Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Federal Judge Prohibits Prayer at Texas Graduation Ceremony
FOXNews.com ^ | June 2, 2011 | By Todd Starnes

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 ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: antitheism; arth; atheism; atheists; christophobia; graduation; medina; misotheism; prayer; tolerantleft; tx
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 221-240241-260261-280281-295 next last
To: metmom
This is trampling out our basics rights granted by the Constitution.

Has the judge never read the part about *not prohibiting the free exercise thereof*?


Just a small clarification... this tramples our basic God-given rights that are protected by our Constitution.
241 posted on 06/03/2011 9:47:54 AM PDT by Sopater (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 COR 3:17b)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla; metmom
Note to the grads: Do it anyway.

It was done in several places last year iirc - everyone in one instance all stood up and recited the Lord's prayer in defiance of the school administration and the ACLU. Not one they they could do about it except in once case cut the microphone off - but that didn't stop it either.

242 posted on 06/03/2011 9:49:30 AM PDT by Godzilla (3-7-77)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 238 | View Replies]

To: Elsie

We will suffer? Why?


243 posted on 06/03/2011 10:41:08 AM PDT by HushTX (I make libs rage quit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 218 | View Replies]

To: metmom
What does a federal judge have do with a public school in one of the states in the United States of America?

The Constitution doesn't give the federal government any control over education in any of the states.

According to the Constitution that is a States Right!

Butt out overblown self-important Federal government.

If you want to do something in individual states, stop the illegals entering border states. That is your Constitutional DUTY!.

Disband he Dept of Education, Dept of Transportation and send all the money collected back to the states from which it was stolen to feed fat CAT bureaucRATS.

And while you are at it, disband the EPA and drill baby drill!

The EPA does more harm to the environment with all of their fake causes than those which they regulate.

244 posted on 06/03/2011 10:53:40 AM PDT by Syncro (Sarah Palin, the unofficial Tea Party candidate for president--Virtual Jerusalem)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BBB123; Colofornian; 50mm; Old Sarge; darkwing104; little jeremiah; wagglebee; DJ MacWoW; ...
One of the things that has struck me about this discussion is that while by far the majority is strongly opposed to the ruling, I would expect the majority would fully support some of the precedent setting rulings such as Morse v Frederick. In that case, the SCOTUS backed the school district for suspending students for unfurling a banner that said “Bong hits 4 Jesus.”

My question for the majority is do you really want the school district to turn over a truly public free speech mic to anyone at a government sanctioned school activity?

You signed up today just to post that?

IBTZ


245 posted on 06/03/2011 10:57:32 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 239 | View Replies]

To: BBB123; Colofornian; 50mm; Old Sarge; darkwing104; little jeremiah; wagglebee; DJ MacWoW; ...

Oh, and I noticed that you had the presence of mind to remove colofornian’s screen name from the *To* field.

What was your previous screen name?


246 posted on 06/03/2011 10:59:02 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 239 | View Replies]

To: Syncro

“What does a federal judge have do with a public school in one of the states in the United States of America?”

The same thing SCOTUS did in McDonald v. Chicago when it protected our 2nd Amendment rights against infringements by local and state governments. It’s called the 14th Amendment.


247 posted on 06/03/2011 11:03:33 AM PDT by BBB123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 244 | View Replies]

To: kittymyrib
If Christians really want to fight this infringement of their exercise of religion, they should have the Christian students pick up their diplomas at school and then meet at a local church for a service of thanksgiving that these young people have graduated. Cut the school completely out of the celebration. Let this whiny atheist and his parents and the cowards in the school administration hold their very short anti-God graduation on school grounds.

**********************************

What an excellent idea!

248 posted on 06/03/2011 11:06:07 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: trisham

“If Christians really want to fight this infringement of their exercise of religion, they should have the Christian students pick up their diplomas at school and then meet at a local church for a service of thanksgiving that these young people have graduated. Cut the school completely out of the celebration. Let this whiny atheist and his parents and the cowards in the school administration hold their very short anti-God graduation on school grounds.”

I thought this was an excellent idea as well. Now all they have to do is decide which church all the students and parents are willing to attend.


249 posted on 06/03/2011 11:14:28 AM PDT by BBB123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 248 | View Replies]

To: metmom
The valedictorian, or someone, should start his/her speech with a reading of the First Amendment, and then open in prayer.

Excellent plan!

250 posted on 06/03/2011 11:18:30 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 198 | View Replies]

To: BBB123

I’m opposed to the idea. If the majority of students wish to have a prayer as part of their graduation, why should they be denied? The First Amendment clearly supports their wishes.

Perhaps in the future a vote should be taken every year. The graduating students, and ONLY those who will graduate, can vote on whether to include prayer as part of the formal graduation service. THAT would be a reasonable compromise.


251 posted on 06/03/2011 11:30:36 AM PDT by HushTX (I make libs rage quit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 249 | View Replies]

To: metmom

That’s a kid who might very well receive irreperable harm, one way or another...

And one who is not going to be very welcome at the post graduating party...


252 posted on 06/03/2011 11:31:59 AM PDT by stevie_d_64 (I'm jus' sayin')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: little jeremiah

253 posted on 06/03/2011 11:35:20 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 234 | View Replies]

To: BBB123

Apples and oranges aren’t even good together as a salad, much less in politics.

The 14th supports my statement, as well as the 10th.


254 posted on 06/03/2011 11:36:14 AM PDT by Syncro (Sarah Palin, the unofficial Tea Party candidate for president--Virtual Jerusalem)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 247 | View Replies]

To: BBB123
I can’t imagine you really want that.

Yes; we do.

255 posted on 06/03/2011 11:37:17 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 239 | View Replies]

To: Sopater
Just a small clarification... this tramples our basic God-given rights that are protected by our Constitution.

Sorry;l but the Constitution 'protects' nothing. It merely points them out. WE have to do our OWN protecting.

256 posted on 06/03/2011 11:38:25 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 241 | View Replies]

To: HushTX

(I didn’t think I needed to type ‘reparable damage’ with a /sarc tag following...)


257 posted on 06/03/2011 11:39:14 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 243 | View Replies]

To: Syncro
The Constitution doesn't give the federal government any control over education in any of the states.

Taking the 'free' money offered by the Feds gave them control.

NO one pays for their FIRST hit of illegal drugs!

258 posted on 06/03/2011 11:40:44 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 244 | View Replies]

To: stevie_d_64; metmom

So true. They’re worried about “irreparable harm” if the prayer is included? This kid is going to suffer far worse than listening to something he doesn’t like after this mess.

And I’m not talking about physical harm. I’m talking about social sanctions, which to teenagers are the worst thing in the world.


259 posted on 06/03/2011 11:40:57 AM PDT by HushTX (I make libs rage quit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 252 | View Replies]

To: trisham

It works for the Amish!


260 posted on 06/03/2011 11:42:05 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 248 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 221-240241-260261-280281-295 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson