Evangelical Christian clubs coming to Portland-area public schools, opposition says curriculum is 'hardcore fundamentalist indoctrination'
Hundreds of Portland-area residents are organizing to stop a network of Christian clubs from proselytizing to children on public school campuses.
The Good News Club has been controversial around the country, but Portland may be the first city to organize on such a large scale against the group.
"We think if people have enough information, they'll choose not to do it," said Robert Aughenbaugh, a co-founder of Protect Portland Children. His said the group purchased a full-page advertisement in Wednesday's Willamette Week.
The Good News Club's curriculum includes teaching children that every person is a sinner. In the eyes of many Christians, "sin" is any failure to meet God's standards. The Bible states, for example, that "all have sinned."
"We believe that these doctrines are harmful to 5-year-old children," Aughenbaugh said. "They teach fear. They teach shame."
Missouri-based Child Evangelism Fellowship has already launched Good News Clubs in roughly 4,300 schools nationwide, said program manager John Luck. Now organizers of the religious group want to expand to Portland and its suburbs.
Good News Clubs have been around for roughly 75 years. Good News Across America, the CEF program that runs Good News Clubs, has focused on expanding into a new city every summer since 2008.
This year, Good News Across America is hosting summer Bible schools in partnership with 30 churches in the Portland region. Each church will run a separate program the week of July 21 and, if they have enough volunteers, work to establish a Good News Club at a nearby school in the fall.
Luck declined to name participating churches, though members at Lake Bible Church in Lake Oswego and Sunnyside Community Bible in Damascus said they're involved in at least the summer program and possibly an after-school club.
Luck said he didn't want to pull any churches into controversy by naming them without their permission.
He did provide a list of school districts churches have expressed interest in for Bible clubs. They are:
Portland Public, Tigard-Tualatin, Battle Ground, Oregon City, Hillsboro, David Douglas, Centennial , Reynolds Parkrose, North Clackamas, Lake Oswego and West Linn-Wilsonville.
There are already two Good News Clubs in suburban public schools, said local CEF Evangelical Christian clubs coming to Portland-area public schools, opposition says curriculum is 'hardcore fundamentalist indoctrination' | OregonLive.com: