The impending removal of a Bible verse from just about anything associated with the Parkersburg (W. Va.) South High School wrestling program represents, in the eyes of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, things progressing as they should when the Madison, Wisc.-based atheistic organization is requested by someone locally to address a complaint of an unholy mix of government and religion.
n mid-April, the foundation sent a letter to the school requesting that it take down all references to a Bible verse on the wrestling wall, web site and team T-shirts. Within a few days the district scrubbed Philippians 4:13 off the website and announced plans to repaint the wrestling room. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” is a statement that the Wood County Schools figures won’t wash legally when it comes to explicitly or tacitly approved religious displays. The foundation can give cover for locals making that decision. The idea is that the organization can serve as a flak-catcher in these situations, so the complainer is not the focus of anger (that name isn’t revealed in initial communications), and the district can blame it for forcing the school to do something, sigh, it didn’t really want to do.
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