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California.. Fight over "In God We Trust" Banner Goes to Supreme Court?
cbs47 | 1-24-12 | cakid1

Posted on 01/24/2012 9:34:28 PM PST by cakid1

You may have heard of this case.

For about 25 years high school teacher Bradley Johnson had banners in his class that said:

"In God We Trust" "One Nation Under God" "God Bless America"

But then, someone complained.

It went to court.

In the first round - Federal District Judge Robert T. Benitez sided with the teacher.

(He said the Poway School District was opposing Johnson's First Amendment rights.)

But then the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision.

The banners came down.

But now, the Thomas More Law Center, has "taken up a petition with the Supreme Court" to argue the case.

According to The Christian Post..

" Officials removed the [God] banners from his classroom, but at the same time allowed Tibetan prayer flags and images of the Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama, as well as posters of American Muslim Malcolm X, Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi, and other religious displays to remain in other classrooms."


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Religion
KEYWORDS: ingodwetrust

1 posted on 01/24/2012 9:34:32 PM PST by cakid1
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To: cakid1

People with nothing better to do.


2 posted on 01/24/2012 9:36:15 PM PST by doc1019 (Romney will never get my vote!)
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To: cakid1

In God We Trust is our official national motto and is on our coinage. I can’t imagine how anyone can lucidly argue that it is unconstitutional to display.


3 posted on 01/24/2012 10:16:58 PM PST by Persevero (Homeschooling for Excellence since 1992)
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To: Persevero

He is obviously taking three references to God and placing them in such a way as to promote religion in the classroom. He is pushin it and he shouldn’t be, not in school.

Nobody should be preaching in school on any subject, whether it be lifestyle, green spirtuality or whatever.

What if instead he had put three sentences up on the wall that read, It is a gay day, The weather outside was so nice it made him feel gay or The happiest word in the dictionary is gay.

Would anyone believe this was just an English lesson?

Putting up the three references to God as this guy did makes it a religious lesson. This not a test about what is on our coins and national slogans. He is pushing religion in the classroom. That is too obvious.


4 posted on 01/25/2012 4:12:12 AM PST by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: gunsequalfreedom

You should win a booby prize for the most liberal post of the day.


5 posted on 01/25/2012 6:15:50 AM PST by ohioman
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To: ohioman
You should win a booby prize for the most liberal post of the day.

That would be the most conservative post of the day. I believe schools should be for teaching reading, writing and arithmatic. And if someone wants to add religion into their childs school education then they send their kid to a church school.

That is the conservative position.

6 posted on 01/25/2012 7:31:37 AM PST by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: gunsequalfreedom

Indeed it is pushing it. But does not our national motto push it?

Do not the preambles to every state constitution push it?

Our Constitution guarantees freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.

As to the statements about being gay, I don’t know the last time you visited a public school classroom, but that sort of thing can be prevalent. At least here in California. A counselor’s office I visited had gay pride pics, rainbow flags, trans-sexual art prints, “gay friendly” stickers, etc. etc. etc. I wrote a letter of complaint.

So the problem is, you can have Che Guevara on your wall, or Harvey Milk, or eco-terrorist junk, or Freudian philosophy, or Kwanzaa posters - there’s only ONE THING you can’t have -

that would be anything Christian in nature.

Which is wrong.

If there can be NO promotion of anything, then they must take down Earth Day, Cesar Chavez, Kwanzaa, Solstice, and everything else.

And if you have no point of view in a textbook, really picky picky NO point of view - you have no textbook.


7 posted on 01/25/2012 11:40:42 AM PST by Persevero (Homeschooling for Excellence since 1992)
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To: Persevero
Indeed it is pushing it. But does not our national motto push it?

Our national motto states it, it does not push it. It should state it. We are a nation under God.

This teacher was not stating it. He is pushing it. He should be teaching in a parochial school.

In my conservative viewpoint, I don't want the anyone preaching in school to my kids. I will teach them myself. I don't want alternate lifestyle preaching, I don't want religious preaching. I don't want this teacher's version of Chritianity preached. I want my kids taught reading, writing, arithmetic and wood shop.

It is my responsiblity to raise them in their religious teaching. I do not want to hand over to the school district that responsiblity.

You and I are in complete agreement on those other religions that are being promoted. I just don't see that me pushing mine on the schools is any way to make a statement that none should be pushed.

8 posted on 01/25/2012 7:59:37 PM PST by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: gunsequalfreedom

In God We Trust is not pushing a religion!


9 posted on 01/26/2012 6:15:07 AM PST by ohioman
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To: ohioman
In God We Trust is not pushing a religion!

That is not what I said. You either did not read my post or are taking my comments out of context. Not trying to be harsh. You and I agree on your statement so if I misunderstand your post, please let me know.

10 posted on 01/26/2012 2:16:14 PM PST by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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