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For 30 Pieces of Silver St. Johns County, FL School Board Denies Student Led Prayer. Citizens Speak Out!

Heretic

By Heretic
in Off-Topic General

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Heretic Canucks All-Star

Heretic

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Freedom From Religion Foundation sounds more and more like a "religion" to me...

"The St. Johns County School Board is going to hide behind the recommendation of their Attorney Frank Upchurch and deny students their First Amendment Right to Pray. And what great threat is cause the School Board to quake and quiver with fear? Apparently Freedom From Religion, an out of town atheist organization has threatened the SJC Schools with a lawsuit. However, Liberty Counsel has offered SJC Schools a pro bono defense against any lawsuit that would seek to deny students their first amendment rights. And what if SJC Schools lost? The answer is SJC schools should mount an appeal. Should SJC really worry about 30 pieces of silver when our First Amendment Rights are at stake? What sort of example does this teach our kids? They will learn that when adversity comes, one should just cave in."

http://education-curriculum-reform-government-schools.org/w/2013/04/for-30-pieces-of-silver-st-johns-county-fl-school-board-denies-student-led-prayer-citizens-speak-out/

Another link:

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2013-04-10/school-board-rejects-becoming-prayer-test-case

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Harbinger Canucks Prospect

Harbinger

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If it is a public funded school then religion must stay out of the class room unless they cater to all the religions and have Jewish muslim hindu, buddhist etc.............. prayers as well. If it is a private school and it is not funded at all by the government. Then have at it Hoss. Pray your guts out.

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Heretic Canucks All-Star

Heretic

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If it is a public funded school then religion must stay out of the class room unless they cater to all the religions and have Jewish muslim hindu, buddhist etc.............. prayers as well. If it is a private school and it is not funded at all by the government. Then have at it Hoss. Pray your guts out.

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Scott Hartnell's Mane Canucks Regular

Scott Hartnell's Mane

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Ok so just one question...what about the constitutional freedoms of the other students...those of different faiths...those of no faith...does their constitutional freedom not mean as much as the freedom of the Christians who insist on foisting their religion on other people against their will? Religion is like a penis. It's fine to have one and fine to be proud of it but DON'T whip it out in public and DON'T shove it down kids' throats.

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Wetcoaster Canucks First-Line

Wetcoaster

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The prohibition on school prayer and other religious observances flow from the US Constitution.

The legal basis for this prohibition is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution which consists firstly of the Establishment Clause and secondly the Free Exercise Clause, which requires that

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

Per the US Supreme Court in setting very strict standards regarding religion in the public schools:

The promulgation of an official state-school prayer stood in violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause - Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)

Bible readings and other (state) school-sponsored religious activities are prohibited - Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963)

In Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971), the Lemon test for religious activities within schools was enunciated . The Lemon test states that in order to be constitutional under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment any practice sponsored within state run schools (or other public, state sponsored activities) must adhere to the following three criteria:

  1. The government's action must have a secular legislative purpose;

  2. The government's action must not have the primary effect of either advancing or inhibiting religion;

  3. The government's action must not result in an "excessive government entanglement" with religion.

If any one of these criteria are not met, then the action or conduct is unconstitutional.

Following Lemon the controversies became over prayer or religious observances at prayer at school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

Lee v. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577 (1992) ~ public prayers at graduation ceremonies led by religious authority figures were ruled unconstitutional.

Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe, 530 U.S. 290 (2000) ~ a policy permitting student-led, student-initiated prayer at high school football games violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

In a recent case (March 2012) in Rhode Island a prayer mural from 1963 was ordered removed on the application of a teenage student who was an atheist.

mural-620x362.jpg

It’s official. The prayer mural that caused so much controversy among atheists and people of faith has been taken down from the auditorium at Cranston High School West in Cranston, Rhode Island. In January, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux sided with 16-year-old Jessica Ahlquist, an atheist, in agreeing that the banner should be removed.

Causing local and national controversy, Ahlquist claimed that its presence was offensive to non-Christians and that it violated her civil rights. The lawsuit she initiated has led to intense sparring over the separation of church and state. Additionally, the young woman has been on the receiving end of threats and unpleasant communications for months.

Citing excessive costs and a potentially long legal battle, the local school district decided not to appeal the jude’s removal decision. Thus, the historic mural, which was a gift to the school from the class of 1963, was officially taken down on Saturday and the auditorium was closed on Monday for repairs.

“We are very pleased that the school district has come into compliance with the court order and also in accordance with the school committee’s decision from a couple weeks ago and now we are hopeful we will be able to resolve the last issue that is out there concerning the awarding of attorney fees,” commented Steven Brown of the Rhode Island ACLU.

Ahlquist, too, took to Twitter to commemorate the removal of the prayer banner, writing, “The prayer has officially been removed.”

Brown’s organization represented Ahlquist in her case against the district. Now, another battle looms over the $173,000 in legal fees that the ACLU claims the city of Cranston owes for the atheist student’s representation. While the organization plans to give the district until March 19 to make a decision on the funds, the city of Cranston is still deciding if it will contest the fees.

On Tuesday afternoon, district officials will host a press conference during which the banner’s future will be discussed. According to RI NPR, several religious and secular groups have offered to provide the contentious mural with a new home.

http://www.theblaze....eist-concludes/

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Wetcoaster Canucks First-Line

Wetcoaster

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If it is a public funded school then religion must stay out of the class room unless they cater to all the religions and have Jewish muslim hindu, buddhist etc.............. prayers as well. If it is a private school and it is not funded at all by the government. Then have at it Hoss. Pray your guts out.

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Scott Hartnell's Mane Canucks Regular

Scott Hartnell's Mane

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What a great victory. Thanks for posting that. People are going to figure out really quickly in this country that the freedom of religion also encompasses the freedom from religion and if you presume to step on others constitutional rights by insisting that these offensive murals and prayers continue...then be prepared to pay for it. I personally can't WAIT for the ACLU to take the people here in NC to the cleaners over their submitted unconstitutional measure..which many of us view as a vehicle to institute a state religion. That ain't happening as long as I'm here, cousin...I'll guarantee you that.

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Stefan Canucks Prospect

Stefan

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Freedom From Religion Foundation doesn't sound like a religion. It sounds like a group protecting people from being forced to pray in school, that's what it sounds like.

If there are to be prayers in class, I would like to see the Pastafarian religion be practised as well. It's just as believable as any other religion.

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Scott Hartnell's Mane Canucks Regular

Scott Hartnell's Mane

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Freedom From Religion Foundation doesn't sound like a religion. It sounds like a group protecting people from being forced to pray in school, that's what it sounds like.

If there are to be prayers in class, I would like to see the Pastafarian religion be practised as well. It's just as believable as any other religion.

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Heretic Canucks All-Star

Heretic

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Freedom From Religion Foundation doesn't sound like a religion. It sounds like a group protecting people from being forced to pray in school, that's what it sounds like.

If there are to be prayers in class, I would like to see the Pastafarian religion be practised as well. It's just as believable as any other religion.

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