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Attorney: 8th Circuit's Graduation Prayer Ruling Discriminates Against Christians
GOP:USA ^ | April 18, 2006 | Jim Brown

Posted on 04/18/2006 8:51:04 AM PDT by TexCon

(AgapePress) -- A civil liberties attorney is objecting to a federal appeals court's decision to side with a former teacher who complained about prayers at a graduation ceremony in an Arkansas school district.

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in favor of Steve Warnock in his dispute with the De Valls Bluff School District, but denied his request to stiffen penalties against the district. The ex-teacher had argued that a 2004 baccalaureate ceremony violated lower-court injunctions by including prayers by ministers, and the appeals court agreed with him, rejecting counter arguments that the baccalaureate ceremony was a student-organized event.

Warnock won an earlier lawsuit accusing the school district of discriminating against him because he is a non-Christian teacher. But attorney John Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, believes it is the court that has shown bias in this case. He feels the Eighth Circuit's ruling discriminates against Christians.

Public events and speeches should not have to be censored or excluded "just because someone mentions Jesus' name," Whitehead insists. However, he points out, many special interest groups and liberal organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union apparently disagree and are willing to fight to make sure any Christian references to or expressions of Christian faith are silenced.

Such organizations purportedly fight for Americans' civil liberties, the Rutherford Institute spokesman notes, "but one thing that I think we really have to understand is that Christians pay taxes, and I don't think it's time for Christians to be second-class citizens." If freedom in America is to be maintained "for everyone, including Christians, Jews and others," he asserts, "we have to stand up and fight. This is not a time to be weak or to avoid an issue."

After all, Whitehead emphasizes, in cases like the one involving the De Valls Bluff School District and other school systems like it, Christians' right to pray or express their faith on campuses and in other academic settings is at stake, "and there are so many children in those schools." Based on the Eighth Circuit Court's ruling and similar ones, he feels the outlook for America's children and their children "does not look good."

The central issue in the debate, the pro-family legal advocate contends, is the question of whether Christians are going to be able to say Jesus' name in public in America. "And if you want to be able to do that," he says, "you're going to have to fight the cases."

Hopefully, Christians can win those cases, Whitehead adds, "but it's going to be uphill. It's going to take time. But anything worthwhile takes time, and it usually takes a fight." And, although the Eighth District erred in siding with Steve Warnock, the constitutional attorney points out that the courts have not always decided in the former teacher's favor.

Last year, Whitehead notes, in Warnock's case against the Arkansas school district that had employed him, a federal jury ruled against the former teacher. The jury found that he had failed to show he was fired by the district because of his allegations of religious discrimination and complaints about Christian prayers.

Copyright © 2006 AgapePress -- All rights reserved.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Arkansas
KEYWORDS: 8thcircuit; arkansas; christianity; court; graduation; ruling; voluntaryprayer

1 posted on 04/18/2006 8:51:06 AM PDT by TexCon
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To: TexCon
Public events and speeches should not have to be censored or excluded "just because someone mentions Jesus' name,"

Leftist think so and so do some so-called libertarians. I see the Church and State bs as nothing but a smokescreen for bigoty against Christians.

2 posted on 04/18/2006 8:57:31 AM PDT by Always Right
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: TexCon
Warnock won an earlier lawsuit accusing the school district of discriminating against him because he is a non-Christian teacher.

I guess maybe we should start offering a moment of non-prayer for these idiots. of course, they don't want equal representation, they want to step on the rights of others...

4 posted on 04/18/2006 9:10:21 AM PDT by trebb ("I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." - Jesus in John 14:6 (RSV))
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To: TexCon

Mention fears of terrorists and the left thinks it's paranoia, but mention Jesus and they run screaming from the room. Ignorant fools, one and all.


5 posted on 04/18/2006 9:25:30 AM PDT by AmericanChef
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To: TexCon

Why is it essential that in a public setting where non Christians are likely to be present, that you feel Jesus name has to be used rather than just sticking with "God". Isnt a basis tenent of Christianity the triune God, that Jesus is one aspect of the one true God along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. If you pray to God, do you really think he is not going to know who you are praying to if you dont use Jesus name? You must think much of your God.


6 posted on 04/18/2006 9:57:34 AM PDT by Dave S
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To: Dave S
Isnt a basis tenent of Christianity the triune God, that Jesus is one aspect of the one true God along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

There is no way to the Father but through Jesus. Also, our religion commands us to go and make disciples. Without mentioning Jesus' name how can we do that. Any prohibition against mentioning Jesus' name is a restriction of the free exercise of our religion and is unconstitutional.

(Note that speech is protected and that mentioning a name does no one any harm. As opposed to human sacrifice or other illegal 'religious' activities)

7 posted on 04/18/2006 10:55:43 AM PDT by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: Dave S
If you pray to God, do you really think he is not going to know who you are praying to if you dont use Jesus name?

Sorry. Missed this before. We are commanded to ask our prayers in Jesus name.

8 posted on 04/18/2006 10:57:02 AM PDT by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: Dave S

Don't know the Word of God do you?


9 posted on 04/18/2006 12:49:19 PM PDT by Spirited
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To: Spirited
Don't know the Word of God do you?

Know enough to know that if parading around Jesus name is your idea of the Word, than Jesus is likely to say I never knew you.

10 posted on 04/18/2006 7:18:37 PM PDT by Dave S
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To: John O
our religion commands us to go and make disciples. Without mentioning Jesus' name how can we do that
11 posted on 04/18/2006 7:23:56 PM PDT by Dave S
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To: John O
our religion commands us to go and make disciples. Without mentioning Jesus' name how can we do that

And who gave you the right to prosletize for Jesus during a public, sectarian school event? Do you want Satanists to have the same right to pray in the name of Lucifer because Satan demands his disciples to lead everyone to Hell?

12 posted on 04/18/2006 7:24:40 PM PDT by Dave S
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To: Dave S

It's a matter of the student's having a right to bring in who they desire. If the student body chooses to have an Imam speak and he does praying to Allah, well they invited him and he has that freedom. Many of the students who speak as well attribute their success to their relationship with Jesus. Some people can't even handles this. It would appear to them like the student had just used some forbidden profanity.


13 posted on 04/19/2006 3:13:32 AM PDT by TexCon ("Strike while the iron is hot, and make it hotter by striking"-Oliver Cromwell)
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