Federal Judge Prohibits Prayer at Texas Graduation Ceremony

archer wrote:

Kate wrote: Conifer High School had a ceremony without any religious invocations or insinuations. Why can't this school?

Because it's Texas.

That makes no sense. My school in South Dakota still has a prayer and hasn't changed history just for one students insecure emotional issues. Neither has most every school in the nation. So if Conifer did have a prayer would you guys have wanted a student to sue to stop it?

chickaree wrote: I am a devout Christian, a regular attender of my church and active in religious groups. That said, I find prayers at secular events inappropriate. I've always taken the words of Matthew to heart-

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Somehow I don't think he was talking about praying for others chickaree, for even Jesus prayed in front of others that His Father would look upon them with favor. If'n I remember my Bible correctly, and I'm 99.999% sure that I do, Jesus prayed in public before the tomb of Lazarus.

PrintSmith wrote:

Kate wrote: What about those who do not believe in a supreme being? Should they be forced to endure listening to the belief systems of others?

I'm having a hard time understanding why you think this is a big issue. Why not just refrain from religious observations in all public assemblies - especially those on public property and in public schools?

I've got a better idea - why don't we simply abide by the amendment and not allow the state to say boo on the free practice of religion wherever it may happen to be being practiced? We have benedictions from various religious people all the time in public buildings and at public gatherings. A benediction is a person saying a prayer for the assembled. The person giving the benediction is invoking their deity to bless, help and guide you, not the state's deity. If someone else wants to pray to their God for your well being, what's the problem with allowing them to do so? They are not asking you to say the prayer, they are simply praying for you and you are being respectful and polite by remaining silent while they pray for you. If you don't believe in a supreme being, then you believe you will neither be helped or harmed as a result of the prayer because there is no being which can assist and guide you. I don't see how asking a being who doesn't exist to help you can irreparably harm anyone, but perhaps you can explain that to me.

Why bring religion into it at all? Why not just leave it out and then nobody has to sit there pretending to be respectful while turning a blind ear to something that is not what they believe. I really don't understand why you all in favor of this want to impose religion into a public ceremony.

Why not simply abide by the amendment and keep the state from (silently wink wink nod nod) endorsing religion?

PrintSmith wrote: Heck Kate, I can use all the prayers I can get. I don't care if you invoke Buddha, Yahweh, The Great Spirit, The Great Pumpkin, Allah or sprites to look after me and help me navigate my way through life. About 80% of the people in this nation profess a belief in the God of Abraham. The progressives keep talking about our democracy, yet they only believe in democracy, majority rule, when they are the ones with the majority. If they aren't, then by God we won't be having any democracy until they are and they will go to the courts to make certain that democracy only happens when they hold the majority.

What I'm getting from what you just wrote is that it's okay by you if religion is imposed on others, since the majority rules.

PrintSmith wrote: How about we put it up to a democratic vote of the students who are graduating whether or not they wish to receive a benediction instead of letting a single student, that student's parents and a judge decide what will or will not happen at their graduation?

Now you have just confirmed that it's okay by you if religion is imposed on others, since the majority rules.

That's why we are a Republic and not a pure democracy... To prevent "The Tyranny of the Majority"... duh...

Funny how progressives always refer to the nation as a democracy then, isn't it. I don't think I've heard Obama say in a single speech anything about a republic, only a democracy. Perhaps Democrats want to impose their tyranny on the rest of us and it is simply always a Freudian slip that leads them to constantly and consistently refer to our form of government as a democracy?

Tyranny
Usurp
despotism
federated government

Sovereign Citizen-speak

Just can't help yourself can you?

The word "democracy" and "republic" have specific meanings, but "democracy" has been the generic term in use for how many hundreds of years?

Kate wrote:

PrintSmith wrote: How about we put it up to a democratic vote of the students who are graduating whether or not they wish to receive a benediction instead of letting a single student, that student's parents and a judge decide what will or will not happen at their graduation?

Now you have just confirmed that it's okay by you if religion is imposed on others, since the majority rules.

Got news for you Kate. It only takes 75% of the states to amend the Constitution. If the 80% of us who believe in God ever decide to band together and decide to allow the states to establish religion once again via Constitutional amendment there isn't a blessed thing you can do about it. Keep pushing such ridiculous nonsense like this and we may be convinced we actually need to do it just to put an end to it. This ludicrous nonsense about any prayer in a public building being a violation of the establishment of religion grows tiresome. Tell me Kate, which religion does the mention of God establish as the state religion. Catholicism, Anglican, Methodist, Judaism, Lutheran, Quaker, Seventh Day Adventist or perhaps even Islam? How about the utterance of "Amen"? Unless and until you can eliminate every religion other than one that is established when "God" is invoked, your premise fails. Christianity is not a religion, by the way, anymore than American is a race.

Bottom line, I don't think forcing our religion on others is a good way to spread the teachings of Jesus. If we want others to see the wonder and spirit of Christ we should do our best to model his teachings in our every day actions. Jesus did not invade the homes and businesses of others to force them to listen to his teachings. He spoke to those who thirsted.

The establishment of an "American Taliban" seems to have already started... Doing it Constitutionally would certainly speak well for those that can't seem to cram down everyone's throat any other way.

LadyJazzer wrote: So, you can all breathe easier... An incantation to an invisible being will be allowed....

As an atheist, I don't really give a carp about that. I just find it curious that liberals are so amenable to censorship when it suits them.

It is freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.