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Pamphlets on atheism placed at 11 Orange County schools

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — After 15 weeks of fighting with the Orange County school board, several groups will now be allowed to supply 11 high schools with atheist materials for teens.

The groups only started urging for this after Bibles were allowed to be available to students in January.

The literature was placed at Boone High School Thursday.

David Williamson of Central Florida Freethought Community said he has been working since January to get the information out to high school students.

"We want to make sure that we have an opportunity to distribute our materials and everyone else does as well, so this is not about the Bible, this is about equality," said Williamson.

The organizations backing Williamson said they want the teens to be able to choose what they believe or don't believe.

"Teens are under a lot of pressure to be conforming with whatever they think is the norm," said self-proclaimed humanist Herb Pleiman.

No one from any of the organizations will be allowed to be at the table where the pamphlets will be.

But not only has there been resistance from the Christian community, some school board members and parents have been opposed to the pamphlets as well.

"Being able to have atheist literature, I think, they would be confused as far as being able to hear God's word," said self-described Christian Jacob Crosby.

The pamphlet has a page torn off because the school district did ban some portions of the literature having to do with donations and parts that dissected certain Bible quotes.

The group said it plans to fight that ban in court if necessary.

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