MO: Humanists threaten to sue Missouri school officials over teacher-led prayer meetingsThe 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.”
SourceSince it's a before-school activity it might get past the goons
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.
ReplyDeleteIf 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.
But as it is, there's too much "official" involvement.
ReplyDeleteThat's not the Constitutional standard, not that the haters care about that.
Prayer is useless waste of time.
ReplyDeleteReligion 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! .
ReplyDeleteVery 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?
ReplyDeleteSo who are the haters?
Stan,
ReplyDeleteYou 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.
Humanists? Are they afraid to call themselves what they in fact are, atheists? Here's a better name;
ReplyDeleteSATAN'S CHILDREN.
Haters = Those who attack those who don't think as they do.
ReplyDelete"Haters = Those who attack those who don't think as they do."
ReplyDeleteSounds like the anti-gay crowd to me.
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.
ReplyDeleteGuess 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.
ReplyDeleteA private club with a faculty advisor that happens to get the odd announcement over the p.a. system.
ReplyDeleteSo what?
So long as other groups are treated the same way there is nothing to see here...
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.
ReplyDeleteVery well put. But liberals and progressives will tell that you are wrong anyway.
Delete"Guess what,,,satan does exist,"
ReplyDeleteSo do unicorns.
If you could reason with religious people there would be no religious people
ReplyDeleteGive 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.
ReplyDeleteOrganized religion is like organized crime; it preys on peoples' weaknesses, generates huge profits for its operators, and is almost impossible to eradicate.
ReplyDeleteIf the lord had meant us to have faith, he'd have given us lobotomies.
ReplyDeleteAww, is the poor widdle troll desperate for attention? Too bad. So sad. What a maroon.
ReplyDelete1:01 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!
ReplyDeleteScrew the humanists,screw the ACLU,screw darwinists,SCREW THEM ALL
ReplyDeleteOh dear! Bird of P is stamping his little feet!
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:24, please get back on you medication. You are making a fool of yourself. --Mom
ReplyDeleteGetting so tired of these selfish self-centered athiests-hmanists wackos trying to force their poppycock on us all
ReplyDelete1:05, Mom was talking to you. — Dad
ReplyDeleteIs '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?!
ReplyDeletePlease dont make me angry
ReplyDelete