Thursday, May 23, 2013




MO: Humanists threaten to sue Missouri school officials over teacher-led prayer meetings

The American Humanist Association threatened to sue Missouri’s Fayette School District and several school officials on Wednesday for their alleged roles in holding morning religious ceremonies with students on school grounds every week for at least the last year.

After receiving information from a student, the AHA’s legal foundation, the Appignani Humanist Legal Center, drafted a legal explanation (PDF) of why government officials may not actively supervise any sort of religious ceremony while on the job, citing dozens of court cases to justify their demand that the district cease and desist.

“Every Friday morning one of the teachers invites students to come into her room just before first period begins… and prays with them and gives out breakfast,” William Burgess, legal coordinator for the AHA’s foundation, explained to Raw Story.”It appears that the principal makes an announcement that students should go to Mrs. Pope’s classroom for devotionals, which is how they describe the kind of prayer that’s going on there.”

Burgess added that while math teacher Gwen Pope‘s weekly devotionals at Fayette High School appear voluntary, between “both the teacher promoting this practice to students and the principal announcing it, I think it’s fair to say the school is putting this on… This is so unconstitutional that they have to know it is, but they’re doing it anyway.”

Source

Since it's a before-school activity it might get past the goons

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

The announcements by the principal will be seen as a tacit endorsement of Religion, and the fact that a teacher leads it on school grounds also crosses the line.

If a Student Volunteer were leading it, and a Student Announcer were making the invitation - and all such clubs were offered equivalent announcement time - this might pass muster. But as it is, there's too much "official" involvement.

Use the Name, Luke said...

But as it is, there's too much "official" involvement.

That's not the Constitutional standard, not that the haters care about that.

Anonymous said...

Prayer is useless waste of time.

Anonymous said...

Religion is so devious in it's infiltration. Are public schools neutral towards religion? Or is religion trying to get in the "backdoor" with dubious manipulations and activities. Be especially beware when it's the undercover islamic form using the excuse of religious freedom! .

Old Bob said...

Very Interesting, Use the Name Luke equates non-believers to haters. I was rejected by the local American Legion for being immoral. They said the being a non-believer is immoral and therefore I am immoral. I complained to the national about this and they said their hands are tied on this. The Army didn't care if I was a believer or not, so why should the American Legion care?

So who are the haters?

Anonymous said...

Stan,

You are probably correct on the announcement and definitely wrong on the teacher involvement.

The teacher does not give up their religious freedoms when they walk through the door. In addition, as long as other teachers meet with students outside of the classroom, the teacher has to be allowed the same involvement.

If not, not only you discriminating on the basis of religion, but you are discriminating on the basis of the content of the speech of the teacher and students.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that you have to apply the same standard to religious groups as you do to secular groups on school grounds.

If other groups can meet with teachers present, this group can do the same.

That is simply settled law.

Anonymous said...

Humanists? Are they afraid to call themselves what they in fact are, atheists? Here's a better name;

SATAN'S CHILDREN.

Use the Name, Luke said...

Haters = Those who attack those who don't think as they do.

Anonymous said...

"Haters = Those who attack those who don't think as they do."

Sounds like the anti-gay crowd to me.

Anonymous said...

I WOULD TELL THE ATHEIST TO GET FUCKED AND IF A JUDGE SAYS ANYTHING, GOOD BYE BREAKFAST OR TELL THE GD JUDGE TO COME STOP IT HIMSELF. A BIBLE CAN BE USED IN A COURT, BY G-D FORBID ONE USED IN A SCHOOL.

Anonymous said...

Guess what,,,satan does exist,,he has your number stud,,he loves that people don't believe in him, that way he can do his work with no hinderance, like that prick Obama.

Anonymous said...

A private club with a faculty advisor that happens to get the odd announcement over the p.a. system.
So what?
So long as other groups are treated the same way there is nothing to see here...

Anonymous said...

This is unofficial club. Stan B. is wrong in saying the principal making the announcement crosses the line. It would be no different in him announcing for students to go to a room for the meeting of the chess club or to another room for a BGLAD meeting. As long as students are not forced to participate it is permitted.

Anonymous said...

"Guess what,,,satan does exist,"

So do unicorns.

Anonymous said...

If you could reason with religious people there would be no religious people

Anonymous said...

Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion, and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish.

Anonymous said...

Organized religion is like organized crime; it preys on peoples' weaknesses, generates huge profits for its operators, and is almost impossible to eradicate.

Anonymous said...

If the lord had meant us to have faith, he'd have given us lobotomies.

Anonymous said...

Aww, is the poor widdle troll desperate for attention? Too bad. So sad. What a maroon.

Anonymous said...

1:01 That's a good version of the well-known maxim! Praying is often just virtual defeatism, as though a deity would be persuaded one way or the other from it's grand cosmic plan by such pathetic pleading. Don't they know they are just pawns when "God" is performing "mysterious wonders", like some mad scientist with lab rats!

Bird of Paradise said...

Screw the humanists,screw the ACLU,screw darwinists,SCREW THEM ALL

Anonymous said...

Oh dear! Bird of P is stamping his little feet!

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:24, please get back on you medication. You are making a fool of yourself. --Mom

Anonymous said...

Very well put. But liberals and progressives will tell that you are wrong anyway.

Go Away Bird said...

Getting so tired of these selfish self-centered athiests-hmanists wackos trying to force their poppycock on us all

Anonymous said...

1:05, Mom was talking to you. — Dad

Anonymous said...

Is 'Go Away Bird" a troll or what? Or is it a wacko nest-mate of the 'Paradise' variety that chirps up here on a regular basis, or are they both twin yolks from the same cuckoo egg?!

Go Away Bird said...

Please dont make me angry