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School Uniforms in Tamaqua School District |
Edict Date: 12-09-2005
The Church of Reality finds that the Tamaqua School District of Tamaqua, PA. has violated the religious rights and liberties of all church members in that school district through the imposition of their school uniform policy. The Church of Reality has determined that:
- The School District, a public school system, has implemented a school uniform policy requiring students to wear the uniforms prescribed by the district.
- The School District has a policy allowing students to opt out of the uniform policy based on religious objections.
- The School Board was presented with a letter signed by the First One of the Church of Reality stating that it was within the rights of Realists to refuse school uniforms based on the Sacred Principles.
- The School Board refused to recognize the religious rights of Realists and insisted the Children of Reality wear the uniforms of the state.
- The School Board made it clear to the Children of Reality that they would be suspended if they appeared in school and they were not wearing the uniform.
- The School Board granted a religious exemption to at least one other religion but not to Realists and Christians.
- The School Board has refused to grant a religious exemption to Christian denominations who have asserted their religious rights.
After exchanging email with members of the board, the Church of Reality has determined that the Tamaqua School District is violating the religious freedoms of Realists in its school district. The Church declares:
- That the Principle of Freedom allows members to choose to refuse to wear school uniforms.
- That the Church's policy on Individualism makes it clear that it is church doctrine that school uniforms threaten individuality and free thinking and undermine the culture of diversity necessary for positive evolution.
- That Realists are within their religious rights to choose to refuse to put the Children of Reality in school uniforms.
- That the First One agrees with this choice while recognizing that the individual has the right to make this choice even if the First One did not agree with it.
- That the School Board lacks the power, authority, and wisdom to interpret religious doctrine and that the individual member of a religion is more familiar with their own religion, which includes personal beliefs, than the School Board is. It is up to the individual and the Church, not the state, to determine the meaning of religious doctrine.
- That the School Board is practicing religious discrimination against the Children of Reality and their Christian neighbors in refusing to recognize their religious rights while recognizing the rights of members of other religions.
I remember as a kid seeing pictures of children in Communist countries like Russia, China, and Cuba where children were being raised and supposedly brainwashed by the Communist states. This was in contrast to children in the United States who were being raised to be free. The difference between the free children and the Communist children was that the Communists all wore uniforms and the free children wore whatever they wanted. These school uniforms make America look Communist. That's not the way the Children of Reality should be raised.
In light of this determination, the Church of Reality urges the School Board to follow it's own written policy and to apply the policy equally to members of all religions. The Church of Reality also recognizes the rights of the members of all religions asserting a religious right against the compulsory uniform policy to refuse to send their children to public schools and to join with us to take the necessary steps to enforce our rights to freedom of religion.
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