ANYONE reads them LEAST of all a child.

    • There is no reason that you have to put with such injustice, for your children pull them out of these government antichrist schools and home school or send to a church school or a private school. We sacrificed a new car for years, so that we could get out children out of public schools, and continued to drive the old rattle trap.

    • There is no reason you have to put up with your children being cheated our of Christian education, pull them out of government antichrist schools and home school or send them to a church school school. This is what we did, giving up any new things and drove an old rattle trap for years because the children were more important to us than a new car.

      • I’m sure Christ rewarded you and your children.
        Your kids had an insightful mom. God bless you.

        • Thank you! We have been rewarded greatly, our children and grandchildren are Christians and living for the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.

  2. As long as the bible had a warning label on it that read something like this: WARNING: This is a work of fiction. Do NOT TAKE it literally. CONTENT ADVISORY: Contains verses descriptive or advocating suicide, incest, bestiality, sadomasochism, sexual activity in a violent context, murder, morbid violence, use of drugs or alcohol, homosexuality, voyeurism, revenge, undermining of authority figures, lawlessness and human rights violations and atrocities. EXPOSURE WARNING: Exposure to contents for extended periods of time or during formative years in children may cause delusions, hallucinations, decrease cognitive and objective reasoning abilities, and in extreme cases, pathological disorders, hatred, bigotry, violence including but not limited to fanaticism, murder and genocide.
    I think a 5th grader should be able to read it in their “free time”

    • Actually, the Bible is a work of non-fiction, and it has a lot to say about you, none of it flattering. The more you say, the more you reveal the truth of who you are.

      • I find it incredible that you believe that the the earth was created in six literal days; women come from a man’s rib; a snake, a donkey, and a burning bush spoke human language; the entire world was flooded, covering the mountains to drown evil; all animal species, millions of them, rode on one boat; language variations stem from the tower of Babel; Moses had a magic wand; the Nile turned to blood; a stick turned into a snake; witches, wizards, and sorcerers really exist; food rained from the sky for 40 years; people were cured by the sight of a brass serpent; the sun stood still to help Joshua win a battle, and it went backward for King Hezekiah; men survived unaided in a fiery furnace; a detached hand floated in the air and wrote on a wall; men followed a star which directed them to a particular house; Jesus walked on water unaided; fish and bread magically multiplied to feed the hungry; water instantly turned into wine; mental illness is caused by demons; a “devil” with wings exists who causes evil; people were healed by stepping into a pool agitated by angels; disembodied voiced spoke from the sky; Jesus vanished and later materialized from thin air; people were healed by Peter’s shadow; angels broke people out of jail; a fiery lake of eternal torment awaits unbelievers under the earth … while there is life-after-death in a city which is 1,500 miles cubed, with mansions and food, for Christians only.

        • It sounds like you have read the Bible. You seem to know quite a bit about it. I believe in God and I believe the Bible is a supernaturally communicated message from Him to us. I choose to have faith. You choose to not have faith in God, and you choose to reject the supernatural. I will tell you a in a very simple way why there is good reason to believe the Bible is what millions of Christians and Jews have believed it to be for thousands of years. 1) There are many more ancient manuscripts of the Bible in existence than any other ancient document. This means that the writings of eye-witnesses to the events of the Bible have been accurately passed down through the centuries. 2) Archeological discoveries in the areas where Biblical events took place have confirmed the accuracy of the Bible. No archeological discovery has ever disproven that a place or event portrayed in the Bible was reported inaccurately. 3) Prophesy- Many Biblical predictions of coming events made hundreds or thousands of years prior, have occurred as prophesied. 4) Statistics- It is statistically impossible for a compilation of 66 books, written over a period of 1,500 years in three languages by 40 different authors on many different subjects, in many different styles, to have a consistent non-contradictory message. But the Bible accomplishes this so successfully, that hundreds of millions of people from every corner of this world over the past 2,000 plus years have trusted its truth for our entire lives and eternal destiny. The Bible has been the guiding light and motivating force behind such great men and women as Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Albert Schweitzer, Joan of Arc, Blaise Pascal, C.S. Lewis, JRR Tolkein and Abraham Lincoln, to name a few. To read more about the validity of the Bible: http://www.equip.org/PDF/DB011.pdf

          • Do you actually believe that because you say something is true it’s true? (1) While it’s true there are many more ancient manuscripts of the Bible in existence than any other ancient document NONE of them are alike!!! This supernaturally communicated message was NOT supernaturally preserved so we have no original copy. The copies we do have has been changed so many times we have no idea what the originals even said!! (2) archaeologists are shaking Israel to its biblical foundations!!! The flood OBVIOUSLY never happened. the Exodus never happened, the walls of Jericho did not come a-tumbling down The Israelites were never in Egypt, did not wander in the desert, did not conquer the land [of Canaan] in a military campaign and did not pass it on to the twelve tribes of Israel. Perhaps even harder to swallow is the fact that the united kingdom of David and Solomon, described in the Bible as a regional power, was at most a small tribal kingdom. (3) With a copy of the OT I could write a NT & invent someone that fulfilled the prophesy of the OT (4) Non-contradictory??? Are you insane??? Their are thousands of contradictions in the bible! You can’t get past the 1st verse without a contradiction! A BILLION Muslims believe Mohammad took a flying horse to heaven & back!!! Am I suppose to believe that happened too??

    • LABobbee is his (or hers, or maybet its) worse enemy – brings out the best arguments against people like him.

    • Agree with IGNORE. Most of you all don’t get it. Don’t bother to reply to him. He gets his jollies riling you up. You won’t change his mind. He has no interest in an honest debate. In his mind you will never prove him wrong. He gets off watching your responses and reading your replies. In his mind, it gives him control. If you want to really get to him, IGNORE him.

      • Of course you’re right but it’s so fun replying back to him. But you do make a great point.

    • LaBoobie is also full of __it, but isn’t that just what Satanists live on… the detritus of humanity.

          • I was asked, and agreed, to ignore LaBobe and Woonsocket (trolls) comments, don’t reply, or feed the dark void in their soul that comes from even negative attention. They detract from meaningful discussions. Pray for them and move on past their comments. On board?

          • Destry’s comment was directed to another commenter that he agreed with. LaBoobie’s comment back to was his denial of what his avatar represented, but I notice he’s changed it to something that is equally as demonic and still represents the essence of satanism.

          • 10-4, understood. My comment was general in nature, not directed to anybody in particular. I just get tired of folks allowing the trolls to hijack the discussion and detract from meaningful discussion. It’s understandable that folks want to lash out and call them a POS…but, again, doing so fills a void in the troll’s miserable life.

  3. By banning/disallowing Biblical expression and freedom in ANY PLACE, the guberment is establishing a religion by omission.

  4. Schools are just becoming PC idiots. Yes I bet they could read the koran, wash atheir feet and bow to the east to pray to their false god. What happened to freedom of religion?

  5. This is the fight all of us Christian are in! if any of your loved ones are ever prevented from reading a Bible on any public property, we need to sue! and drag them into court at their own cost! and peril!!!

  6. Freedom and Liberty are two of the greatest gifts from God. Of course the student should be allowed to read the Bible during free time reading periods. Anyone that reads and understands the Bible will realize that its principles have lasted for many years because they are true. Truth endures. Everyone in this world would benefit from the love that is preached in the Bible.

  7. Did ever occur to anyone, that banning a book, makes people, especialy children, to want to read and seek out that book! The adults and especially an annal teacher, who doesn’t want the contents to be read only makes everyone read it even more, and draws attention to the subject around tge nation! The bible continues to be bought and sold beyond any other book in the world. Perhaps this teacher should shut up and read the GOOD BOOK!

  8. File suit – it is the only thing that school administrators understand. Kid – good for you for standing up for yourself and for reading the Bible. You can learn a lot from it.

  9. Had the framers established government on Yahweh’s immutable morality as reflected in His commandments, statutes, and judgments, there would be no need for judges to decide such cases (and then retry them and overturn them at a later time). In fact, had the framers done it right(eous) to begin with, today’s unbiblical litigant appellate system would be unheard of.

    This only further highlights the fact that the Constitution is Bibically incompatible, despite what, tragically, most conservative Christian leaders are teaching.

    Find out how much you REALLY know about the Constitution as compared to the Bible. Take our Constitution Survey at http://www.bibleversusconstitution.org/ConstitutionSurvey.html and receive a FREE copy of an 85-page book the EXAMINES the Constitution by the Bible.

  10. .

    What is interesting, the Founding Fathers established this Country because of the “Official Religion” of The King. We do not have a king or an Official Religion and that is made abundantly true in the First Amendment of our Constitution. I do not recall any Buddhists, Scientologists, Catholics, Christian Scientists, Amish, Adventists and many more establishing this Country. The Forefathers were so sick and tired of being required to embrace the Religion of The King of England that they left the 1st Amendment to include the prohibition of The Government from establishing an official religion. They purposely left the Amendment open so America would welcome all religions. There is NO SEPARATION of Church of State in The Constitution; just the FREEDOM for or from Religion.
    .
    We have welcomed some really dangerous Religions and could not ban them because of The 1st Amendment; Peoples Temple (Jim Jones), Branch Davidians (David Koresh), Manson Family, Heaven’s Gate (Marshall Applewhite), Scientology (L. Ron Hubbard), Unification Church (Sun Myung Moon), Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh), Children of God – Family International (David) “Moses” Berg),, . Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Warren Jeffs) and Twelve Tribes (Elbert Eugene Spriggs). Not to forget Voodoo that is still practiced. In my opinion the Muslim Religion is a legitimate world wide Religion, but that being said, can be a dangerous Religion. To my knowledge no other religion calls for the beheading and killing of non believers or the treatment of women. Also I think most Major Religions welcome new members by sharing their Faith and inviting them to their services.
    .
    http://toptentopia.com/2013/02/26/the-10-most-famous-cults-in-united-states-history/
    .
    The point is that there is no right for the Government to create a new religion and no right not to be offended because one disagrees with a specific religion or practice as long as it is legal and does nor harm.

    .

    • The Bible does!!! Kill Nonbelievers (2 Chronicles 15:12-13), Death to Followers of Other Religions (Exodus 22:19) Kill the Entire Town if One Person Worships Another God(Deuteronomy 13:13-19) Kill Followers of Other Religions (Deuteronomy 13:7-12) Kill People for Working on the Sabbath (Exodus 31:12-15) Kill Women Who Are Not Virgins On Their Wedding Night (Deuteronomy 22:20-21) Kill Witches(Exodus 22:17)

        • There isn’t ANY book which tells of a more infamous monster than the Old Testament, with its Jehovah of murder, cruelty and revenge, unless it be the New Testament, which arms its God with hell, and extends his outrages throughout all eternity!!!

  11. Broward County is run by demoncraps and radical left. No wonder they want to ban the Bible! Every liberal is demon possessed.

  12. Good man Giovanni’s dad, bravo. Now what about all the other students and their parents? Will all parents know the full extent of this story? I doubt it, in fact it is probably already covered up never to be spoken of again.
    Giovanni’s dad can go one more step, and that is to hand out flyers to every child as they leave for the day from school and tell them to give it to their parents to read. After that, whoever continues sending their kids to that school, let them pay the penalty of dumbed-down kids.
    I hope Giovanni’s dad teaches the boy at Home which is 1000% better education; in fact, check out Ron Paul Home Schooling online, the grades K thru 5 are free and kids will learn what Freedom and Liberty really is.

  13. The right wants to talk about Bibles while the rest of the nation wants to talk about JOBS. John Boehner promised them in 2010. Then he completely forgot it when the GOP won The House. Republicans have nothing but hate to run on. They’ll talk about repeal, the war on Christmas, faux scandals, Michelle Obama, “freedom,” faux values, faux points about the ACA, hatred for public schools, “aliens” from Mexico, turbans, Sharia Law, no health care for the working poor, keep kids from getting food stamps, more tax cuts for the rich, subsidies for oil companies, best friends with Sheldon Adelson and the Koch brothers.

    Wow! Republicans DO have a lot to run on.

    • As if that wasn’t sad enough look at the people that they have to run with!!! Cruz???? Paul???? Jeb?????? Christy?????BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

  14. Why are the left so afraid of the bible and prayers? They pray to Allah. How selfish not to allow us to read the bible. (I’m kidding), I know why. They are terrified that their so called obscene “way of life” is wrong, and they know it ,but will never admit it because they would have to be killed so no one else will object. Now, how stupid is the left?

    • You believe that some cosmic Jewish Zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh, drink his blood and
      telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree & think the left is stupid???

  15. Need the name and school address so they can be mailed. This band on the bible can not stand. Period.

  16. You don’t have to eat a shit sandwich to know it’s gonna taste bad…don’t eat what the trolls are offering. Pass it up, avoid the heartburn, and take in what others may offer in the way of information or inspiration.
    The trolls live to hijack meaningful discussion and turn it into name calling. We need to follow the advice that so many people have offered about the Republican party: Don’t let them (D’s) set the agenda/narrative/discussion.

  17. go ahead try banning GOD from schools and when Satan takes hold of these children then don’t crying out to GOD then because maybe he won’t have the time to bail you out from not allowing him in

  18. If I was in school whether it’s or some other state and I wanted to read the Bible, I would read the Bible, This is America and they have no right dictating what you and I read!

  19. I once had a teacher call me and ask me “do you know what your son is reading”? When I said what she said “The Weekly World News” complete with swim suit picture models. I told her it was ok and that I would buy him anything he wants as long as he reads it.;

  20. But the muslim can stick their ass up in the air to pray in public places and even in the streets… So we now what we have making all the rules, the muslims, Americans need to come together and stop this over throw of our Constitution, We need a SiSi here to help us…

  21. Did Mr. Minkoff get permission to use a fifth grader’s name in an article on the internet? What about the parents? Are they OK with that?

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