Steven Williams Case - more factual information

[Steven Jamar]

On Friday, December 17, 2004, at 12:18  PM, JMHACLJ at aol.com wrote:

> The question of how much it is being used/abused I reflected on 
> anecdotally from my experience litigating these cases for nearly 
> twenty years.  A very quick electronic search on Lexis, of Supreme 
> Court briefs, reveals some 300 plus briefs in which the term is 
> employed, and when the precise term "proselytizing" is searched, the 
> number is 151, with the bulk of its uses being -- no surprise -- in 
> cases involving religion in the schools.  And no further surprise, it 
> is principally used by certain members of the usual gang of suspects 
> on one side. 

But even if it used by only one side, that does not mean it is being 
misused or used pejoratively.  Some teachers sometimes proselytize.  
Sometimes what one side would characterize as proselytization the other 
side would as well.  Sometimes the other side would not.

Having been told that both evangelism and proselytization are Christian 
obligations (I understand the first easily enough, but have some 
trouble with the second as a matter of interpretting the gospels), I 
just don't see it as pejorative in general.

>  I think an objective study of the question will bear it out, and may 
> pursue it myself when time allows.
>  
[snip]

>   Proselytizing is a provocative term unless used in a 
> self-deprecating fashion and is likely to do less good than ready 
> substitutes for it.
>
such as?

-- 
Prof. Steven D. Jamar                                 vox:  202-806-8017
Howard University School of Law                       fax:  202-806-8428
2900 Van Ness Street NW	                    mailto:sjamar at law.howard.edu
Washington, DC  20008      http://www.law.howard.edu/faculty/pages/jamar

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust 
doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for 
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth 
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where 
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:19-21
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