Two Florida school officials will be in court next month to answer charges that they violated a court order when they prayed in public after a school secretary was cleared on similar charges.
The case, which defense attorneys say is an unprecedented display of government intrusion into the right of personal religious expression, pits the American Civil Liberties Union against two Christian school employees.
Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman of Santa Rosa County, in northern Florida, agreed to a settlement last January after the ACLU filed suit on behalf of two students who alleged improper proselytizing.
The ACLU has come a long way. A generation ago, they were fighting for the right of Nazis to march in Skokie, a Jewish suburb of Chicago. Today they are fighting against the right of Christians to pray in public.
The key quote is the following:
[blockquote]As part of the settlement, Lay, Freeman and secretary Michelle Winkler agreed to limit expressions of their private faith in a public school setting.[/blockquote]
Christian faith is permissible in contemporary USA as long as it is merely a “private” affair–something one days behind closed doors on one’s own time. In the work place or in any other public setting, one must become, for all practical purposes, an atheist.
On the bright side, at least it’s the ACLU bringing a civil suit, rather than a district attorney bringing criminal charges. I suppose it’s just a matter of time, though.
And it’s interesting that one of the ACLU’s charges of impropriety is that they staged a “religious baccalaureate” service, a term which seems [url=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=baccalaureate]redundant[/url]—as if it were possible to have a non-religious one. Do you suppose the state has the authority to compel non-religious religious services?
If you were accused of being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you? We must honor these martyrs for the faith.
It seems to me to be their own fault for violating our first amendment freedom [i] from [/i] religion…
Yes, yes, I know.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” [i]— Matthew 6:5-6[/i]
Ember, spoken like a true Episcopalian. The question is were they doing it for their own glory or God’s? Do some exegesis and then re-post your comment.
Or do you subscribe to this: Matthew 16:20 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
Don’t be too quick to take verses out of context.
The prayer Mr. Freeman offered was “Grace” before a meal.
A normal occurance in NW Florida. It happened at the meeting to thank sponsors of the High School, no students were present and none of the people present were forced to pray or even complained
about the prayer. When word got out, that is when the contempt charges were filed. Court date at this time 17 Sept. The secretary was present and did not pray. She was in contempt for just being there and listening to the prayer. She was cleared.
Per the lame attempt by ember. Mr Lay does not do it for his glory.
He just does not hide his light under a basket. He is open about his faith. That is why he is hated by the ACLU and other liberal around here. Every time they see a Christian who is not ashamed of Christ, it reminds them of their shame and sin.
Mark+
How would each of you feel if Mr. Lay were promoting, with equal zeal, Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism?