Georgia mom upset over 'God is dead' artwork in school

[SecularMotion]

Crystal Mitchell is angry about a drawing hanging in her daughter's classroom, on which a student wrote the phrase, "God is Dead."

"It made my daughter very uncomfortable," Mitchell said. "If my child can't pray in school and they've taken religion out of school, for this to be plastered on the walls of school, is a huge concern for me."

Mitchell may not have read "The Crucible," or seen it on Broadway, or seen one of the two film adaptations, but the canonical American play that depicts the Salem witch trials as an allegory for Red Scare McCarthyism is standard high school reading. The play was written by Arthur Miller, who also penned "Death of a Salesman."

Delivered by wrongfully imprisoned protagonist John Proctor, the phrase "God is dead" was metaphorical. But Mitchell's daughter may not have been in class that day.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/Blog/2013/08/19/Georgia-mom-upset-over-God-is-dead-artwork-in-school/9621376926924/

[unblock]

1. "if my daughter can't pray in school" -- yet more religious ignorance.

show me a math test and i'll show you prayer in school. perfectly legal.

the school can't organize it, *that* what's banned, but students can pray if they want.



oh, but atheists can't express their views, of course, whether quoting miller or not.
it upsets certain delicate Christians....

[cbayer]

3. That's not really fair.

There is just one person complaining and she didn't understand the context. The school has taken the position that they will not remove this and that they will do some educational work with the students to help them understand the context.

[unblock]

6. i should have made it clear that it was the mom i was mocking, not the student.

and context isn't really required. christian students have a right to religious expression when they do artwork at school, so do atheists and others. "god is dead", draw by a student and posted on a classroom wall, would be ok, just as "christ is lord" would also be ok, if done by a student.

it's only a problem if the school guided them in making such statements, or was discriminatory in picking out what went up on the wall.

the miller play provides a different rationale, but it's protected either way.

[cbayer]

7. Agree that it should be protected either way.

[Politicalboi]

2. Shouldn't she be happy

Isn't this the cry of the GOP since prayer was taken out of school ever since Obama took office.

I bet this crazy ass mother already has an attorney.

[cbayer]

4. I don't know if she has an attorney, but she does have a facebook page, lol.

https://www.facebook.com/godisaliveinnewtoncounty

[Xipe Totec]

5. Dogma 1999 - The Sign of a True Catholic

Bethany: You're suggesting I need to get filled?

Liz: In more ways than one. You need to get laid, Bethany Sloane. You need a man, if only for ten minutes.

Bethany: It's been my experience that the average male is never a man. Not even for ten minutes in his entire lifespan.

Liz: That's a bit militant. You thinking of joining the other side?

Bethany: Couldn't do it. Women are insane.

Liz: Then YOU need to go back to church and ask God for a third option.

Bethany: I think that God is dead.

Liz: The sign of a true Catholic.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=560939


I think somebody was quoting movie scripts.

[rug]

8. A climactic scene.

PROCTOR: (Leaning across the table, turning her gently by the arm.) Mary, tell the Governor what they…

MARY: (Backing away.) Don’t touch me… don’t touch me!

PROCTOR: Mary!

MARY: (Pointing at Proctor.) You are the Devil’s man!

PARRIS: Praise God!

PROCTOR: Mary, how…?

MARY: I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God—

DANFORTH: (To Mary.) He bid you do the Devil’s work?

MARY: (Hysterically, indicating Proctor.) He come at me by night and every day to sign, to sign, to…

DANFORTH: Sign what?

PARRIS: The Devil’s book? He come with a book?

MARY: (Hysterically, pointing at Proctor.) My name, he want my name; I’ll murder you, he says, if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court, he says…!

PROCTOR: (Eyes follow Mary.) Mister Hale…!

MARY: (Her sobs beginning.) He wake me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and I sign, I sign….

HALE: Excellency, the child’s gone wild.

PROCTOR: Mary, Mary…!

MARY: (Screaming at him.) No, I love God; I go your way no more, (Looking at Abigail.) I love God, I bless God…. (Sobbing, she rushes to Abigail.) Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more! (All watch, as Abigail reaches out and draws sobbing Mary to her, then looks up to Danforth.)

DANFORTH: What are you! You are combined with anti-Christ, are you not? I have seen your power, Mister, you will not deny it!

HALE: This is not witchcraft! Those girls are frauds! You condemn an honest man!

DANFORTH: I will have nothing from you, Mister Hale! (To Proctor.) Will you confess yourself befouled with hell, or do you keep that black allegiance yet? What say you?

PROCTOR: I say… God is dead!

PARRIS: (Crossing L. toward door.) Hear it, hear it!

PROCTOR: A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face. And it is my face and yours, Danforth. For them that quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud. God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!

DANFORTH: Marshal, take him and Corey with him to the jail!

HALE: (Crossing D.L.) I denounce these proceedings! I quit this court! (Hale EXITS.)

PROCTOR: You are pulling heaven down and raising up a whore.

DANFORTH: (Shocked.) Mister Hale, Mister Hale!

CURTAIN

[Goblinmonger]

13. Teach this every year

I always liked "You are pulling heaven down and raising up a whore" better than "God is dead" but the latter is the climax.

[rug]

14. The contrast between Proctor's earlier demeanor to this is amazing.

Miller pulled bits of him off until this scene where he was left raw.

I've never seen this play performed but will one day I hope.

[okasha]

15. One of our local theater groups

will be performing The Crucible this fall. Another is doing The Laramie Project, which I'm helping to costume. Pretty good for a staunchly Democratic but not particularly liberal city.

[rug]

16. If it's put up on youtube, send me a link.

[okasha]

17. I will.

Later on, I'll be able to get you a CD if you like.

[rug]

18. Thanks!

[Jim__]

9. Is this the picture?

[center][/center]

I think the drawing of the woman is pretty good, especially for a high school student.

[cbayer]

11. Because the poster wasn't about religion at all, it was about literature.

[hrmjustin]

12. That makes sense. I took a bible as literature class here in NYC public HS.

Thanks for clearing it up.