Gitmo prisoners can't have a Bible, but are given Obama's books

Miami Herald reporter Carol Rosenberg is one of the few media members that extensively covers Guantanamo Bay and the prisoners stationed there. She recently tweeted out the photo featured here, taken in the Gitmo library for detainees, which shows off the fact that their selection of books includes President Barack Obama's books. Rosenberg reports six copies of his books are available.

However, the United States government has a say in what books are stocked in the library, and while detainees can read President Obama's books or get a copy of the Koran, there is one book they will not allow on the library shelves: the Bible.

In 2005, one of the Gitmo detainees, Saifullah Paracha, requested a copy of the Bible to read, along with the works of Shakespeare. Paracha's request was denied, even after his lawyer mailed a brand new copy to the Gitmo chaplain requesting that it be given to him. A government lawyer told him the Bible "violated prison policy."

Paracha filed suit against the government to get a copy of the Bible and other books. In response to the lawsuit, the government claimed they could ban any books that would "incite" prisoners. The government finally did allow the Shakespeare plays into the library, but the Bible remains banned.

Teacher fired for giving student a Bible finally gets justice

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ruled in favor of a New Jersey teacher who was fired for giving a student a Gideon Bible. Walt Tutka, a substitute teacher at Phillipsburg Middle School in the Phillipsburg (New Jersey) School District, was fired in early 2014 after he gave a Gideon Bible to a student who asked about the Bible and told him he didn't have one. You can the see the original story about the firing by clicking here.

In its ruling, the EEOC ruled that there was sufficient cause to believe the school district discriminated against Tutka on the basis of his religion, and retaliated against him for it. Todd Starnes of Fox News uncovered an email from Phillipsburg Middle School assistant principal John Stillo that showed he was hostile towards the Gideons, even to the point of sending police after them. "It has been brought to the administration's attention that Gideons may be near our campus to distribute literature to our students," Stillo wrote in the email memo sent to school staff members. "Please make sure they DO NOT step foot onto our campus at any time. There will be added police and security presence at dismissal."

Tutka, a member of the Gideons Society, was told he violated school district policy after giving a student a Bible, even though Tutka did not initiate the discussion about the Bible. An inquisitive student continually asked him about a Bible verse, and when Tutka showed the student a Bible with the verse in question, the student remarked he had no Bible. In response, Tutka gave him the Bible in hand. The EEOC ruled Tutka did not violate policy and was well within his rights. "You can't just fire people because they happen to hand a Bible to somebody while they are at work," attorney Hiram Sasser of the Liberty Institute (who represented Tutka) said.

With the ruling, the Phillipsburg School District must now reach out to Tutka to make amends. If they do not, the EEOC will assist Tutka in seeking restitution from the district.

Source: Liberty Institute 

LA Times writer: The Bible threatens to limit American liberty

History tells us that, for many of America’s forefathers, the fight for liberty was inspired by their Christian faith, best summed up by the idea that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. According to Los Angeles Times columnist/cartoonist David Horsey, however, the Bible preaches anything but that. In fact, he argues that the Bible preaches a gospel that limits liberty, namely gay rights.

Bibles in state parks? Athiests ain't got time for that!

Nothing gets an athiest's hemp panties in a wad more than the idea of a Bible anywhere but a church pew. Put one on the bedside table in a state park cabin, and that athiest is having to change said hemp panties.

That's exactly what happened in Georgia, where some tool freaked out because the Gideons were putting Bibles in cabins in state parks, free of charge. In his mind, a government owned library can stock a Bible, but a government owned cabin can't, so he used another tool: a lawyer. He threatened to sue, but Georgia's governor had the perfect response to him. To find out what happened, click right here.