school administrators try to physically block parents from hosting jesus lunch

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

"Coercion" is a non-starter, yes, but "lured" fits.

On a side note; if they're feeding 400 students once a week, I have to ask if the city requires a permit for events of that size in the public park (and whether they have such a permit), as well as whether they'd be expected to abide by health code standards and such for food service. Since this isn't just a friendly group of a couple dozen students, at this point. They should be meeting the same kind of health standards as soup kitchens and the like.

Aren't you kind of tired of government regulations? Also, I don't think this would be considered an event, nor are they selling the food so they wouldn't be considered vendors.

What's next, Health Department permits for bringing orange slices to your kids soccer games?

[Daelak]

Yes, it still is a free choice.

Temptation isn't a defense against choice.

I am sure the majority of the student body do not attend this lunch. I am sure young Timmy has plenty of options during a 30 minute lunch break.

Even in the most extreme cases, Timmy isn't guaranteed friends or people to hang out with during the 30 minute lunch break.

Please, any judge would already have a strike against the Jesus Mothers on disrupting school operations and showing coercion would be easy to prove through the children of the people who are hosting the event.

[Deleted]

Personally, I feel like MMO-Champion's rules about religion should be applied to all public places, media and so on; don't talk about it. Keep it in your own home and in your religious building, just don't bring it out to the public.

Incidentally, I don't believe we have any such laws here in Finland, but that's how it's always worked here. Nobody here talks about religion. Ever. Anywhere. Well, except a couple church-related news articles every now and then. But yeah, besides that, nope. Having a bunch of people offer free lunch to schoolkids and then spread religion? Yeah, that wouldn't fly here.

[IIamaKing]

The school could always just pull the open lunch policy, and piss off more students than just those that attend the park lunch.

THAT is the fix. It would cause some outrage, but that is something with in their power and that would fix the problem. They need to stop impeding free speech though.

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Please, any judge would already have a strike against the Jesus Mothers on disrupting school operations and showing coercion would be easy to prove through the children of the people who are hosting the event.

Easy to prove o people like you, maybe. The rest of us know what the word means.

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Personally, I feel like MMO-Champion's rules about religion should be applied to all public places, media and so on; don't talk about it. Keep it in your own home and in your religious building, just don't bring it out to the public.

Incidentally, I don't believe we have any such laws here in Finland, but that's how it's always worked here. Nobody here talks about religion. Ever. Anywhere. Well, except a couple church-related news articles every now and then. But yeah, besides that, nope. Having a bunch of people offer free lunch to schoolkids and then spread religion? Yeah, that wouldn't fly here.

Yeh, no thanks, I like my speech free. Thanks for the bad idea though.

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

The public would not be able to use the park when 200+ students are there, and school officials will not just throw up there hands and say "Oh this isn't school grounds anymore, I guess it's fine to let 200 children be unsupervised during school hours, see you guys in 30!"

So in this thread, you know how big this park is, the size of this gathering somehow disallows others to use the park, and that the majority of the students attend this lunch?

How were you able to learn all this vital information?

Lastly, I drive by many public parks on a daily basis at different times. They are never used. They are generally always empty.

I would love to see families gathered up and enjoying each other's company and the weather.

I have never seen or heard anyone ever saying "boy, I couldn't use of the public parks today because there were so many people there".

[Enthusiastic Steward]

Well, OK. I mean, the vast majority of the population of the US is Christian, so you might as well just use that logic to the entire country, then.

But there are areas and cities with Muslim populations/Muslim neighborhoods. Hosting an Islamic event in a park with a local Muslim community is not equal to hosting an Islamic event in a park with no local Muslim community, is what I'm saying, because fair or not it changes the tone of the event. The same would be true for any religion under similar circumstances. I would have the same hesitation about a Christian event being held in an area that has no local Christian population, simply because it raises questions that are otherwise absent.

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

Please, any judge would already have a strike against the Jesus Mothers on disrupting school operations and showing coercion would be easy to prove through the children of the people who are hosting the event.

What school operations are they disrupting?

[Darththeo]

What school operations are they disrupting?

Imaginary ones, like his other hypotheticals

[endersblade]

It sickens ME that religious groups keep trying to brainwash kids like this. Kick those 'jesus moms' the fuck out of the park and keep them the fuck away from the children. I am SO glad that religion got pulled out of most of the schools now a days, but this is exactly what it is - religious nuts trying to force religion back into schools.

Keep that shit at home, brainwash your own kids (or better yet, don't), and stay the hell away from schools.

[Endus]

Do cities apply health code standards to family picnics? If not, then why should they here? Its just a large friends and family picnic.

No. It isn't. They're serving to the public. That's sort of the point; they're open to kids they don't know coming over.

Aren't you kind of tired of government regulations?

Since we're talking about the kind of regulations that prevent people serving tainted food to the public, no, not really.

Also, I don't think this would be considered an event, nor are they selling the food so they wouldn't be considered vendors.

Doesn't matter if it's sold. It matters if it's provided to the public. Hence why I compared it with a soup kitchen.

What's next, Health Department permits for bringing orange slices to your kids soccer games?

That's serving to your family's friends. That's not remotely the same.

If you set up a stall giving out orange slices at children's soccer games, though, absolutely yes.

[Darththeo]

It sickens ME that religious groups keep trying to brainwash kids like this. Kick those 'jesus moms' the fuck out of the park and keep them the fuck away from the children. I am SO glad that religion got pulled out of most of the schools now a days, but this is exactly what it is - religious nuts trying to force religion back into schools.

Keep that shit at home, brainwash your own kids (or better yet, don't), and stay the hell away from schools.

The children are not forced to attend (at most it is about 25% of the school's population).
Religious clubs are legal on school grounds.

Sorry, Religion is not now, nor has it ever been out of schools. The only prohibited behavior is school officials and teachers leading it and enforcing it at a school event.

[ezgeze]

Wisconsin is a very open, liberal, and tolerant state compared to most places in America or elsewhere. It just sucks to see our openness becoming a one-way street. Again, I repeat, if these were Muslims, there would be no attempt to stop them. I'm an atheist, so I'm not here to defend Christians, I simply seek to defend liberal western liberal values as a whole.

Btw I have been living in Madison (near Middleton) for 2 years, attending UW. I'm originally from Waukesha county, which is perhaps the most conservative area of our state, and even there the conservatism is a non-hate filled watered down version of the right wing. Wisconsin is overall quite delightful, which is why it sucks to see stories like this.

I cant seem to find anything on Wisconsin food laws which would prevent these mothers from donating these sandwiches, it appears that the laws are targeted really to businesses and food pantries.
I did however find this
https://www.congress.gov/congression...e-report/661/1

In 1996, Congress passed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. The act encourages food donation by limiting liability of businesses and nonprofits which donate and distribute food to those in need. The legislation allows that any person or business that donates, or any non-profit that receives food and groceries, “shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates [or non-profit receives] in good faith… for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.”

[Kaleredar]

Not in Middleton, Wisconsin. Or honestly, anywhere in Wisconsin. Not a whole lot of rednecks around here. There's plenty of backwoods rural types, but they aren't the cliche that is often seen down south.

But apparently they're not non-cliche enough to not beg the question about and then complain about muslims, though.

[Daelak]

So in this thread, you know how big this park is, the size of this gathering somehow disallows others to use the park, and that the majority of the students attend this lunch?

How were you able to learn all this vital information?

Lastly, I drive by many public parks on a daily basis at different times. They are never used. They are generally always empty.

I would love to see families gathered up and enjoying each other's company and the weather.

I have never seen or heard anyone ever saying "boy, I couldn't use of the public parks today because there were so many people there".

It's called google. The Jesus Mothers would have a hell of a time proving that they weren't disrupting school operations. The answer will come out when the judge would ask; "Why wasn't there any consideration for a Jesus Dinner?" Which would not disrupted school operations or hours, and they wouldn't have the school officials monitoring the children?

[Super Friendly Kitty Cat]

It sickens ME that religious groups keep trying to brainwash kids like this. Kick those 'jesus moms' the fuck out of the park and keep them the fuck away from the children. I am SO glad that religion got pulled out of most of the schools now a days, but this is exactly what it is - religious nuts trying to force religion back into schools.

Keep that shit at home, brainwash your own kids (or better yet, don't), and stay the hell away from schools.

So you believe that high school students are not able to make a spiritual choice for themselves when given different options. That any religious message that a high school student might encounter is harmful and brainwashing?

[IIamaKing]

It sickens ME that religious groups keep trying to brainwash kids like this. Kick those 'jesus moms' the fuck out of the park and keep them the fuck away from the children. I am SO glad that religion got pulled out of most of the schools now a days, but this is exactly what it is - religious nuts trying to force religion back into schools.

Keep that shit at home, brainwash your own kids (or better yet, don't), and stay the hell away from schools.

Man, your hate is...unreasonable.

But no, free speech should not be impeded "just because"

[BuckSparkles]

Amazing how many extremely hateful and intolerant people there are.

Based on how some are posting, I would expect the bicycle falling over meme.

"DAMN CHRISTIANS!!!"

[Daelak]

What school operations are they disrupting?

What, you think herding 200 children in from the outside is something that could be done in a reasonable amount of time?

[Kaleredar]

I cant seem to find anything on Wisconsin food laws which would prevent these mothers from donating these sandwiches, it appears that the laws are targeted really to businesses and food pantries.
I did however find this

In 1996, Congress passed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. The act encourages food donation by limiting liability of businesses and nonprofits which donate and distribute food to those in need. The legislation allows that any person or business that donates, or any non-profit that receives food and groceries, “shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates [or non-profit receives] in good faith… for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.”

All that's really saying is that, if the "good Samaritan" unwittingly give someone food poisoning or accidentally give something with an allergen in it with someone who is allergic to said thing, you can't sue their asses over it.

[Naxere]

That's serving to your family's friends. That's not remotely the same.

What if someone you don't know wants an orange slice? Call the City Health Inspector?