Federal judge orders jail for those praying at texas graduation ceremony

[werepossum]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/02/prayer-prohibited-at-graduation-ceremony/?test=latestnews

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.

“Part of this goes to the very heart of the unraveling of moral values in this country,” Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott told Fox News Radio, saying the judge wanted to turn school administrators into “speech police.”

“I’ve never seen such a restriction on speech issued by a court or the government,” Abbott told Fox News Radio. “It seems like a trampling of the First Amendment rather than protecting the First Amendment.”

Judge Biery’s ruling banned students and other speakers from using religious language in their speeches. Among the banned words or phrases are: “join in prayer,” “bow their heads,” “amen,” and “prayer.”

He also ordered the school district to remove the terms “invocation” and “benediction” from the graduation program.

“These terms shall be replaced with ‘opening remarks’ and ‘closing remarks,'” the judge’s order stated. His ruling also prohibits anyone from saying, “in [a deity’s name] we pray.”

Should a student violate the order, school district officials could find themselves in legal trouble. Judge Biery ordered that his ruling be “enforced by incarceration or other sanctions for contempt of Court if not obeyed by District official (sic) and their agents.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/02/prayer-prohibited-at-graduation-ceremony/#ixzz1OE0bUtLK

This is the depth to which our country has descended. Christianity, which used to be grounds for imprisonment in Red China, is now booming in that country. Our nation, which was established as a bastion of freedom of religion, now mandates imprisonment for those so heinous as to actually pray at a graduation ceremony, or to use the words “prayer”, “amen”, “join in prayer,” “bow their heads,” “invocation”, and “benediction.” Another great victory for freedom of speech. Those who brought you "In order to save the village we had to destroy it" have now moved on to crushing religion in order to protect its freedom.

Hey, no harm no foul as long as we can still pray at home, alone, in the dark, right? Now if I can get only the progressives to chant "There is no war on religion" . . .

 

[fskimospy]

There's no war on religion.

Only in America where people of faith, Christians in particular, exercise near total control of all elected positions in government at every level, where at least one of the two major political parties (if not both in practice) explicitly puts a desire to legislate 'family' (ie: religious, mostly Christian) values in its platform, does a single judge making a dumb ruling equal a 'war on religion'.

 

[DominionSeraph]

Our nation, which was established as a bastion of freedom of religion, now mandates imprisonment for those so heinous as to use their government position to aid religious extremists in their plot to co-opt a government platform to spew exclusionary religious propaganda.

ftfy

 

[ericlp]

Yay!!! Finally some good news!

What's next taxing the church? Where do I sign?

 

[ichy]

This is a public ceremony, at a public school paid by tax dollars. It is not a religious ceremony.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Workaround = Exercise a moment of silence and everyone pray silently. God is still listening, right?

 

[Red Dawn]

I can see not allowing a Benediction but to forbid students from expressing their faith in speech by forbidding them to mention some words is a little too much. I also fail to see how it could cause the Shulz family irreparable harm.

A bad ruling by one judge.

 

[DominionSeraph]

Hell, this restriction will be a good lesson for the kids. Teach them the difference between "secular" and "religious."
If they treat it as one entity their entire lives they'll never understand their own government.

I can see not allowing a Benediction but to forbid students from expressing their faith in speech by forbidding them to mention some words is a little too much.

He is forbidding the school officials from giving them a platform. They students have no Constitutional right to that platform, so there's no issue.

This is a regulation of government equipment and the official event schedule. The government is perfectly within its rights to regulate both. In fact, the Constitution demands it.

 

[child of wonder]

Prayer should not be allowed in school functions but incarceration is taking it too far. Public schools are funded by Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, etc. tax payers and religious ceremonies have no place there.

This would be an excellent opportunity for a church to step forward and offer special services for graduates who want to pray before and/or after graduation. That's what church is for -- not school.

 

[ch33zw1z]

This would be an excellent opportunity for a church to step forward and offer special services for graduates who want to pray before and/or after graduation. That's what church is for -- not school.

I like this idea as well. It just makes sense.

 

[piasabird]

What is the different between hearing a prayer and having to listen for some boring ass speech or listening to a stupid reading from a Dr Seus book? I could argue in court that the speeches are torture. They force you to listen to the stupid speeches, so what is the difference?

 

[chucky2]

I think this is likely necessary in the short (10 years) term, so as to combat those who will know they're not supposed to do a prayer, but say 'F it, I'll do it anyways', and go for it.

Prayer does not belong in public schools. People arguing for it need to ensure that if Christian prayer is done, then before or after, Muslim and Jewish prayer is mandated for the same amount of time.

I have a feeling the majority of people advocating prayer be allowed in public school as part of a school function would somehow have a problem with the school also praying to the Muslim Allah and Jewish God.

Chuck

 

[Jaskalas]

The judge declared that the Schultz family and their son would “suffer irreparable harm” if anyone prayed at the ceremony.

There's a place for men like him, at the bottom of a moat full of gators.

 

[JockoJohnson]

I can see not allowing a Benediction but to forbid students from expressing their faith in speech by forbidding them to mention some words is a little too much. I also fail to see how it could cause the Shulz family irreparable harm.

A bad ruling by one judge.

^This. Irreparable harm? WTF? Have most Americans become such pussies that they can't handle hearing a few religious words. And from what I read, students are not allowed to even say anything religious. That's absurd. I can understand school officials not being able to.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/02/prayer-prohibited-at-graduation-ceremony/?test=latestnews


This is the depth to which our country has descended. Christianity, which used to be grounds for imprisonment in Red China, is now booming in that country. Our nation, which was established as a bastion of freedom of religion, now mandates imprisonment for those so heinous as to actually pray at a graduation ceremony, or to use the words “prayer”, “amen”, “join in prayer,” “bow their heads,” “invocation”, and “benediction.” Another great victory for freedom of speech. Those who brought you "In order to save the village we had to destroy it" have now moved on to crushing religion in order to protect its freedom.

Hey, no harm no foul as long as we can still pray at home, alone, in the dark, right? Now if I can get only the progressives to chant "There is no war on religion" . . .

So fucking what, don't like democracy, send your kids to Iran...

Well, that is the swift answer, the long one is a bit tougher since freedom of religion and the requirement of non-establishment of religion often butts heads, so let's be brighter than the few..

Skip the fucking drama and tell me your issue with this exactly..

 

[xj0hnx]

Prayer does not belong in public schools. People arguing for it need to ensure that if Christian prayer is done, then before or after, Muslim and Jewish prayer is mandated for the same amount of time.

They can have equal time. IMO if they want to pray in school, they need to do it as a moment of silence, and then just let anyone that wants to pray in their head, or think about Mary Jane RottenCrotch and her purty pink panties instead if they want.

 

[JockoJohnson]

I think this is likely necessary in the short (10 years) term, so as to combat those who will know they're not supposed to do a prayer, but say 'F it, I'll do it anyways', and go for it.

Prayer does not belong in public schools. People arguing for it need to ensure that if Christian prayer is done, then before or after, Muslim and Jewish prayer is mandated for the same amount of time.

I have a feeling the majority of people advocating prayer be allowed in public school as part of a school function would somehow have a problem with the school also praying to the Muslim Allah and Jewish God.

Chuck

If a student wants to say something religious, fine. I don't care if it is Muslim, Christian, Jew, etc. But go on with your ignorant belief that a majority would have a problem if it was a Muslim or Jew. I don't doubt that there is a minority of people that want it their way and their way only.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

I can see not allowing a Benediction but to forbid students from expressing their faith in speech by forbidding them to mention some words is a little too much. I also fail to see how it could cause the Shulz family irreparable harm.

A bad ruling by one judge.

Unfortunantly, it's absolute, it either is or it is not, there is no in between and no gray areas on these things unless society is smart enough to let there be...

But then there is this one arsehole...

There always is.

 

[piasabird]

I could say I suffered irreperable harm from having to listen to a Dr Seus Book as I sat through my relative's graduation. However, I think if someone wants to pray or ask for divine guidance in their life, then they have that right. It does not force me to become a catholic or a devil worshiper. This is all socialist brainwashing.

 

[Taejin]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/02/prayer-prohibited-at-graduation-ceremony/?test=latestnews


This is the depth to which our country has descended. Christianity, which used to be grounds for imprisonment in Red China, is now booming in that country. Our nation, which was established as a bastion of freedom of religion, now mandates imprisonment for those so heinous as to actually pray at a graduation ceremony, or to use the words “prayer”, “amen”, “join in prayer,” “bow their heads,” “invocation”, and “benediction.” Another great victory for freedom of speech. Those who brought you "In order to save the village we had to destroy it" have now moved on to crushing religion in order to protect its freedom.

Hey, no harm no foul as long as we can still pray at home, alone, in the dark, right? Now if I can get only the progressives to chant "There is no war on religion" . . .

shut the fuck up. keep religion out of the public sphere. you may enjoy it but others sure has hell don't want to see or hear that shit, and we shouldnt be forced to.

 

[Zebo]

This is going nowhere. Violates freedom of speech and religion. Couple students will get all god on them get arrested and go to next level.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

I don't see how this "ruling" can stop any individual from saying any of those words or praying. To make the school not have one schedule is fine but to suggest that they'll jail a participant because they do so is beyond their reach.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

shut the fuck up. keep religion out of the public sphere. you may enjoy it but others sure has hell don't want to see or hear that shit, and we shouldnt be forced to.

There is no freedom FROM religion you twit.

 

[xj0hnx]

shut the fuck up. keep religion out of the public sphere. you may enjoy it but others sure has hell don't want to see or hear that shit, and we shouldnt be forced to.

No one is "forcing" anything on you. If your mind is so sickly and weak that just hearing someone pray offends you than you maybe need to lock your self in a room all by yourself.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I could say I suffered irreperable harm from having to listen to a Dr Seus Book as I sat through my relative's graduation. However, I think if someone wants to pray or ask for divine guidance in their life, then they have that right. It does not force me to become a catholic or a devil worshiper. This is all socialist brainwashing.

Umm...having grown up in church, I can safely say that Religion is much more akin to brainwashing than this ruling is to brainwashing. This is a public facility conducting a public ceremony. Religion has no place there. Does not being able to pray at a public ceremony make them stray from the straight and narrow? Hardly.