Prayer Banned From High School Graduation (Munford, Tennessee)

WREG.com ^ | 521/06 | Daralene Jones

[GailA]

Munford, TN- Graduation is a time to celebrate accomplishments and successes to come. At Munford High School, in the middle of all the pomp and circumstance, there is normally time set aside on the program for prayer. This year God is being deleted from the program. "I just don't think it's right," Parent Dena Harden says. It's hard for students and parents to accept. Since they can remember prayer has been part of the program. "They've done it at every other graduation. Why should it be taken away at ours," Graduating Senior Nick Jones says.

But they also feel like their religion is being attacked. After all this is the "bible belt." And in Munford, like many communities in the Mid-South churches are hardly difficult to come by. And just like with religion, those for prayer at the ceremony say those against it always have a choice not to participate.

We weren't able to talk to school district leaders on camera. But the Superintendent says they have a responsibility to comply with state and federal laws and this year they took a close look at it and they feel its in the best interest of the school system. Some students disagree. "How is it in the best interest of the school system," Smith questions.

And parents like Mrs. Harden say even if the district really goes through with its decision, they won't be able to fully remove God from the service. "They might win this, but God will still be with us," Harden says.

We did try very hard to get ahold of those students who don't want prayer at the graduation, but were unsuccessful. And the Superintendent says those who want to pray on their own at the ceremony will be able to so.

[GailA]

They can teach our children all day long about Islam, but heaven forbid they mention our GOD in any way, shape or form.

[BW2221]

If they pray to Allah the merciful, the all powerful (or whatever crap the Muzzies say) the courts and the ACLU probably won't have any objection.

[ishabibble]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635854/posts
This is a Saudi textbook. (After the intolerance was removed.)

I don't know if this link will work, but it's on the News board. Beyond frightening, these Muslims are the students that the Mumford students will one day face on a battlefield.

Last week, in OK, a young Marine was not allowed to participate in his HS graduation because he would not cover his dress uniform. God help this country.

[stephenjohnbanker]

That is TRULY sick!!

[Almondjoy]

Why don't they just allow all religions to say a prayer before the ceremony begins?

Representation of all means endorsment of none.

[do the dhue]

Congress shall pass no law to establish a religion or limit the free exercise there of.

What the First Amendment means is Congress can not make a law that says you have to go to the Catholic or Baptist or Hindu church. It is unlawful for Congress to limit your right to freely exercise your religion.

In this case a Superintendent is limiting our right to pray. If Congress has no right to make law that limits the free exercise of religion, then who and what is giving this Superintendent the right to take away a inalienable right (a God given right)? Is this Superintendent a Higher Power? A Super Higher Power that is allowed to take away our God given rights?

How are we going to stop this? I have written Bill O'Reilly. I don't know if that will work, but sometimes he is all over this kind of story. I have contacted my Congress and President too. Anybody got any other ideas besides calling in a air strike?

[BW2221]

When I first saw your post, I read "OR" rather than "OK". I would expect this from the Peoples' Republic of Oregon ... but Oklahoma???

[BW2221]

Writing O'Reilly is a good idea. He's one of the few willing to try to put an end to stuff like this and he wields a lot of clout.

I used to have faith in Sean Hannity, but he seems to have devoted his life exclusively to following the Duke Lacrosse case.

[freddymuldoon]

Look at how they are trying to bring Muslim prayer into Seattle public schools.

http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/006180.html

[OmegaMan]

They do already allow that. But what these students want is a government endorsement of their prayer/religion by setting up a time and forcing everybody else to sit quiet and listen, and thats why its wrong. They should just get together on their own at some time during the ceremony (before it seems like the best time) and pray on their own.

[OmegaMan]

You are free to pray in school as long as youre not disrupting a class, this isnt a problem for christian students, but with muslims they have to get down on a rug and go through a big rigmarole to pray. Thats disruptive in and of itself. But if you'd try to keep them from doing that then youre giving them less rights than other students have. I dont know what the solution is.

[freddymuldoon]

It means they have to set aside a room just for them where they can put down a prayer rug 5 disruptive times a day. After they get done praying they get all charged up to do JIHAD on their fellow infidel students!!!

I'm willing to bet that the Iranian jihadi that ran over those students a couple months ago probably went to prayer before doing this.

Johnny Jihad has never had it so good with the Marxist in our schools doing everything to suppress the Christians and supporting the jihadis.

[freddymuldoon]

Should you be required to change the name of your 100 year old Christian club to cowtow to the wants of the jihadis?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635935/posts

[OmegaMan]

Ive thought of that myself (a prayer room), but that seems like giving them extra priveleges that others dont have. Plus I dont see how you could make time for them to do it 5 times a day. I would say they are free to pray the way other students are, but the prayer room and making time 5 times a day is disruptive. Thats not just being free to pray on their own, thats turning the school into a mosque.

[Liz]

Back during an infamous era, Sen Joe McCarthy went looking for Communist infiltration into the US government.

Now, New Age ACLU types, Planned Parenthood, and its liberal NEA acolytes, are out to destroy any remnant of Christianity in our school systems.

These people are on notice: Any attempt to sanitize the education system will be construed as an attack on Christians and will be met with voters' retribution.

The continued attacks on Christianity----and the foundations of Christianity and our Christian-based government----emanating from our schools, our legislatures, our courts, and in the public square, sets the stage for the task ahead.

Christians must demand candidates and incumbents immediately take a stand against Planned Parenthood, the NEA, the norotious ACLU----and any other group---which terrorizes Christians, and employs tyranny against Christians, whether through the schools, the legal system, the political system, the airwaves, or elsewhere. Wherever Christian-hating surfaces.

All candidates should be queried on these issues----any candidate (or incumbent) holding anti-prayer, anti-life, pro-gay, and pro-sex-ed positions evidences a hatred toward Christians. These candidates should be advised that they cannot be seriously considered for public office at any level of our government.

Politicans must be reminded they will not get the votes of Christians unless they actively get into the fray, and vociferously oppose Christian-hating, anywhere and everywhere Christian-hating surfaces.

96% of Americans celebrate Christmas. Christians have the numbers, the power, and the motivation with which to defeat any candidate who aligns him/herself with the forces of Chritian-hating. Politicians will soon get the message that Christians mean business.

[Crawdad]

Or John Gibson.

[freddymuldoon]

But that's the whole goal: to turn America into a jihadi nation along with every country that has not imposed sharia on the infidel.

What do you think of the Muslims running America?

[freddymuldoon]

Students Make A Stand For Their Rights, Defy ACLU And Judge’s Order To Censor

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635908/posts

[Polybius]

Prayer Banned From High School Graduation (Munford, Tennessee)............... "They've done it at every other graduation. Why should it be taken away at ours," Graduating Senior Nick Jones says.

Here we go again.............

Look, folks, there is not a School District or Judge or Court that can have prayer "BANNED" from a High School graduation.

Here is all you need to do:

Judge: No prayer at graduation (But KY students ignore ACLU ruling, recite Lord's Prayer!)

A School District can exclude prayer from the official program.

A Judge can order a School District to exclude prayer from the official program.

However, when, at a designated signal, the parents and students all rise and start reciting whatever prayer they agreed upon to recite, that right is absolutely protected by the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment and there is absolutely nothing that the School District or any Judge or any Court can do about it.

It is exactly the same as Jury Nullification.

A Judge might lecture you about what the law says and what witness statements you must ignore and what issues you should consider in your verdict. However, once you are in the Jury Room, you can give the Judge the finger and reach your vote verdict for whatever private reasons you damn well please even if the reason is nothing more than to piss off the Judge. (Just keep your reasons to yourself.)

[freddymuldoon]

BTW the offended soul that sought to ban the Christian prayer that the Christian prayer is MUSLIM.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/011508.php

May 20, 2006
Muslim student, ACLU fight graduation prayer
Attempt at cultural intimidation in Louisville, Kentucky. From WorldNetDaily, with thanks to Tombeth:

A federal judge in Louisville, Kentucky, granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting a prayer from being said during graduation ceremonies at an area high school after a Muslim student on the planning committee objected and garnered the help of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Arshiya Saiyed, a senior at Russell County High School, said she was working on plans for the ceremony, scheduled for last night, with the senior panel when the issue came up, according to WHAS-TV in Louisville.

"Terms like Jesus Christ, heavenly father, I talked about the fact I was Muslim and the prayers in the past were offensive to me," the 17-year-old said.

Saiyed claimed that almost immediately after objecting to the prayer, she was harassed by a group of students. One student told her he wanted her out of the country, she related to WHAS.