Posted on 03/08/2007 11:59:23 AM PST by Islander7
TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) -- The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Newark public school district, saying a school's decision to hold its graduation ceremonies in a Baptist church violated a Muslim student's religious freedom.
The New Jersey ACLU said Wednesday that it was suing the school district because its decision to hold graduation in the church prevented West Side High School senior Bilal Shareef, a Muslim, from attending. Shareef's religious beliefs forbid him from entering a building with religious images, the civil liberties group said.
The incident violated provisions in the state constitution prohibiting public institutions from showing a preference for certain religious sects over others; compelling people to attend a place of worship; and segregating or discriminating against public school students because of their religious principles, the ACLU-NJ asserts.
"Schools should not sponsor activities that exclude some students from participation on the basis of religious belief," said ACLU-NJ's legal director, Ed Barocas, who is representing Shareef and his father.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
"Before going off on a Muslim over this, remember that a conservative Jew is also forbidden from entering, or even going close to, a church due to the idolatry issue."
We could go into the basement --- just not the chapel proper or the alcove.
Went to a lot of receptions and skipped the weddings, in my youth. First in line for the booze. :)
Yeah, I know all that. When I was younger Catholics were discouraged from entering protestant Churches. That is when I decided that it was just silly. I have been in Buddhist Temples, Mosques, Jewish Temples and Catholic Churches with no ill effects. It is the only area where our courts uphold allowing a person to be offend and thus prevent everyone else from partaking of something (ie. Christian/Jewish churches).
The discrimination must be stopped and not defended in the name of one religions rules. My religion is against homosexuality, but I don't notice the court allowing me to be offended by that and outlawing the behavior. Rules should apply equally to everyone, not just the easily offended Muslims.
Dear ACLU and muslim student,
Please take into account that your average American cares more about what they are eating than this students discomfort. If he wants special rights because of his religion, he'll just have to toughen up and deal without. It will make him a stronger person and teach him to be more tolerant to the majority instead of the other way around. We conservatives do not wish to have our money spent on this student and wish for this to just roll over and die. If this angers you, just remember, we have guns.
Ryan
I wonder how they forced him into the church. Tear gas? Water cannon? I didn't read _anything_ in the article about him being forced into the church. Seems to me he could have opted out of the ceremony if his beliefs were so strong. NO church service was taking place. This is nothing more than the ACLU trying to further distort the already twisted establishment clause (and also line their wallets with some taxpayer money). Here we have the ACLU making the outrageous argument that simply holding a sectarian service in a church building amounts to an establishment of religion. Think again before you support them - this is the same justification that is used to ban Christmas carols at schools. I don't support tyranny of the individual whim.
There is nothing in the tenets of the Baptist teaching that would forbid someone from participating in a public school graduation ceremony that happened to be conducted in a mosque. It would be an individual choice not to do so.
No one is forced to attend the graduation ceremony. They can just not participate and obtain the diploma in some other fashion.
That does sound silly and contrived. Modern Christians don't take the second Commandment as far as Jews and Muslims, so there's really no basis, except for fear of conversion, to forbid entering another denomination's church.
But with the Jews and Muslims, it's about idolatry.
My religion is against homosexuality, but I don't notice the court allowing me to be offended by that and outlawing the behavior.
Some day soon in San Francisco a public school will have its graduation in a gay bath house, and then you'll have a good case. I have no problem in general with a graduation being in a church. But in this case a public institution's choice of venue basically told a student he couldn't go to his own graduation. I do see a problem with that, but they should have been able to settle this reasonably.
I guess sometimes prohibitions have their advantages.
Typically just a "bare" cross - and perhaps a stained glass window or two depicting Bibical events
"No one is forced to attend the graduation ceremony. They can just not participate and obtain the diploma in some other fashion."
How silly.
By the same rationale, I guess high schools in Dearborn, MI can require all people who want to go to the official ceremony recite that "There is no God, but A!!! and Monutjob is his profit?!"
--- you know, because the graduation ceremony is "voluntary" and no one is forced to participate.
Schools in CA actually did this, BTW. There was a requirement for kids to go through religious sensitivity classes. One course made the kids dress like muzzies and recite that particular phrase. I recall the uproar on FR about imposition of religion.
Goose, meet gander.
Do you really want to put the government in the position of deciding which of **your** religious beliefs are silly and whether you should be allowed to avail yourself of government facilities and functions without violating them?
I seem to remember Georgetown U. and maybe some of these as well were taking down crucifixes in classrooms to avoid Muslim sensibilities among others.
"But if it's just using the physical plant then it's different. What makes an idol an idol is how those seeing it feel about it. I am a Christian, but I don't let statues of religious significance to other religions bother me. It's only an idol if I choose to treat it as one. Otherwise it's just another pretty statue, or maybe not depending on what the statue is."
I agree with you, personally.
But the prohibition of Orthodox Jews from entering into a place of Christian worship was halichially decided (to vastly oversimply, by the Sanhedrin), and personal feelings aside, 'tis the Law for Jews (until such time as a comprable or higher "court" makes a different ruling) that entry would be a endorsement of polytheism, and thus violate the rule of having no God, but God.
Again, have no clue about muzzies, and doubt it is a true objection, as I have seen many muslims enter Churches.
Why do these municipalities even bother to file answers in these ridiculous lawsuits? Let the ACLU get a summary judgment and then try to enforce it. Every school and town sued by the ACLU should ignore all such lawsuits and any corresponding court orders or sanctions. If everyone ignored and stymied them they would quickly run out of money.
No one forced that Muslim to be here. This is a Christian nation and his parents knew that when they got here. Imagine if I, a Catholic did the same in Saudi Arabia? Those jerks wouldn't even allow me in school. In fact, there'd be a good chance I'd be dead. If Muslims are so offended then they have to go and live in a Muslim country where they won't be "denied their rights".
Not all Muslims believe that, so this is an easy case to dismiss.
But that is there problem, not mine. Why must I be punished because of their belief system, when I cannot make them be punished because they don't agree with me? That is the crucial question. Why is it one sided? In case you don't know (and apparently you don't) Idolatry is also forbidden to Christians, so what in the heck would be in a Baptist church that would bother anyone?
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