By Douglas V. Gibbs
A substitute teacher in Phillipsburg, NJ, Walter Tutka, was fired after sharing a Bible verse with a student, and then after the student asked, giving the child a Bible. He was accused of breaking two policies – distributing religious literature on school grounds and another policy that directs teachers to be neutral when discussing religious material.
“Just because this guy gave a student a pocket New Testament on his lunch hour – that’s enough to throw you out of school,” Joe Imhof, a friend of Mr. Tutka's said. “They have said tonight, ‘God, we don’t want you in this school.’”
Imhof and Tutka serve together in Gideons International – a ministry known for providing Bibles to school children across the world.
“One of the Gideons in our local camp is from the Soviet Union,” Imhof said. “In most countries overseas we are allowed to go into public schools and give Bibles to students. But since this is America – you can’t do it here.”
“When the Soviet Union fell, Bible were allowed in the schools, people could pray in the schools,” Hussey said. “It seems we have more persecution in America than they do in Russia.”
Tutka’s termination is based on an event last October. He was standing by a door as middle school students entered the building. One student trailed behind the rest.
“Just remember, son,” Tutka told the tardy student, “The first shall be last but the last shall be first.”
A few days later the student asked about the origins of the quote. Tutka told him it was in the Bible.
After forgetting a half dozen times where the quote was from in the Bible, Walt kept forgetting to look it up.
On October 12th, Tutka was eating lunch in the cafeteria when the student approached and brought up the Bible verse. So Tutka took out his Bible and showed the student the verse.
At some point the student mentioned that he did not have a Bible.
“Walt basically said, ‘would you like mine?” Imhof said. “The student said yes and so Walt gave him his personal New Testament.”
The firing sends a clear message to Christians in New Jersey.
The justification they are using is the so-called "separation of church and state." The thing is, it does not exist in the Constitution. The anti-religious clause was invented by secularists based on the words "a wall of separation of church and state" by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists, who were appealing to the newly elected president in the hope he would assist them in their battle against the Puritans in Connecticut.
The First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The language was used to protect the American people from the federal government establishing a State Church like Britain did with the Church of England. The second part, however, is the most important part. It does not allow Congress to make any law prohibiting the free exercise of religious beliefs. Knowing that, what would the Founding Fathers have thought about the firing of this teacher?
Remember, these are the same founders that established prayer before each session of Congress, and Thanksgiving of which the purpose is to thank God for his Blessings on this nation.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Teacher Fired for Giving Student Bible - Fox News
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