Posted on 11/16/2004 9:06:20 AM PST by Lindykim
For the Catawba County (North Carolina) School District, it was three strikes and you're out. River Bend Middle School had allowed school supporters – such as tire dealers, security companies, and other churches to purchase advertising space on the school's athletic field. When the Oxford Baptist Church asked to display a sign with the Bible verse: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God," (1 Corinthians 10:31), their request was denied. When negotiations were fruitless, ADF attorney Gary McCaleb sued the school district in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina for violating the church and its members First Liberty – religious freedom. After a lot of hard work – thanks be to God – the school district has finally given up and agreed to settle.
Gary says: "We're thankful. The school district is paying the legal costs, and both sides now agree on the legal principles that regulate equal access to school property for community groups. It is important that school boards recognize the First Amendment applies equally. Government officials may not exclude a church from these types of programs merely because the group speaks from a religious viewpoint."
Thank you making another victory – and one that would have probably been lost by default in the past – possible because of your faithful prayers and support.
"It's OK to Say Merry Christmas!" On Friday, November 5th, ADF sent letters to every state board of education and National Education Association (NEA) chapter, explaining what current law allows regarding the celebration of Christmas in public schools.
The letter was also sent to the Department of Education and the national NEA office. It is our hope that the letters will be helpful in educating school officials that "it's OK to say Merry Christmas."
For more information on ADF's legal effort to defend and protect the public celebration of Christmas, please visit our website: www.telladf.org.
Thank You, Mr. Attorney General… Last week, Attorney General John Ashcroft stepped down from his post after four years of dedicated service. The attorney general is a man who loves his country very much and is devoted to God's righteousness. In his resignation memo to his employees, he concluded: "As I take my leave of this privileged post, I know that our efforts have not been in vain. The Builder of our city and the Author of our freedom has stood beside us. He stands beside us still." Amen. God bless you, Mr. Attorney General
I suppose this is the wrong time to mention how totally obnoxious I find it to hear "Merry Christmas!" when it's still NOVEMBER ...
Have a nice day, anyway :-).
(Just picked you at random for my rant, MM)
Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools are incredible ... the theft and corruption, as much as the moral and social climate. Thank God we couldn't afford the house we liked that was in Mecklenburg County!
It can happen more readily than you imagine. In fact there are several proposals for tax credits and the like.
"That would make no sense unless you were trying to make some point. Kinda like saying "have a nice day on April 22nd". No need to differentiate."
I'm not sure that, were I to wish another person to have a Merry Christmas, that I would be trying to "make some point" -- other than to wish the other person a degree of happiness on a day that is special to me.
I don't make it a habit to wish people happy April 22nd's (Unless, of course, they are, like me, from Nebraska.)
Isn't it rather sad that we've reached the point where the mere wishing of "Merry" on a particular day means, to some, that the person making such a wish is "trying to make some point"??
I don't look at it the same way as you. You made the exception, not me. You just couldn't bring yourself to consider a scenario that didn't include some reference to a day that has meaning to you, but not necessarily the other person. Instead of have a nice day, it's "have a nice day on a certain day", one of your choosing.
I don't think it's a problem to say Merry Christmas, some might, but I just question why someone would would wish someone a greeting about a religious holiday which they might not belong to. It makes no sense.
Unless someone wanted to secularize a religious holiday. Kinda like Christmas has been secularized.
I'm not talking about you.
Is it really a victory if the case is settled out of court?
It's at best a draw - nothing is resolved.
I'd say yes, because the school district has agreed that they violated the First Amendment rights of the church. If they'd made a financial settlement without a clear agreement on the principle, then that wouldn't be a victory that made the free speech point.
When I looked again at the article, they said, " ... both sides now agree on the legal principles that regulate equal access to school property for community groups." I'm not sure whether, in practice, that means the church puts their sign up, or whether "equal access" means there won't be any community signs!
It's interesting that there is no public school ban on the Religion of Homosexuality.
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