Appeal Sought of Bible Distribution

Five national organizations have urged a federal appeals court to overturn a judge’s ruling that distribution of Gideon Bibles in a public school does not violate the Constitution.

U.S. District Judge Allen Sharp ruled in May that the Bibles could be distributed to fifth-grade public school students in Rensselaer, Ind., because the school district allows several outside organizations to give out literature in the school. If only the Bible distribution were forbidden, he said, the school system would be indicating official disapproval of religion.

However, the joint appeal filed with the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago says the ruling “places the effective separation of church and state in jeopardy.” The brief, prepared by American Jewish Committee lawyer Joel H. Greenburg of Chicago, says that no court has ever allowed an outside party with a religious purpose to distribute religious material during class time. It also notes that the charter of the Gideons International states that the purpose of the organization is to proselytize for the Christian faith.

Groups joining the American Jewish Committee in the brief include the American Jewish Congress, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, National Council of Churches and Unitarian Universalist Assn.