I'm always curious when I see religious entities put on school presentations that are paid for by us, the taxpayer. And more so when I see that the TEA (Texas Education Agency) funds it. That looks to be the case for "Life Choices", which is about to put on a series of presentations that presumably are elective at some schools in Parker County.(Note that I think it's great when churches encourage their congregations to make good life choices... but I think it needs to be done.. in church, and  be supported by their congregation and not the state).

Who sponsors this?

Life Choices Presents, a ministry founded by John and Debbie Phillips, Rachel Scott’s aunt and uncle, is scheduled to give presentations at several Parker County schools this week.

As further evidence this is a religious program, look at the local churches who are sponsoring it.

Trinity Bible Church, along with First Baptist Church of Aledo, Aledo United Methodist Church and Oakridge Church of Christ, is sponsoring the Life Choices program.

Life Choices has occasionally drawn criticism from constitutional advocates and newspapers for allegedly interjecting Christian, faith-based messages and literature during some school presentations.

What might some of those be?First off, here's a guy who travelled with the Phillips and was thrilled to be sharing the gospel in high schools.

The next school we did was just north of San Jose in Richmond (Oakland) at John F. Kennedy High School.  This area is full of gangs and drugs, mostly black and Hispanic students. The principal said they never bring all 800 students into the gym at the same time for an assembly because fights always break out. We talked them into bringing them all in at the same time for our event.

Not only did we hold their respectful attention (without any fights) for an hour, but afterward on the gym floor led 6 of them in professions of Christ! One Muslim girl, dressed in her head garb, came up afterward crying. John asked her if our program offended her in any way. She replied, “No! It touched me deeply!” Debbie laid hands on her and prayed for her in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth for a family need she was grieving. ..

God has been so good and so faithful in opening doors and using us out on the road, not just to shake things up, but also to see those who are hurting healed and made free in Christ! I can't imagine doing anything else at this point in my life!

 I see that Grapevine/Colleyville CANCELLED the presentations. According to the article, it was both because of religious examples as well as because it was promoting an abstinence only sex program. In this article, the author says that the program is blatantly religious in nature. While I was reading the description, it reminded me of a lot of the presentations I used to attend in my Southern Baptist church... and if she is right, then hauling a cross on the stage at the end is not the right thing to do. In 2003, in Grand Rapids, students walked out of the assembly because of its featuring religious appeals and distributing a book containing Bible writings- the principal of the school later apologized.

Rockford administrators said they felt misled by the couple.

"Prior to the assembly, they told us they would not make faith-based religious references," Kelley wrote in a letter read to students Tuesday by their second-hour teachers. "Additionally, they were not given permission to distribute their book."

Assistant Principal Steve Lewis said none of the promotional videos or mailings the school received before the assembly indicated any religious content. Administrators were unaware religious books would be available, he said.

"We had no heads-up on the literature until there it was on the table," Lewis said. "I felt they kind of pulled a fast one."

It isn't only the presentation. They have religious materials for sale. 

Products for sale on the Life Choices Web site include books describing Scott’s dedication to Jesus Christ, curriculum sets for teaching teenagers life values and CDs featuring Scott’s aunt and uncle singing Christian-themed songs.

Sara Mallet, a speaker in the Life Choices Presents program, said the group understands what its rights are in schools. She said the program is not preaching or proselytizing.

“It’s definitely mentioned that [Christianity] is what [Scott] believed, and we share some of her journals where that is talked about,” Mallet said. “But we really tell kids this is what Rachel believed. We live in the United States of America. Whatever you believe, you should celebrate that, and you’re definitely not supposed to die for what you believe.”

And, as far as I'm concerned, you're definitely not supposed to be using public taxpayer money to prosyletize in schools.