Poll: School District about to Get Sued

[Dorian6]

People can pray if they want, but a public school is a government institution. It can't force them without infringing on the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Private schools are a separate matter. If I went to Notre Dame, I would have no basis to complain because it's a private, catholic college.

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

I'm a Christian, and i agree that prayer has no place in any kind of official school function. Students should be allowed to pray, but school staff should have absolutely no part in it. If the prayer is part of a graduation ceremony and/or school staff is participating, the prayer is now being sponsored by the school and therefore by the government itself. So yes, sue the hell out of this school.

 

[Worgen]

By God, that guy is a prick. I mean really now--he's supposed to be a rational man, so why's he sticking his fingers in the entire school's pie? Would it have killed him to just tell a teacher somewhere, or just plain not do it? If it's the school's custom, who's he to say otherwise?

its called separation of church and state, if they want to pray they have a whole building dedicated to it called a church and they can take it there, religion tries to force its way into every little area of life it can and unless it is stopped it will

 

[Charli]

It's okay to pray in school. It is not, however, okay to require or organize prayers in school.

This, the school should not be actively participating in encouraging or discouraging a personal thing like that.

 

[DarkRyter]

I don't see what's the big deal. Kid seems like a whiny brat, gettin all upset because he's afraid of seeing other people talk to imaginary friends.

People should be allowed to pray whenever they wanna pray. And people should be allowed to not give a fuck when they want to not give a fuck.

It ain't the job of the law to give you freedom FROM shit. It's the job of the law to give you freedom TO shit.

 

[Lunar_Knight]

I think hes absolutely in his right (Its in the constitution after all)
Its his Graduation ceremony and I see no reason why they MUST PRAY at it, last time I checked payer or religion wasn't essential to ones graduation? And then to do it in such an underhanded way after initially doing the right thing is a disgrace...
And for a Teacher to publicly slander a student like that in the manner she did? She needs to be fired and sued to show that not only is it not legally acceptable but morally too. Might put other teachers off the idea of doing such things again.
Now I have no problem with Religion, people have the right to believe in what they want, but must practice it in ways that the respective ways of their countries government see fit and in a way as not to single out or force it on other people like they have done in this situation.

I have an awful lot of respect for this guy, and think he has done the right thing in this event public sectarianism and bullying.

Religious people always seem to do this, Try to squash anyone that thinks differently through sheer harassment and bullying.
And why Women seem to be incredibly religious (Especially in Christianity) is beyond me...
I hope they do know this is in the bible:
"I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."
-- Timothy 2:12

Now I myself just had my graduation ceremony last night and there was a heavy religious presence with the local priest and quite a few prayers said at it but alas I don't think the Irish Constitution is as religiously accommodating as others. So just last night I had to essentially go through with what this young man has saved himself from doing.

And seeing as I come from Ireland, probably one of the best global examples of religious hatred and why Government bodies should never buddy up with Religious institutions. This along with many other examples throughout the world show why Governments should have nothing to do with religions and should enforce rules like these on those who dont follow them, after all it dosnt stop them from praying in their Churches or their houses it simply stops them marginalizing other people, a school should never make a student feel threatened or un-welcomed like this, after all its their place to prevent bullying of any form.

 

[Bags159]

I don't see what's the big deal. Kid seems like a whiny brat, gettin all upset because he's afraid of seeing other people talk to imaginary friends.

People should be allowed to pray whenever they wanna pray. And people should be allowed to not give a fuck when they want to not give a fuck.

It ain't the job of the law to give you freedom FROM shit. It's the job of the law to give you freedom TO shit.

Except for the fact it's illegal for schools to actively encourage / hold / support prayer. So yeah, it actually is the job of the law to give you "freedom FROM shit".

 

[Lyri]

My reasoning behind it is that it?s emotionally stressing on anyone who isn?t Christian.

Really?
Praying isn't emotionally stressing at all, if you don't believe then it's no more than saying lyrics to a song or a poem.
As an atheist myself, build a bridge and get over it.

 

[Danik93]

By God, that guy is a prick. I mean really now--he's supposed to be a rational man, so why's he sticking his fingers in the entire school's pie? Would it have killed him to just tell a teacher somewhere, or just plain not do it? If it's the school's custom, who's he to say otherwise?

Because it was against state law...

OT:
As some people have said, as long as the school don't organize a prayer it's fine to pray in school.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

My thoughts? Why should I care? If I was an atheist I still wouldnt give the slightest damn if people started praying, its none of my business, its just tradition, so Im just all like "whatever, I shouldnt care"

 

[Maclennan]

Its wrong to have a prayer during a ceremony where all students are supposed to be included when the school is supposed to be secular. If any public high school were to hold prayer during graduation the entire board would loose funding. The kid may of made himself public enemy number one in what ever town but it was legally the right thing to do. Although staying home and getting the diploma mailed to him would of earned fewer enemies since it seems the towns people ironically haven't taken the moral high ground. If they want a prayer ceremony there must be a church willing to organize a private prayer session with a real priest for all the grads and their families.

Both Universities I have attended are still allowed to hold prayer while receiving substantial public subsidies, I had to go through one university graduation and I felt so out of place I will not be attending my final one.

 

[lord.jeff]

I read the article and it was a little confusing me, seriously why was the entire thing in bullet point, but it sounds like the kids parents disowned him because of admitting he's atheist, which is a way big problem in my book. I do think he was in the right to request the school not to have prayer, legally they're not supposed to plus it sounds like he was the most mature person in the whole thing.

 

[EvilPicnic]

Whether it's morally right or not is beside the point here; the prayer was illegal in the US and the student pointed it out as he had every right to do. It's not a moral/ethical/religious point, it's a legal one. And there is a right and a wrong.

The fact that the schoolboard complied to the request so quickly demonstrates that they were in the wrong.

What I find despicable however, is how the teacher demonized and vilified her student for standing up for himself. How very unprofessional. And unChristian.

 

[coolkirb]

Depends here in Canada Cathlic schools are protected under the constitution act of 1867, and no body wants to re-open the constitution, some people may get pissed off about it but honestly anybody can go to the cathlic schools if they want and their is the public alternative, also it would be a real pain to dismantle the system and its more trouble then its worth.

Also the very idea of completly seperating church and state is imposible to achieve, honestly I atheist are just whineing a whole lot, its a prayer, deal with it, it being gone wont make the world a better place.

 

[BRex21]

I personally went to a school with mandatory daily prayers, and i hate things like this. It really puts you in the position of do you become a social outcast or do you fake a religion, and for this reason the United States (and Canada where i live) made the forced prayer against the law.
I will never understand the mentality of prayer as universally good or that forcing someone to go through the motions of a religion being beneficial for them as opposed to creating resentment and hate between people.
Personally i wish i had stood up and took my school to court as opposed to droping out and getting a GED.

 

[KiKiweaky]

Well at the end of the day theres a law there that provides protection against this sort of thing, so the guy is entitled to request that it not be done. I wouldnt be botherred if they did or didnt say a prayer when I was there and I certainly wouldnt threaten the school board either.

Either way you have to commend him for having the balls to pursue this, I know I wouldnt.

 

[EvilPicnic]

I read the article and this is a religious school to man is attending to.

If it was a religious school I might agree with you, but no, it's a public school:

http://www.mpsb.us/education/school/school.php?sectiondetailid=76&

And according to to US law, school prayer in in public schools is unconstitutional:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engel_v._Vitale

Therefore the student is well within his rights to protest, as he did in the form of a letter. What is wrong is for his teachers, school, family and friends to ostracise and vilify him for this.

I personally find a great amount of comfort in praying and I do so whenever there is something buggering me

I'm an atheist, but if something was buggering me, I might turn to prayer too.

 

[Dino_B]

Man this stuff always gets on my nerves a bit. If there are people who do not wish to pray at graduation or at school that's fine, but for those that do want to pray they should be allowed. This kid did the right thing by raising awareness, but should have left it as a choice then, that is to say those who want to pray should be allowed to and if he/she, and others, do not wish to they don't have to. Now a bigger can of political/religious tension has opened up since the school now cannot have a prayer. So yeah, good job on raising awareness, but having the school pull the prayer for everyone presents problems for those wish to.