Federal Judge Prohibits Prayer at Texas Graduation Ceremony

archer wrote: The difference as I see it is you have the ability to pray silently to whatever God you want at any public ceremony you want.....as does everyone else at that ceremony. However, if a prayer or benediction is said, the people at the ceremony who do not believe in that God have no choice but to sit through listening to someone praise a God they do not believe in, or risk being really rude and have to walk out.

I support there right to be offended.

If the valedictorian speech were to thank their English teacher for being an inspiration to them, should the dyslexics who got D's from that same teacher have the right to sue to prevent it?

neptunechimney wrote:

archer wrote: The difference as I see it is you have the ability to pray silently to whatever God you want at any public ceremony you want.....as does everyone else at that ceremony. However, if a prayer or benediction is said, the people at the ceremony who do not believe in that God have no choice but to sit through listening to someone praise a God they do not believe in, or risk being really rude and have to walk out.

I support there right to be offended.

If the valedictorian speech were to thank their English teacher for being an inspiration to them, should the dyslexics who got D's from that same teacher have the right to sue to prevent it?

Only if the English teacher is a Nun or a Witch.


( wondering, did you worship your english teacher?)

archer wrote: [Only if the English teacher is a Nun or a Witch.


( wondering, did you worship your english teacher?)

None of your business.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpbRcgu1_k7T9hkZmCb3KNrxXLDykQDZWcWEiaYOszMnSGPue0JSLQFMs
What is your point? That religion and witchcraft have a lower bar to censorship than other speech?

This is a prime example of the minority dictating to the majority in our society. Minorities (race, religion or not, sex, etc.) do have rights, but those rights should not supercede or diminish the rights of everyone else. If those at the graduation do not like the prayer or benediction they can tune it out. We have to tune out many an offense in our world, why can't they do the samre? Are they prvilidged? The rights if the few should not infringe on the many - in my opinion.

Vomitus wrote: This is a prime example of the minority dictating to the majority in our society. Minorities (race, religion or not, sex, etc.) do have rights, but those rights should not supercede or diminish the rights of everyone else. If those at the graduation do not like the prayer or benediction they can tune it out. We have to tune out many an offense in our world, why can't they do the samre? Are they prvilidged? The rights if the few should not infringe on the many - in my opinion.

No, this is a prime example of the prevention the government established (or endorsed) religion.

That is why we have a Republic, and not a pure Democracy...so that the "Tyranny of the Majority" cannot be forced on to the minority. If we were "majority rule", we would still have slavery.

If those at the graduation cannot live without a public pronouncement of their faith, (even though they are free to say any prayer, to any God they like, at any time), then they are also free to leave.

And the religion that is atheism or agnoticism, or witchcraft should not be able to dictate to all. BTW what would happen if the student body president got up and he started his speech with a prayer? Would they jail him/her or would that be free speech? After all it is not listed as a prayer, but just part of her/his speech.

First, atheism is not a religion. Neither is agnosticism. If you think differently, then please provide your reasoning.

What I am trying to say is that we should just leave religion out of publicly funded graduations. Is that so hard to understand? If you want to practice religion, find a private place to do it or pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster (or whomever you pray to) silently to yourself during the graduation ceremony.

Religion is a belief system. Atheism, etc have beliefs. They may not want to admit, but by not believing they are creating the opposite of believing which in the world of physics (for every negative there is a positive, etc) holds true. IMO

Religion is a belief system based upon a deity.

Atheism is the absence (or rejection) of the existence of a deity.

They are opposites.