Sunday, January 16, 2011

Wearing Rosary Beads to School Got Me Suspended, Texas Girl Says

For once I am rather on the side of the school here. Brainless gang bangers do wear the beads around their necks as pretty ornamentation rather than for any religious reasons and if I were a parent of a kid at the school concerned, I would want gang activity discouraged as much as possible.

But practicing Catholics should of course be allowed to have them at school. Practicing Catholics don't usually wear them as a necklace anyway as that would make them very difficult to use in their intended purpose -- which is to count off the number of prayers said.
"A Texas girl is calling for an apology from her middle school after she says she was suspended for wearing rosary beads around her neck, khou.com reports.

Jonae Devlin, 14, reportedly told the station that she wore the prayer beads at Hodges Bend Middle School in Houston because they remind her of her late grandmother, a devout Catholic. "I wear them for my grandmother," she told the station. "It makes me feel like she's with me all the time."

The school's principal ordered that the girl be suspended for one day, arguing that the beads violate the school dress code, khou.com reported. "She said, 'I’m going to give you the choice to take it off or be suspended,' and I said, 'You might as well suspend me,'" Devlin told the station.

Source

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder what would happen if gang bangers decided to start wearing yarmulkes? Do you think that religious article of clothing would be banned? Or, might some brainless school official get real and ban the gang-bangers?

And while we're on the subject, how is it that whenever you see jewish people working in government offices, (IRS, EPA, etc.) they're wearing the yarmulkes? Does not the imaginary (and oh-so-loved-by-the- left) "seperation of church and state" apply to jews?

Anonymous said...

Does not the imaginary (and oh-so-loved-by-the- left) "seperation of church and state" apply to jews?

Actually, it does apply to everyone which is why the symbol can be worn. The government does not have the right to demand that you remove an article that is a recognized and valid expression of your faith.

Anonymous said...

I spoke with several Catholic friends about this, and they said that rosary beads are NOT to be worn as a necklace. They are to be used as a prayer aid, not worn as jewelry. They contend that the girl in this case was mis-instructed on their proper use.

-sig

Anonymous said...

If she was a practising Catholic she would she would know not to wear it. Since she is obviosly not a practising Catholic the beads lose all religous signicance in the eyes of the school and rightly so.

Anonymous said...

"The government does not have the right to demand that you remove an article that is a recognized and valid expression of your faith."

Dear 3:25 AM,

I saw that photo of a Muslim woman(?) at a security point in an airport wearing a full, black nijab/burqa with "TSA" printed on the back in big, yellow letters. I'm pretty sure (99.999%) it was "photo-shopped", but if you're statement is correct will that will eventually occur?

Spurwing Plover said...

I suppose they dont do the same with kids that wear pentagrams or devils head pendants Whats these wacko school officials have against christians?

Anonymous said...

Bog,

No right is absolute. There are cases where the government can demand the removal of certain items for, as an example, the taking of a driver's license photo, safety issues, etc.

The government must make a compelling argument to demand the removal of a valid and recognized expression faith. Without it, they have no right to demand the removal of the item.

Anonymous said...

I guess if she'd worn muslim prayer beads she'd have been applauded for her "diversity".

A. Jew said...

PIL,.... in most cases, it's so-called "religious" (orthodox) jews who work in those govt offices. And they DO wear the yarmulkes.

PIL said...

Unless Christian employees aren't allowed to wear crucifixes, I see no issue with yarmulkes.

http://libertarians4freedom.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Unless Christian employees aren't allowed to wear crucifixes, I see no issue with yarmulkes.

Like this?

http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030507cross0507p2.asp

Outcome:

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=11875