What people are saying:

• Facebook User: If it was a trans group set up there you wouldn’t care at all.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User well. First off a “Trans group” if such a thing exists, would t be set up at a public school open house. And secondly; Yes we would, since this is a public school open house.
• Facebook User: This is the real indoctrination threat to our children 😪
• Facebook User: Thanks for the warning. Was afraid this would get out of hand.
• Facebook User: Awesome! Just what kids need, Jesus✝️
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User awesome! Keep commenting to drive our algorithm!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User but instead tgey are getting fascist, neo-christian, national8st bullshit.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User so when your kid comes home with a fluffy Baphomet doll and candy, you won’t be mad?
• Facebook User: This photo could have been the same for Johnstown Intermediate School. I was appalled to see them there.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User yep and THAT right there is the problem. 👆 This photo could have been the same for hundreds of schools, and it simply should NOT be. Period. These are public schools that welcome families of all religions and none. Why have we allowed this to get this far?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User. http://www.NeedGod.com
  • Facebook User: Which God?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Same at the elementary in Jtown.. i was beyond confused why this group was present for my sons open house.. didn’t know meeting the teacher involved indoctrinating the students as well.
• Facebook User: As a lifewise supporter, They aren’t supposed to be doing this.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User as a LifeWise supporter explain to all of us why they CONSTANTLY do “this” and many other things they aren’t supposed to do? And what is the recourse for those whose rights are violated when they do?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User what exactly did they do wrong here???
  • Facebook User: Facebook User do you support the antisemitic tropes being taught too?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User they aren’t supposed to advertise inside school/on school grounds.
• Facebook User: I grew up Christian but pulling kids out of school for “religious activities” makes no sense to me. Why aren’t their programs after school? Ohio schools aren’t putting out kids that are so danged smart that they can miss actual class time. Also, don’t know if y’all missed it but there have been at least 3 volunteers from that organization that are facing sexual assault charges, one with a 14 year old victim! And the fact that they sued over revealing their “curriculum” makes them EXTRA SUSPECT. Jesus didn’t hide when he did good deeds, what are these people really doing with your kids?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User after school is “inconvenient ” for parents and the kids can’t ride the bus if they stay. It interferes with sports(the God of most families), pickup by sitters, and delays evening schedules of families.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User any and all curriculum is available on their website.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User. You are misinformed about the Lifewise program. Their website, http://www.lifewise.org will clarify the subject for you.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User you still haven’t answered how this makes up for them losing class time. And people’s priorities are theirs, what oversight is provided when children are taken off campus?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User care to “clarify” this?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User they are supposed to go during their lunch and recess. We had a “Good News Club” after school hours sponsored by a local church for several years in my building. It vanished and was replaced by Lifewise.
  • Facebook User: They miss one special per week and rotate between them so…3 specials; miss 1 day of special every 3 weeks. Missing 1 art or music class in elementary school isn’t hurting anyone’s education. Both gender adults at all times-3 adults(at least) in class. Bus driver plus one of two others for 4 minute ride.
  • Facebook User: Curious how my screen shot about the Lifewise volunteers pleading GUILTY to sexu@l assault was removed. 🤔
  • Facebook User: Facebook User only because they sued a parent and settled
  • Facebook User: Facebook User why would I go get lied to?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User now do public school teachers and coaches
  • Facebook User: Facebook User sure! LIFEWISE HIRED HER after she was FIRED from teaching.
    The background check used was consumer level.
    They didn’t check her teaching license or google.
    Or if they did, did they choose to overlook it?

    Till the Secular Education Association got involved and let the public know of this FAILURE.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User
  • Facebook User: Facebook User explain this.
    In Decatur, IN a 7 year old was left behind. She emerged to an empty building from the bathroom. Determined to get back to safety, the terrified child started walking back in freezing temperatures. Several adult strangers stopped, she finally accepted to walk back with one who brought her back to her elementary school! This story could have ended so badly.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User so lazy parenting putting the burden on schools
• Facebook User: You’re a joke trying to spin things. That is the side wall and that door is to the equipment room
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User we didn’t “spin” anything. A member of your community submitted this photo. Because it made them uncomfortable.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User are they inside,…on school property?
• Facebook User: Islam is doing the same thing
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User no they are not. Never have. GTFO here with that.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User where? Cite your source.
  • Facebook User: I’ve never had a Muslim try to harass me into conversion but I’ve had to deal with a LOT of Christians who can’t take no for an answer.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User. http://www.NeedGod.com
• Facebook User: I am confused. If you want your children to have religious education and attend a public school does your church not have Sunday School before worship?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User no we don’t. No one is forced to attend Lifewise. The students participate during their lunch/recess. I think you are trying to influence others to reject this program because your child wants to go.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User they should NOT be on school grounds. Period. How would you greet a different religion setting up at the school? What if Muslims, Jewish or other religions had been there for this activity? Would you also welcome them? Could your child participate in those activities during lunch and recess? Lunch and recess are to eat, burn off energy, and socialize…. Not for indoctrination. I can’t believe you Elgin folks allowed this group with a recent history of CSA to even step foot on school property and continue to try to justify it. Let them attend church and religious activities off of school grounds.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User how can you not see that it is problematic that LifeWise is using public school to recruit kids whose parents don’t share their religious beliefs?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User you have the option of walking past the table. It is a popular and chosen experience in our community….36 year career teacher. Why deny this opportunity to children who want to sacrifice their recess to learn?
  • Facebook User: Explain the problem. I don’t see anything but kindness and reflection in Lifewise opportunities. Explain why your beliefs are trying to limit others.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User what is the option for the Jewish family in your community? Just because something unconstitutional has been happening for decades doesn’t make it ok. In fact, it makes it worse.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association you can’t study the Bible without understanding the significance of the Jewish people. Lifewise attendees will benefit. Check it out.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User You are telling me your Church doesn’t provide religious instruction for children? If that really is the case, that’s a you problem.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User ummmm… BECAUSE IT IS WRONG.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User it is a problem because parents are not attending church nor bringing their children to Sunday school. It is a problem for all. Everyone loses. That’s why programs like Lifewise are so important. I’m glad we agree.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User as another former teacher I can say that this has gotten out of hand. We have parents complaining about their kids having to even learn about what Islam is in schools in regards to comparative religions and history but this lifewise 💩 is just fine?
    No. This is not about learning. This is about flooding the system until the parents give up
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    This program needs to be rejected. Go to Sunday school, go to Wednesday night youth group, attend fun youth group events, attend Bible camps, go to church, go to a private school, go to a Christian school……
    There a lot of options for religious education. There’s absolutely no reason to bring one religion into any school as a religious instruction. It’s not legal. It goes against our constitution. It’s not equitable. It is not inclusive to all families and all religions.
  • Facebook User: It is still indoctrination. You know that kids are vulnerable. You offer hungry kids goodies to attend. So of course they go.
  • Facebook User: The problem is, it’s a public secular school. Are you that naive that you can’t see that Lifewise is using schools as a mission ground. Come on!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User ew and creepy
• Facebook User: TST needs to step up and place a table in those schools. Before you can ask, “What is TST?” Lifewise will insist that is “different” and demand they leave.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User TST can’t set a table up at every one of these schools. That’s the problem with the entire premise of bluffing.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User and for the record. LifeWise has verbally stated they would welcome any group to do the same- TST included. They can’t ask them to leave, even if they wanted to.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association what is TST?
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association. http://www.NeedGod.com
  • Facebook User: Facebook User realistically though the only way to determine whether there’s favoritism is for someone else to request equivalent access
• Facebook User: It is sad to see indoctrination coming into our public schools.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User. Interesting first name you have when considering your comment. http://www.NeedGod.com
  • Facebook User: Facebook User I agree. Lets remove all this stuff
  • Facebook User: Facebook User same… but same energy as that Chuck too.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User. http://www.NeedGod.com
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Speaking as an educator of over 40 years, oh that is rich! Considering all of the several decades of indoctrination that has been happening in the public school system for decades, and you are concerned that someone might mention God, other than combined with inappropriate language?
• Facebook User: And you should see how well their kids behave as a result of this! This district is nothing but great to work with when we’ve visited for various events. I think the love of Christ is working well there ❤️
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Red letter Jesus or Christian Nationalist Jesus?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User why don’t you go talk to them and find out? I bet they would be happy to honestly show you the good they are doing.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User but it doesnt belong in schools. If the satanic church was doing this would you be judt as happy? Because the satanic church does an ENORMOUS amount of charity work
  • Facebook User: You’re missing the point. Religious recruitment should NEVER be occurring in public schools. Strangers and school staff have absolutely no place indoctrinating other people’s children. My boys also behave well. They both have a long history of honor roll, being invited to join national junior honor society, citizenship awards and are kind and empathetic. They are being raised in a non-religious household. The love of their parents is working here. See how that works? They are my children..strangers have no place indoctrinating my children.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User what sorts of events have you “visited for”? Be very specific. Thanks!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User That sounded like an evil villain talking about brainwashing “working well”.🤣
    Jfc you know there are good kids who aren’t Christian, right?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User no. No it’s not.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User I’d behave too if I was an 8 year old being told I’d go to hell if I talked to a gay kid.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User christ would flip those tables if he knew kids were fundraising in his name for a BUSINESS WORTH MILLIONS. (34.9 million) Lifewise has yet to pay off a single schools lunch debts in all the schools the opperate. So very chrsit-like.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User the “love of Christ” is shorthand for “hate the poor, the hungry, the non-white, the disabled and anyone different.”
  • Facebook User: Facebook User https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/central-ohio-news/former-lifewise-teacher-pastor-pleads-guilty-to-sexual-misconduct-toward-teenager/amp/

    Sure Jan…

  • Facebook User: Facebook User you mean all the kiddie touchers lifewise moves around so they can touch as many kids as possible before they get caught?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User that’s not what Jesus taught. What a hypocrite.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User it’s true. Data backs this up
  • Facebook User: Facebook User My favorite part of Lifewise is that convicted pedophiles can be involved in the program around your kids as long as they say “sorry”.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Those who laugh could use a little of this themselves, no wonder there is so much bullying.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User no. No it doesn’t.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User is that the “study” they paid for and manipulated the data?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User no, its people pissed off and trying to protect our kids from pedophiles and a program that believes it should be on school property and it has a right to infect our kids.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User proud mama bear protecting my kids from religious abuse being promoted on school property.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Keep YOUR religion out of public schools. If you want religion in your child’s school, send them to private church school.
• Facebook User: Statism is a religion, they’re a state school.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User false. But we see the propaganda is working on your very best minds. 🙄
• Facebook User: No, no, no! Not one step into a public school! It’s bad enough that the Republican majority forced schools to allow students to leave during the regular school day!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User please educate me. What students are allowed to leave? I am not trying to argue, I genuinely want to know. I haven’t heard anything about this.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Any student involved in life wise leaves the school during lunch hours to go to church and “learn”.
  • Facebook User: Students whose parents sign them up to attend LifeWise. The program is conducted off school campus and either during a lunch period or a specials period. General education classes are not interrupted.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User general education classes are often interrupted*
  • Facebook User: Facebook User it’s not lunch hour,it’s all day long
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Where does this happen at?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User. http://www.NeedGod.com
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Guess someone feels a little threatened by God?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Lifewise Academy in 3 minutes- what Parents need to KNOW!

    https://youtu.be/g2ga7YHm9uU?si=LCE5t1SOw0gloleS

• Facebook User: I havnt seen anyone that actually goes to this school complain about this! Also they’ve had faith based programs before. And all those school supplies that were given to those students came from the local church!!
  • Facebook User: They think it’s part of the school. That’s the point
  • Facebook User: Facebook User And if a church opted not to give your kid supplies because of your obvious ungratefulness, you would be the first to bitch how they discriminated against your kid. Can’t have it both ways sweetie…..
  • Facebook User: Who thinks that? Cause I promise us parents who have kids who go there know it’s not!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User I am active in a church which donates school supplies each year, but it does not “recruit” in the schools.
  • Facebook User: The children. When a child sees the program’s table placed right at the entrance to their classrooms, they believe LifeWise and religion are a part of school

    They don’t understand the legal line between the school and a church. They just think the school endorses it or it’s a part of school.

    Even worse for the day-to-day, it creates an invisible pressure to join. When kids think a religious program is part of their normal school day, they feel like participating is just what they are supposed to do to.

  • Facebook User: And you know this is exactly how kids feel? Did you ask the kids that go to this school if that’s how that makes them feel? My kids actually go to this school, they didn’t even know anything about this, we didn’t see the booth, and nothing else has been mentioned to them during the school day about this program! And if the majority of parents and staff are ok with it, why are strangers on the internet all up in fits over a school that doesn’t involve them or their kids?
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User Your kids “didn’t notice it” is not the defense you think it is.

    The issue is not whether your particular children happened to see the booth. The issue is whether a public school is allowing an outside religious organization to use school access, school events, school communication, or the school’s institutional credibility to recruit children into its program.

    And “the majority of parents and staff are okay with it” is even less persuasive. Constitutional protections are not decided by majority vote. Public schools have obligations to every student — including the Jewish kid, Muslim kid, atheist kid, LGBTQ kid, Christian kid from a different denomination, and the one family in town willing to say, “No, this is inappropriate.”

    As for the “strangers on the internet” line: public schools are public institutions. What one district normalizes gets copied by another, becomes policy, becomes legislation, and eventually affects families well beyond one building. We know that because we have watched exactly that happen with released-time religious instruction across multiple states.

    So no, we do not need to poll your children before discussing what adults are permitting in a taxpayer-funded public school.

    Your kids not seeing the problem does not mean there isn’t one. And a majority being comfortable with religious favoritism has never made religious favoritism acceptable.

  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User also. How exactly do you think we got the photo? A family who attends your school is made uncomfortable by this. Don’t you care?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User you do understand, aside from the whole separation of church and state thing….you open the door for hate mongering groups like Lifewise, you open the door for every so called religious or actual religious group. My guess is that you would not be ok with that.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User there it is. Exactly that.
  • Facebook User: Just a lot of guessing going on without actually knowing a person! That’s how the internet works anymore!
  • Facebook User: lol have a good day sir!
  • Facebook User: Did you get permission from those in the photos to post it?
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User Is it your first day on the internet, Jessica? No, we did not obtain a signed release from every person visible in a photo of something happening publicly. Cute deflection, though. Now answer the question: why are you more concerned about us showing what happened than about the family at your school who was uncomfortable enough to document it?

    So we’ve gone from ‘nobody complained’ to interrogating the people who showed you that somebody complained. Interesting. And as a side note: Go ask LifeWise about publishing photos of minors with their name, grade and school associated with the pictures. 👀

  • Facebook User: Facebook User wait, so a church actually did what they are supposed to and donate to the community?
  • Facebook User: No. Lifewise did. Lifewise is not a church.
    Although their curriculum IS from a church – the Southern Baptist Convention.

    SBC was founded in 1845 specifically to protect the right of Southern missionaries to own enslaved people, establishing a legacy of utilizing scripture to justify racial hierarchy.

    SBC does not allow women to be leaders in the church. They believe in Full Complementarianism, which dictates that men hold divine authority in the home and church, requiring a wife to submit herself fully to her husband’s authority.

    SNC’s Religious Exclusivism teaches that evangelical conversion is the only path to salvation, explicitly labeling non-believers, those who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and other Christian denominations as unsaved and destined for damnation. This teaching is one of the first that LifeWise emphasizes and children learn that they and their classmates are going to hell unless they believe in god and attend Lifewise (children don’t understand the nuance between “personally accept Christ as your savior” and “attend Lifewise”, so they come back to the school and tell their peers they’re goi g to hell unless they go to Lifewise.

    They also are taught their parents are going to hell if they’re Unmarried or Single-Parents or if an unmarried partner lives in the home. The SBC teaches that cohabitation, raising children out of wedlock, or single-mother households are examples of living in permanent sexual sin. Within children’s programs, this theology implicitly frames non-traditional families as broken or damned, creating deep shame for kids from divorced, single-parent, or unmarried homes.

    The SBC believes in and teaches strict original sin and total depravity. All human beings inherit Adam’s guilt and are born completely corrupted by sin from the moment of conception. (You have “more” depravity if you come from a “broken” home.) Secular education or good behavior is treated as a temporary condition; it’s not enough to be “good.” Until they are saved, children are damned, deserving of hell, and spiritually defective until they undergo a specific evangelical conversion experience to be saved.

    Etc

  • Facebook User: I’m sorry but it’s hard to have a conversation with you when you are nothing but rude and using words like GTFO. You’re not going to get your point across to me by acting like that.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User so you would be ok with a wickens group offering RTRI, Hindu, Seik, Judaism, 7th day Adventist? Because they could also lure children with pizza parties and gifts and time away from school. You are right…I don’t know you. But I do know that things are as bad as I have ever witnessed in this country right now and you have to either take a stand or you lack of a stance is a stance. Not about politics…all about morals, about supporting our democratic republic.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User which faiths exactly?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    This involves our nation.
    This involves all of us everywhere. This should not be in any public schools anywhere.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    Sure, that part is great.
    That’s not the conversation here…..
    Donate, support…. Do not cross school boundaries with religious instruction.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Jesus said remember they will hate you because they hated Him first.
  • Facebook User: You are completely missing the point here and I don’t think you will ever understand.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User that’s what Im basically saying.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Wiccan
• Facebook User: Students are allowed to pray or worship at their place of education, as long as it doesn’t interrupt classroom instruction. Recess, lunch or integrated arts. Most students say a silent prayer before a test or a big event to themselves. No matter what their religion or beliefs are.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User right so no need for Lifewise
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Individual religious rights are unaffected by prioritizing education during education time and religious instruction during family time. Students can read religious texts during personal time at school or pray quietly when needed. We need to recognize that secular education allows for plurality and religious freedom for all. Not allowing state employees or 3rd party groups to promote, encourage or recruit on school grounds during school hours protects the rights of all. Freedom of religion includes freedom FROM religious coercion. Lifewise recruitment on school property during school hours is a threat to that freedom.
• Facebook User: Awesome !
• Facebook User: As sombodys whos kids go to Elgin, this was set up in the gym on an inside wall, it was absolutely optional to enter the gym or not. Their was no requirement to enter the gym to drop off school supplies. The local churches and LifeWise donated thousands of dollars worth of school supplies to children who couldn’t afford it and where set up in the gym so kids and parents could come get what they needed. The local churches do this most years for our district, so much so that they had supplies left over. Again it was not forced in anyway, and you could easily get your supplies and walk right out the door without talking to the LifeWise. So yall honestly have zero idea what your talking about. No other organizations, or local businesses are willing to share money and help our kids.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User removed and updated below
  • Facebook User: Facebook User what you shared is from Elgin, Texas. I believe this photo is from Elgin Local Schools located in Marion, Ohio. So how bout fact check yourself.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User you’re right, Elgin is so small it doesn’t have anything business wise to support the schools.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Yet no one besides this group found it necessary to set up inside a public school.
• Facebook User: Don’t know why no other orgs take advantage of this-our open houses have boy/girl scouts, food pantry, WIC, library, sports leagues,….
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    The story says that typically there are outside groups at this event but for some reason there were not any outside groups being represented at this event except LW.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    Surprised the Catholic agencies aren’t doing that??
• Facebook User: What is wrong with these schools to allow this. They simply caved. Shame on them.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User. http://www.NeedGod.com
• Facebook User: Here is the problem, if they have to keep lifewise out, they have to keep all outside organizations out from these events. At our school, they were there, so was Scouting America ( Boyscouts), Girl Scouts, the YMCA, youth soccer and some others. It’s not that they were the only one’s allowed, they were the only ones that showed up to recruit .
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    Wrong
    This is the only religious institution program entering our public schools. We are not comparing any outside group here. We are specifically talking about religious institutions coming onto public school grounds to interrupt students school days. There should be no religious institution in public schools. Separation of church and state.
• Facebook User: Bless your heart
  • Facebook User: Facebook User for trying to protect these kids! Absolutely! Its a shame they have lazy parents.
• Facebook User: Facebook User
• Facebook User: Id rather kids learn about Jesus than gender ideology. You should be prayed for.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    Pray for yourself
  • Facebook User: Facebook User I’d rather kids learn science and biology beyond your meager understanding.