Send the ACLU a Christmas Card

[gtalum]

"Forced prayer" and "prayer" are two different things entirely. I was thinking you had an example of someone actually being prevented from praying in a public school. Sorry for my misunderstanding.

[Pburgh]

http://www.aclupa.org/downloads/Schoold ... letter.pdf

I believe these cases involve "forced prayer" and "prayer."

[Regit]

Well, prayer at school is unconstitutional when it is a government school and the school is sponsoring the prayer. The above case you cited involved school-led prayer.

Moments of silence are fine as long as the school doesn't say "OK, let's be silent so you can pray." At most public schools, there are schoolwide moments of silence each morning and no reason is given for the moment of silence. This is perfectly fine and students are welcome to pray if they like.

When I was in school, my 3rd grade class consisted of about 25 students. One student was not Christian. "Bible" was one of the courses taught at the school at the time and there were parties for Christmas and Easter. The Bible study was immediately after lunch and the student would wait in the cafeteria or office during Bible discussion and would go home early during parties. It didn't bother me at the time, but looking back on it, that student was treated horribly by the school. There was no excuse for her having to be singled out as "the weird one."

However, these days anyone who can't pray in school simply doesn't want to. There's no excuse that a student can't do it in the bathroom, alone at his or her desk, before lunch, or any other time when learning is not going on.

However, if anyone CAN cite an example of prayer being banned at a public school, I'm listening.

[Pburgh]

And in these "schoolwide moments of silence each morning" what do you think they want them to do??? The one case cited DID involve silent prayer. All you have to do is a search of your ACLU files. Let's not get into a semantics war.

I do not like the ACLU as you have guessed. I will send them extra Christmas cards now and tell them that our forefathers believed in the birth of Christ. jmho

[alicia-w]

i am a card carrying member but they do go too far on occasion. my forefathers did not believe in the birth of Christ, but i'll still respect your right to dislike the ACLU.

[Pburgh]

I knew YOU would!!!

[GalvestonDuck]

Eh, the ACLU fights to protect pornographers, including those who create virtual child pornography (animated). That's bad enough for me. I don't care what other rights they protect and how they might help the average citizen. I'd rather not have a group like that on my side.

[gtalum]

...tell them that our forefathers believed in the birth of Christ. jmho

"Our forefathers" also thought slavery was a-okay and that women were second class citizens, among other things. That's not necessarily a glowing endorsement of your religion.

[alicia-w]

that's probably not necessary. The religion had nothing to do with slavery or women's rights, but the mores of the times. There were plenty of forefathers who shunned slavery too.

[gtalum]

that's probably not necessary. The religion had nothing to do with slavery or women's rights

I never said it did. But implying that "our forefathers'" acceptance of something is a necessariuly positive attribute is clearly wrong. They were wrong on a lot of stuff.

There were plenty of forefathers who shunned slavery too.

And there were plenty who did not believe in Jesus as their eternal savior.

[Windswept]

I send them a card every year with a $100 donation and will continue to do so to assure everyone can continue to have the rights and freedoms to do what they choose...even if what they choose is to send silly cards that are ...at best ..annoying some poor secretary over the holidays.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

I would not waste good money on that organizion. I can't say anything good about them...