Judge Says No Prayers for School Boards

[Rose Siding]

snip>
Ruling in a lawsuit brought by a parent against a southeastern Louisiana school system, Judge Ginger Berrigan said school-sponsored prayers in classes or at other school functions have long been prohibited as a violation of First Amendment guarantees against government-established religion.
...
"In officially promoting a religious practice at its governmental meetings, the board is doing what its schools and teachers cannot do, favor religion over nonreligion and endorse particular religious faiths," Berrigan wrote.

School children whose faiths are different from the majority of students are vulnerable to peer pressure and feelings of isolation, Berrigan wrote. "Even without student participation, the board's policy of opening with prayer is an endorsement of religion," the opinion said.

Chris Moody, a lawyer for the school board, said he believes an appeal is likely. An appeal would go to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which Moody noted has allowed prayer at graduation ceremonies.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-school-board-prayers,0,7486598.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Great!

Too bad the decision won't be implemented because of appeals, and it will drag on for a long time.

Too bad about the posts one can predict here on DU condemning this decision.

[mutus_frutex]

2. Yes!!

Men, I haven't heard many of these lately. Finally some good news!

NO! to religious indoctrination.

[arwalden]

3. Outstanding!!

Let's just hope that this isn't overturned.

[MountainLaurel]

4. Somebody gets it

School children whose faiths are different from the majority of students are vulnerable to peer pressure and feelings of isolation, Berrigan wrote. "Even without student participation, the board's policy of opening with prayer is an endorsement of religion," the opinion said.

I salute Ginger Berrigan!

:wow:

[AnnInLa]

5. In case you don't know....

Here in Louisiana, all school-sports contests start with a prayer. In fact, all events begin with a prayer. All local school-board meetings begin with a prayer. Almost everything that is related to public education begins with a prayer. I've been in the public education system here 22 years, and altho I am not religious, it never bothered me. It's just something you are raised with and are used to. I completely understand the importance of separation of church and state and agree wholeheartedly that they must be kept separate, but a prayer at a public event just never bothered me, it never made me want to spit or raise my fist in a power salute. If a prayer from the Koran were offered, that wouldn't bother me either. I always considered a prayer at a football game or whatever, just a "hope" or a "wish" that the players would stay safe and have a good game. Am glad to see the ruling, altho its just more fodder for the wingers here against we godless libruls. All of these little chipping-aways just increases and firms their desire to push back in retaliation. It's why so many of my friends/co-workers voted repug even tho they did not believe in this war or in repug economic policy per say. It's one of the reasons, altho I am Southerner, I think the deep South will not be won over by the Dems any time soon....I think the deep South is lost to us for a long while, and that energy, resources and $$$ shouldn't even be wasted down here. Just my 2 pesos.

[shifting_sands]

6. No Argument

" so many of my friends/co-workers voted repug even tho they did not believe in this war or in repug economic policy per say."

You are right about the South possibly being "lost" when people vote against their better selves or what they believe and use that level of thinking it would be almost impossible to find an argument, discussion, or logic to awaken them to the real dangers in this country. Dangers such as the removal of freedoms, removal of tax benefits for them, removal of civil rights, drafts, raising the threat of terrorism against the US, destroying the middle class, their jobs being out-sourced to other countries, the destruction of a tax base that provides education, roads, FDA, etc. It would be real hard to argue against a group so willing to go against their own best interests because they don't like "liburls"