The Todd Becker Foundation is a Christian ministry that travels throughout the Midwest putting on assemblies in public schools with the explicit purpose of converting students to its brand of evangelical
Christianity which can be found on the foundation’s website: “The Foundation’s purpose is to motivate high school students to discover their potentials and ultimately discover themselves by placing their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.”
In this case, there are apparent church-state violations. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent warning letters to 350 schools and published a report called, “Closing the Doors: Why the Todd Becker Foundation Must Not be Allowed in Public Schools.” The FFRF wanted to inform the District of its obligation to protect students from proselytizing adults while they are at school, and to warn of the legal ramifications of permitting religious ministries to proselytize to your students, the letter says.
According to the FFRF, the Todd Becker Foundation has religious purposes and specific strategy. At each school it puts on two separate assemblies. The first is an afternoon assembly held during school hours that focuses on two questions: "Where is your life headed?" and "Where will you go when you die?" During the in-school assembly, students are encouraged to "take the narrow path," a reference to a bible verse that the program centers around, Matthew 7:13. The second assembly takes place in the evening and involves proselytization and a presentation of the foundation's full faith-based, Christian message.
The Todd Becker Foundation is only focused on one thing: evangelizing. When students are enticed through the assembly into talking with foundation member about very personal issues in their lives, such as physical or emotional abuse, drug or alcohol use, or other serious concerns, the only solution offered by the foundation is Christianity.
FFRF’s report “Closing the doors” describes a story about two lesbian girls and how Todd Becker Foundation ‘successfully’ ended their relationship:
The team member and Keith Becker sat down with the minors and “showed them through Scripture how this was not God’s plan for their lives and how Satan had twisted their perception of God.” One of the girls ended up saying, “I don’t want to be homosexual anymore.” The other replied, “I would rather burn in hell forever than be straight.” The foundation summed up the story: “Their lesbian relationship ended that night with one heart surrendered to Christ and one heart still in rebellion towards God.”
This is particularly disturbing because the foundation actually doesn’t offer solutions to students’ troubles but the so-called consolation in biblical verses which often causes even more damage to individuals.
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