BYOB - "Bring your own Bible."
By Melissa Erickson, Staff Writer
merickson@amestrib.com
merickson@amestrib.com
There will no longer be Bibles (click here) in the Iowa State University Memorial Union
guest rooms after a Wisconsin-based nonprofit found issue with the
presence of the religious books, and asked the university to remove
them.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to MU Director Richard Reynolds at the end of January alerting Reynolds to “a constitutional concern regarding the placement of religious literature in Iowa State University’s Memorial Union guest rooms.”
“If a state-run university has a policy of providing a Christian religious text to guests, that policy facilitates illegal endorsement of Christianity over other religions and over non-religion,” the letter from FFRF staff attorney Patrick Elliot said.
“Permitting members of outside religious groups the privilege of placing their religious literature in public university guest rooms also constitutes state endorsement and advancement of religion,” the letter said. “State-run colleges have a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion. When a government entity like ISU distributes such material to visitors, it has unconstitutionally entangled itself with a religious message, in this case a Christian message.”...
The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to MU Director Richard Reynolds at the end of January alerting Reynolds to “a constitutional concern regarding the placement of religious literature in Iowa State University’s Memorial Union guest rooms.”
“If a state-run university has a policy of providing a Christian religious text to guests, that policy facilitates illegal endorsement of Christianity over other religions and over non-religion,” the letter from FFRF staff attorney Patrick Elliot said.
“Permitting members of outside religious groups the privilege of placing their religious literature in public university guest rooms also constitutes state endorsement and advancement of religion,” the letter said. “State-run colleges have a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion. When a government entity like ISU distributes such material to visitors, it has unconstitutionally entangled itself with a religious message, in this case a Christian message.”...
There
will no longer be Bibles in the Iowa State University Memorial Union
guest rooms after a Wisconsin-based nonprofit found issue with the
presence of the religious books, and asked the university to remove
them.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to MU Director Richard Reynolds at the end of January alerting Reynolds to “a constitutional concern regarding the placement of religious literature in Iowa State University’s Memorial Union guest rooms.”
“If a state-run university has a policy of providing a Christian religious text to guests, that policy facilitates illegal endorsement of Christianity over other religions and over non-religion,” the letter from FFRF staff attorney Patrick Elliot said.
“Permitting members of outside religious groups the privilege of placing their religious literature in public university guest rooms also constitutes state endorsement and advancement of religion,” the letter said. “State-run colleges have a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion. When a government entity like ISU distributes such material to visitors, it has unconstitutionally entangled itself with a religious message, in this case a Christian message.”
- See more at: http://amestrib.com/news/ames-and-story-county/bibles-be-removed-memorial-union-guest-rooms#sthash.t704BMAq.dpufThe Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to MU Director Richard Reynolds at the end of January alerting Reynolds to “a constitutional concern regarding the placement of religious literature in Iowa State University’s Memorial Union guest rooms.”
“If a state-run university has a policy of providing a Christian religious text to guests, that policy facilitates illegal endorsement of Christianity over other religions and over non-religion,” the letter from FFRF staff attorney Patrick Elliot said.
“Permitting members of outside religious groups the privilege of placing their religious literature in public university guest rooms also constitutes state endorsement and advancement of religion,” the letter said. “State-run colleges have a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion. When a government entity like ISU distributes such material to visitors, it has unconstitutionally entangled itself with a religious message, in this case a Christian message.”
