Mmm. No. You’re not going to rewrite Westerville into a feel-good testimony about the power of “God.”
Westerville was a community catching on.
-Parents showed up.
-Concerns were raised.
-The school board listened.
-Local control worked.
(Isn’t that what they are always goin on about?)
And LifeWise did NOT like the answer.
But let’s be very clear about the timeline. The “may” to “shall” push was *already* in motion before Westerville rescinded its policy.
📍March 12, 2024: HB 445 was introduced in Ohio. That was the bill to change released time religious instruction from something school districts may allow to something they shall allow.
📍June 4, 2024: LifeWise CEO Joel Penton testified in support of that bill.
📍September 30, 2024: Westerville voted to rescind its released time religious instruction policy after parents and community members raised concerns.
🚫So no, Westerville was not some divine catalyst that magically caused the law to change. The law change was already in motion.
✅What Westerville did was expose exactly why they wanted it.
When a community saw the disruption, when parents spoke up, and when a school board listened, LifeWise had a problem… Local control worked.
So instead of respecting that community, they used Westerville as the sales pitch.
👉If school boards can say no, change the law so they can’t.
That is not divine intervention.
That is money, access, lobbying, political pressure, and Ohio legislators choosing a private religious program over the parents, teachers, and communities who saw the disruption firsthand.
Westerville didn’t “die” so LifeWise could spread.
Westerville exposed exactly why they needed the law changed.
And you don’t get to slap scripture over a lobbying campaign and call it holy. 😡 Some of us call that taking God’s name in vain.
What people are saying:
- Secular Education Association: 🚨Ohio is the warning.🚨
When local school boards could say no to released time religious instruction, LifeWise had a problem.
So the answer became simple:
Change the law so they can’t.✳️That is what “may” to “shall” is really about.
Once a state changes the law from districts may allow released time religious instruction to districts shall allow it, the red carpet is rolled out for LifeWise and programs like it.
-It does not matter how many parents object.
-It does not matter how much disruption teachers report.
-It does not matter whether the local board sees the problem.The decision has already been taken out of the community’s hands.
So if you are not in Ohio, learn from Westerville. Do not wait until your district is next.
- Secular Education Association: Receipts, because the timeline matters:
HB 445 — the “may” to “shall” bill — was introduced March 12, 2024. LifeWise CEO Joel Penton testified for it June 4, 2024. Westerville did not vote to rescind its policy until September 30, 2024.
So no, Westerville did not magically cause the law change. The law change was already being pushed. Westerville exposed why they wanted it.
Links:
WOSU Westerville vote: https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2024-10-01/westerville-city-schools-ends-school-day-religious-release-time-for-students
HB 445: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/135/hb445
HB 8 final analysis: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/download?key=24450 - Facebook User: How do I find out what schools this is is spreading to? I don’t want it in mine. Separation of church and state exists for a reason.
- Secular Education Association: Kelly Davern you can go and check your school at our map! Map.seculareducationassociation.org
- Facebook User: Groomers
- Facebook User: Sadly though they are back in Westerville district. Currently 2 or 3 out of 14 school
- Facebook User: Are many children attending lifewise?
- Facebook User: And let’s not forget the many school board meetings between June 4 and September 30 where citizens gave hours and hours of testimony against having RTRI, even amid threats and intimidation from the lifewise supporters during the board meetings. Nothing magical or heartwarming about it.
- Secular Education Association: Facebook User let’s definitely not forget that part. 💯
- Facebook User: Facebook User yes!!!! They were viscous and then tried to play victim
- Facebook User: So much for parents & communities having control over the schools THEY pay for.
- Facebook User: When your product is dying, you need new marketing strategies. In the long run, it will be a wash, as the kids brains continue to develop, so will their critical thinking skills and religion will be seen for what it is, but that perhaps a loving perspective can be a personal and social asset. Our desire to control or be controlled is a basic human psychological feature that school children should become familiar with in order to question the motivations and beliefs of others.
- Facebook User: Praying for Westerville Schools and their children and misdirected parents.
- Facebook User: https://www.propublica.org/article/school-vouchers-ohio-church-state-tax-dollars-private-religious
- Facebook User: What a bunch of bull shit
- Facebook User: You would think that by now parents would be smart enough to be suspect of anything or anyone who uses religion to get their way. This type of “Christianity ” is no different than any other fundamentalist cult.
Leave a Reply