Poll: School District about to Get Sued

[Yopaz]

If he was forced to pray, well that wouldn't be okay, but seriously... complaining about that the school prays. It's no big deal. I am an atheist and I promise you, I am a respectful one as long as no-one tries to convert me or "save" me, but I am a rigid one. I don't believe in anything that hasn't been proved to be real, I say there's a possibility that it's real, but I currently have no proof to confirm it thus I don't believe in it. I find nothing wrong with prayers. Let people pray all they want as long as they don't force it on you. By making sure this didn't happen he actually took away their freedom of religion. So in the big context he's just a big a douche as the ones who want creationism taught in biology.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

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

This. They can pray during graduation all they want. But don't organize a school wide prayer. And teachers should never badmouth students like that.

 

[Ithos]

In a country where they still salute their flag in grammar school like there is some evil totalitarian regime, this doesn't really seem like a big deal. If they wan't to praise their one nation under God, let them.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I think anyone should be allowed to pray anywhere they wish, that includes school. If you refuse their right to prayer, you are taking away their right to their own religious beliefs. They should be able to pray anytime anywhere they wish. It should also be the right of anyone to choose not to.

No one should force their beliefs upon others, those wishing to pray, and those wishing not to.

 

[Twilight_guy]

I'm not saying that majority makes it right for them to do that, I'm saying that majority makes it impracticable to stop having the pray. He said that he knows of three atheist people in town (or was it his class?). If he is in such a small minority the better option is to, instead of changing the ceremony, simply let him leave and return after the prayer. It takes two second to set him up in location where he can simply slip out when he's uncomfortable and come back in, noone gets sued and the whole mess is solved. Instead we have to have a big debate about it and have incendiary arguments over the whole thing. (I looked through some of those comments on that web page and my god its like rednecks praising religion but in reverse). There is no reason to make a big mess out of this when the administrations could have easily fixed the situation.

He only knows two people who are atheists. There could very well be many more who kept their mouths shut (and who can blame them since the ONE person who did speak up is now skipping town due to the backlash).

He shouldn't have to leave because a PUBLIC school is ILLEGALLY incorporating religion (separation of church and state, the latter which funds the public schools). If they want to introduce prayer, they better be prepared to say "bye-bye" to their public funding. The majority opinion is irrelevant if they oppress or harm small groups (tyranny of the majority). It's why the gay marriage ban in California was overturned.

Then why can't they make special accommodations for him then, why is there a big stink over changing the whole ceremony. I guarantee you if they just gave him the option to not participate and not be int he room or be forced to not do anything he doesn't want to while maintaining there current traditions then people wouldn't be calling for his hide and this wouldn't be an issue. Jehovah's witness kids are allowed to not participate in events and special accommodations are made for them. The same thing would work here and there wouldn't be a need for suing. This whole thing has turned into a mess when it didn't need to be. The way this wound up going over is like trying to provide for the disabled by, rather then installing ramps, bulldozing the stairs and ensuring that there are only ramps in their place because the disabled people feel uncomfortable otherwise. This whole thing has become a murky quagmire of religious poo fling rather then a simply accommodation measure.

 

[teebeeohh]

separation of state and church.
meaning absolutely NO organised prayers in public institutions, if people want to they can pray in the broom closet during their lunch break.

 

[Gaiseric]

The kid has balls. I approve.

Yes, but only in a Religion group or something like that(before/after school, during lunch, etc). Enough people get upset as is with just having "God" in the Pledge. I'm open to religions but having religion be a major part of school for such an important day would have made me feel extremely awkward and out of place.

edit: Should he sue? No. Should he move, when possible, to a more open community? Yes.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Yeah, I'm going to add another voice to 'prayer in school is fine, so long as it's not organised and taking the place of it's opposite, education.'

I'm also entirely in favour of religious education, there's far too many 'anti-religion' atheists out there, and maybe if they learned about the various religions, they'd see that, in the majority, its the people at fault, not the religions.

Sure, there's contradictions and unpleasant sections full of hate in most holy books, however, here's my theory.

'So it states both "Love thy Neighbour" and "Smite the unbeliever", choose. If you chose the smiting, grats, you fail at religion. It's a TEST, dummy!'

 

[Lord_Nemesis]

What. A. Baw.

Who gives a fuck if people are praying around him? It would be a different story if someone or some people were foricng HIM to pray. God, really, some people must just be born douche bags. And the fact America is a Christian country, well maybe, who knows anymore but seriosuly, this lad needs to get a life.

 

[LuckyClover95]

I didn't read it, but I think prayer should be allowed, but nobody should be forced to join in. They should just keep quiet during the prayer, don't attract any attention etc to let the other pray in peace.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I think he went a little far, but he's in the right completely and the response he has had is completely ridiculous. Anything he does now is pretty justified really.

 

[ion496]

You should be able to pray, if you want to. But the school shouldn't have the right to force you to pray if it's a public school. If it's a Christian school, then go ahead and pray. I really don't mind if people pray in public, as long as they don't force me to pray.

 

[PatrickXD]

I do not take part in religious events in school. This has got me into plenty of trouble before, however it usually ends in teachers apologizing to social workers who I call, or simply my parents. I'm not a huge fan of social workers and the like, but they're there to work with you in cases such as religion.

 

[honestdiscussioner]

My position on the matter is that prayer is absolutely allowed in schools by individuals. Authority figures paid by the government should never tell those they are in charge of that it is time to pray.

Religion is allowed on public property, but only under the following circumstances:

1. It is PRIVATELY funded.
2. Any other group is given the same option.

 

[guntotingtomcat]

Well, if people are being forced to pray you have a problem.

If people are being forced not to pray, you also have a problem.

If people are being ostracized for exercising a lawful right not to pray, you have a much bigger societal problem.

I call it, ACCS, or American Christian Community Syndrome.

 

[Smiles]

Man, when I came out as athiest in school everybody started treating me different, and it wasn't even a christian school! I can feel where that guy is coming from is all I'm saying.

 

[Grospoliner]

I would say. That yes the ceremony is a problem. Simply because it endorses an exclusionary policy. Life does not require the secular to be separated from the devout. Humans have created wonderful languages that adapt throughout centuries to be capable of conferring numerous connotations for nearly any conceivable event. It only takes a few extra moments of thought to provide a speech that everyone can be inspired by whilst providing all groups their rights.

Instead of holding a moment of pray, they can have a moment of reflection or introspection.

Instead of thanking G-wiz, they can simply state they are thankful for the opportunity they received.

It is not hard to consider others and show them courtesy.

 

[Active Schizophrenic]

What an ass. (The guy in the article, not the OP) Why would he care if people around him prayed? It's not like he was being forced to, they just have a prayer in the ceremony. That doesn't mean you have to pray too.

right on dude, i was just about to say pretty much the same thing

You two are both correct. that kid is a grade A douche, and lol at "friendly atheist" site all the comments were about donating to the kid to help his cause of undermining religions, but i mean since there all "friendly" i guess they were doing it out of kindness.

Oh el oh el
You do realize all these 'Lovely' Christians have been threatening him, his Christian parents have thrown him out and hes received all kinds of abuse even going as far as death threats.
And you try to point out the people trying to give this guy support since hes now lost it because of the kindness his parents have shown him?
Yes you sir are a Douchebag.

plz post evidence of death threats so I can read kthxbai

 

[Active Schizophrenic]

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?

Psst, it's a public school, it's illegal for the school to set it up.

What an ass. (The guy in the article, not the OP) Why would he care if people around him prayed? It's not like he was being forced to, they just have a prayer in the ceremony. That doesn't mean you have to pray too.

right on dude, i was just about to say pretty much the same thing

You are aware of Separation of Church and State right?

Yeah, it's 'against establishment of religion by law'.

No one is making a law saying you have to pray. Did you read the article??

"School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it (tells) members of the audience who are non-adherents that they are outsiders," wrote Justice John Paul Stevens in the majority opinion.

Three strike and your out. But hay what do Supreme Court rulings mean to you, your gonna sit here and claim the majority is right and discrimination against Athesits is ok.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa070100a.htm

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa070100a.htm#when

What an ass. (The guy in the article, not the OP) Why would he care if people around him prayed? It's not like he was being forced to, they just have a prayer in the ceremony. That doesn't mean you have to pray too.

right on dude, i was just about to say pretty much the same thing

You two are both correct. that kid is a grade A douche, and lol at "friendly atheist" site all the comments were about donating to the kid to help his cause of undermining religions, but i mean since there all "friendly" i guess they were doing it out of kindness.

Man I hate being right.. who am i kidding I love being right. Because i can look up articles (Supreme Court rulings no less.) that show you to be nothing more then bigots.

Hey I'm not the one suing because *whiny voice* i have to PRAY!?? *end whiney voice* Its called sit in silence kid. seriously.

 

[TheDanielG]

I go to a Jewish school and we do have Christians in it. We have a half hour prayers evey morning and you have to attend but you don't have to pray. The teachers respect those who are atheist or Chrstian. If the majority of the school was Christian or it was a CHRISTIAN school ie they did Bible studies or what not, then he was wrong. It depends on how "Christian" the school is. And American law is stupid, just a fact.

A jewish school is a private institution, the school can mandate whatever it wants because it isn't a public school. I don't know why a christian or atheist family would send their kid to a school like that, but if they had an issue with it, then they could just go to public.

It has nothing to do with how christian a school is. A public school shouldn't do anything religious. It isn't a stupid law either, how would you feel if a school you were forced to go to required prayer to a deity you didn't believe in? People really did have to ask themselves that question many years ago, and that's why the law is in place.

I'll answer you in points:
A) It's the school with the highest amount of matriculants, and is in South Africa. A Jewish school is a rare thing. Plus there are only one or two good public schools

B) If someone doesn't want to pray, they should stand silently and respectfully, not make it a whole issue of it. The guy who asked this was wrong, he should have just stayed silent.