Posted on 06/02/2011 5:48:40 PM PDT by metmom
A federal judge has ordered a Texas school district to prohibit public prayer at a high school graduation ceremony.
Chief U.S. District Judge Fred Biery’s order against the Medina Valley Independent School District also forbids students from using specific religious words including “prayer” and “amen.”
The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by Christa and Danny Schultz. Their son is among those scheduled to participate in Saturday’s graduation ceremony. The judge declared that the Schultz family and their son would “suffer irreparable harm” if anyone prayed at the ceremony.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said the school district is in the process of appealing the ruling, and his office has agreed to file a brief in their support.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
we better start belly up to the bar folks....it'll take little acts of rebellion to right the ship...
No, you are wrong about the time. Think about it, kids are in school 6-7 hours. First remove recesses and lunch, now the time is 4-5 hours. Nest take that time and divide by the number of students, what you are left with is about 1-2 hours of actual instruction much of which is busy work. There is a reason homeschooler s do well, they are getting 1-2 hours of personal instruction one on one. The other stuff busy work and reading they can do independently. Many communities have 2-3 days a week where homeschooler’s get together for field trips, art classes, science labs.
A working parent can homeschool as well as a parent who does not have a job out side the home.
The point is that once the judge allows his court to get into the game of chosing among religions ~ he must invariably FORCE others to do exactly that which was claimed to be a harm by the initial litigant.
Strict neutrality requires several things ~ first, you must be neutral. You can't prefer one prayer over another, nor no prayer over prayer, nor prayer over no prayer. You can't pick and chose among the religious terms that may or may not be used, or expect that no religious terms at all be removed from the situation.
It seems you might be better served being somewhere else.
IMHO, your first post, #3, captured the essence of the story.
So, the government creates a condition where to avoid state imposed rules on religious speech we need to get togehter to DO WHAT?
Did you realize that we'd need to examine and question each and every parent of each and every student in the school to determine what their religion might be so we could get together with them and rent a hall.
Here's the point ~ a graduation isn't religious in nature, but there's going to be religion present and the federal government is Constitutionally PROHIBITED from participating in the determination of what is or is not religious, or what is truly religious, or what is truly non-religious, or what is acceptable, or what is not acceptable to individuals or the community at large, or to the community of the school.
The People themselves have long determined what is acceptable in terms of the elements of the program, who speaks, who doesn't speak (the audience usually), and where it will be held.
I think it's pretty clearly the case that the litigants are out of their water, and the judge is an idiot.
The People can ignore all of this.
I can even think of some serious sanctions on the judge, and the litigants.
No, the real reason home schooled children do so well is that they’re treated as the client.
Because parents love their children home schooled children are instructed to mastery. In a home school testing is not a sorting/tracking tool, but a diagnostic tool.
Parents then use the feedback they get to improve the outcome. Government schooling is built around:
1. Statism and the indoctrination thereof.
2. Satisfying the tools of the state - teacher’s unions and government bureaucrats.
That’s why home schoolers do so well, the teaching is student centered.
Even simpler - ignore the judges unConstitutional order and exercise your God-given right to freedom of conscience.
Every student should do exactly this.
One word: defiance.
Cvengr: Yes, the principles upon which the US was founded were Judeo-Christian and not any other pagan or cultic construct.
Doe Eyes: Wrong. Our country was founded on religious freedom period.
Ironically, you’re both right. The United States were absolutely founded on Christian values. That is simple historical fact.
Seeing the danger of religious partisanship particularly when the state was the religion they founded the country not as an extension of any particular church, but one in which every individual has FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE.
The 1st Amendment isn’t an attempt to limit individuals’ rights, but government’s ability to limit the rights of individuals to FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE.
Let’s look at the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The laws of our land are made by Congress. By what authority does this judge rule? A 5th Grader (2nd Grader if home schooled) can read that ‘shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion’ and see that this judge is in violation of the Constitution.
That same child can see that this judge just ruled to abridge freedom of speech. He’s terrible and his ignorance is inexcusable. He’s the Chief US District Judge.
Boehner should move to impeach immediately. This is a nationwide winning issue for Republicans and an outstanding educational tool to teach Constitutional ignoramuses. It’s a win-win for our side.
BTW Doe Eyes, which side are you on?
I have given commencement addresses and would love to give this one. An appropriate speech can be given in compliance with the thuggish judge’s directives in a way that is both reverent and masterfully effective. I hope they have a speaker with the mischievous streak and the talent to pull it off.
Where the notion has come about that prayer is an infringement on the (imaginary) wall of separation between church and state is beyond me. The first Congress — with founders present, the guys who CAME UP WITH these ideas — opened with a PRAYER. How can prayer possibly violate the First Amendment when the fellows who came up with the notion prayed — at the very first official government meeting (and thereafter)??
I was thinking the same thing last night...making a list of words that could be used which were not chosen by the judge and do not violate his ridiculous decision. Hosanna. Hallelujah. etc.
I’m hoping for flash mob prayer, but a wonderfully crafted speech preceding the prayer would be a perfect beginning.
We were told we would be persecuted for our faith...there will be some great opportunities coming to show those atheists and scoffers what Christianity is really about. This child and his parents need prayer and the Holy Spirit.
How about a speaker that simply ignores this unConstitutional act?
The valedictorian, or someone, should start his/her speech with a reading of the First Amendment, and then open in prayer.
The family in question.
I wonder if they are angry at God and taking it out on the people who are their neighbors and used to be their friends. As little as they deserve it, I will pray for them. None of us deserve what God does for us, and they are in need of His help.
Pray any way.......the judge’s ruling is non enforceable, especially after the fact. It should just be ignored
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