Church play to get ACLU probe

The Muskegon Chronicle ^ | 6/2/06 | Lynn Moore

[dukeman]

Wow! Looks like a big one slipped through here somehow. I'm a Bible-believing Christian and do some evangelism of my own, but I have to say I have concerns about these events. What if the Muslim Student Alliance had put on an "Ali & the 72 Virgins" show?

[Ptarmigan]

Someone should probe and audit the ACLU.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Someday, I hope, Americans will wake up and start bringing counter lawsuits against these pinheads for harassment and interfering with their First Amendment rights.

[LuxMaker]

"The Last Call," based on the Bible's Book of Revelations, was presented to students at Muskegon Heights High School last December and at Muskegon's Steele Middle School in April.

New one to me. I didn't know there was a "Bible's Book of Revelations". Once again the press is talking out of their ignorance.

The gay and lesbian groups preach all the time in public schools in mandatory assemblies. I think it is about time equal access was enforced.

[MAexile]

The ACLU began an investigation after The Chronicle on Sunday published an article about the school presentations.

They found out about this from the newspaper? Not contacted by a parent?

In other words: "I need to justify my existence, I think I'll sue over something I find offensive but no-one complained about"

[dukeman]

Yeah, I often see the media refer to the Book of Revelations. Ignorance reigns.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

ACLU founder Roger Baldwin, who zealously sought to recreate America in the Soviet image, once said: "I have continued directing the unpopular fight for the rights of agitation, as director of the American Civil Liberties Union. I seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class and sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal."

[dukeman]

Oh, no doubt Baldwin was a major league red and the ACLU is a pernicious cancer in our society. I just think the event described in this story stepped over the line of the Establishment Clause. I know the kids weren't harmed in any real sense and some of them may even be thinking about their souls for the very first time!

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

I don't know just who in the hell the a.c.l.u. think they are but they have absolutely NO RIGHT to investigate anything!There is no law against this type of performance,therefore no investigation is warranted.They should have a "goon"squad at the door to deny entrance to the performance by the a.c.l.u.

[sageb1]

Why do they still receive public funding?

[FormerACLUmember]

The Book of Revelations is pure poetry, an astonishing allegorical work of art, and one of the great works of literature in history.

The ACLU has as one of its goals the complete elimination of religion in general, and Christianity in particular, from public discussion. And since the ACLU was founded by Stalinists as a communist front in the 1930's.. all areas of human life are considered "public."

[calex59]

Havig religion in schools does not step over the first amendment. Forbidding it does. Read the whole thing, you know the part about "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", that part, the one that guarantees us freedom of religion. NO where in the clause does it say we must keep religion out of public places, there is no serperation of church and state, merely the prohibition of forming a state religion.

[Jaysun]

I don't know just who in the hell the a.c.l.u. think they are but they have absolutely NO RIGHT to investigate anything!There is no law against this type of performance,therefore no investigation is warranted.They should have a "goon"squad at the door to deny entrance to the performance by the a.c.l.u.

They aren't a law enforcement agency. The church / school should tell them to drink bleach when they show up with their magnifying glasses.

[Skooz]

I just think the event described in this story stepped over the line of the Establishment Clause.

Seeing as how this play is not an establishment of religion by congress, it is NOT in any way a violation of the first amendment.

[dukeman]

Everything in your #12 is granted. I just mean the current case law would say this was an Establishment violation.

In Christ,
dukeman

[pankot]

It's the "Book of Revelation", no "s".

[calex59]

Only if the judge is a flaming liberal. Give this case and others like it to the federal supreme court and see how it is ruled.

[thomaswest]

Someday, I hope, Americans will wake up and start bringing counter lawsuits against these pinheads for harassment and interfering with their First Amendment rights.

There is no 1st Amendment right or any other right to impose one religious viewpoint on others.

If you consider some religious people as "pinheads", that is your opinion. One man's "true faith" is to another a cult.

The Constitution does not give you or anyone the power of government to advance your faith. You may speak freely, as an individual or private group, but you may not use the police to arrest people as 'infidels' or for blasphemy. You may not use public schools to inculcate a faith belief in prayer. You may not use taxpayer funds to promote one faith perspective.

In every time, priests, preachers, shamans, psychics, palm-readers, astrologers, faith healers, and other non-productives have tried to capture the power of government to protect their status.

Our government is to be secular. Secular means "without regard to faith". It is neutral as regards differing faith beliefs.

Neutral is to be government policy in all public areas. Faith-belief is protected as a personal matter.

[Tax Government]

The ACLU somehow acquires standing to bring suit. Denying them standing is the way to fight them, I believe.

[FlingWingFlyer]

See Post #4. There is no First Amendment right to force sexual deviancy down the throats of others either. The schools and the ACLU seem to be okay with it though.