This isn't much different from giving Jerry Falwell or the Pope a mic so they might deliver a speech at the graduation.
That would be an obvious endorsement.
Only to a fool. SCOTUS case law, the shambles that it is, on establishement jurisprudence has what's known as a common sense test.
If the Pope is invited to speak, would an outside observer think that the Pope was representing the views of himself and the Catholic Church or the government.
Admittedly a few fools would choose B but the overwhelming preponderance of people would understand that the Pope was reflecting his views.
Which group are you part of?
You confused the word "endorsement" with "estatblishment." Words mean things.
You really need to brush up on history and re-read the Constitution... ALL of it.
Yeah, and God knows those two men wouldn't have anything of value to say to young high school graduates. /sacrasm
btw, your analogy is terrible. A high school graduate merely expressing HER OWN PERSONAL BELIEF that God blessed her with academic abilities does not proclaim to the general public that the school she is graduating from is endorsing her beliefs. The girl was silenced, and silenced in a nation that once prided itself on the freedom of speech and the freedom to worship and believe as one wishes. In this regard, we have become no different than the post WWII Soviet Union, or the present day Communist China.
I think everyone at the graduation commencement fully understood that the high school is secular in nature, and that it certainly does not promote God. The crass, fearful, God-censuring behavior of the school officials more than proves that point.
Not really. I don't think colleges who call in Rev Jesse Jackson or Rev Al Sharpton, for example, for speeches or for even a commencement speech, aren't endorsing their religiosity at all.
I suppose the distinction is that Jesse and Al would be considered for their civil rights records, not because of their roles as religious leaders. Still, I don't think the fact that someone is invited to speak is a religious leader is necessarily an obvious endorsement of their religios point of view.
Even if that were true, there is no Constitutional endorsement prohibition. When's the last time you actually read the Constitition? From all appearances, it's been a long time, if ever.