l School prayer ban ignites backlash

[d_r]

Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press


Praying silently, in secret or off school property won't cut it for a group of vocal protesters upset over this week's ban of public prayer at Hamilton County high school football games.

They have taken their campaign for public prayer to the Internet, with at least two Facebook groups and a Twitter feed. They're selling T-shirts, taking donations and enlisting the help of national religious liberty organizations.

"I don't want to go around the law, I want to go right through it. I want this completely overturned," said 17-year-old Shelton Brown, a Soddy-Daisy High School senior and creator of the Facebook page "Keep Prayer at Soddy Daisy High School."

<SNIP>

Red Bank High School graduate Michael Brown said prayer is part of a longstanding tradition. "I don't know, we're Southern, you know? Most people put God first," he said.



Read more: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/oct/22/school-prayer-ban-ignites-backlash/?local

---

That last quote bugged the daylights out of me. If God was so important to him, he ought to be fighting to keep the government from telling people how to pray. They just can't get their minds around it.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. "I don't know, we're Southern, you know? Most people put God first,"

but don't bash the South...

[kurtzapril4]

12. It's so hard NOT to bash the South.

And I'm a born and bred Southerner.

Matthew 6:6

[Heywood J]

23. Thank you for the reference.

If they intend on praying, the Gospel tells them to do it in private.

[Tesha]

13. And the Constitution, oh, fifth, twelfth, whatever. As demonstrated...

...on quite a few occasions throughout history.

Tesha

[Rage for Order]

18. I'm American by birth, Southern by the grace of God

No place better than the South

:patriot:

[Eryemil]

31. I too love the south. Keeps most of the stupidity in confined areas instead of

drifting north. Hello from Canada.

[mitchum]

32. I love the south; it's just many southerners I can't abide

and I'm from the place :)

[cyr330]

2. Well, I'm Southern by birth, and I don't

want any fucking school organizing prayers on my behalf. If I want to pray, I'll do it myself on my own goddamned time.

[Warpy]

3. No, they don't get it. The majority seldom does get it

and think they should be able to dictate everything, especially when that majority is among juveniles.

Personally, I'd appreciate the games being started with a bible verse, Matthew 6:6, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

[msongs]

4. the bible doesnt like soddymites nt

[napi21]

5. My problem with praying before the game ALOUD is that everyone is not the same faith.

I attended 12 years at a Catholic School, and during the first seveal years, we were all told we couldn't attend the public school BECAUSE they said the Lords Prayer aloud before classes and they said the protestant version. When the Gov't finally said NO PRAYER before class in the public schiils, we were all told we want you to stayhere but if you must go to the public school it's OK now because they don't demand prayer or any kind.

I never did, but I married a guy who attended public Hs and we're both Catholics and everything was fine. Our 2 sons attended public school through all their years mostly because of money. They went to religion class on Sat. AM's and they're both still Catholics too.

Honestly, I don't kow of anyone who hasn't said some prayer before a BIG TEST, but they do it silently, and that's the way it should be.

[AlbertCat]

6. Most people put God first,

What? Before the TEAM????

[Plucketeer]

7. LOL! Honestly!

If these professed God-worshippers TRULY put God first, wouldn't you think they'd conduct their lives accordingly? Nah - the REAL truth is they put a show of their phony worship first.
How many of these god-fearin' folks liquidate half of what they own and give the proceeds to the less fortunate? I'd bet it's DAMNED few.

[boppers]

10. Half of what they own? Only half?

Acts 2:44-45
"44 And all that believed were together, and had all things in common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."

Acts 4:32-37:
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

[Plucketeer]

22. I understand. I really do...

... but in this day and age I'd be flabberghasted if they even parted with one quarter of their "stuff".

[texastoast]

8. NAM-MYOHO-RENGE-KYO

Can we pray that?

[Just One Woman]

9. The real point

Is that taxpayers are paying for that school. Which means that when the school leads prayer, I am paying for that. We all are. I don't wish for my part of that money to go toward establishment of any religion.

But the real point is that if the comi christians keep pushing, we will end up with the south being led by the nose into whatever religion is the flavor of the month. They will get the opposite of what they want, but cannot and will not see it because they do not care. They only see their religion.

[texastoast]

26. Ding! Ding! Ding!

We will have our prayers if we stay this stupid. I think I nice schedule would be:

Muslim Mondays
Hindu Tuesdays
Wiccan Wednesdays
Buddhist Thursdays
Christian Fridays

The various sects of each of the major religions will have to rotate on their assigned day. "Cult" religions will have to be accommodated, depending on requested access. Of course, Christians are hoping that Satanists won't apply for time.

Yep, your taxpayer dollars at work scheduling all this in each district and making sure that compliance is followed.

[stopbush]

11. The power of MAKE BELIEVE on display once again.

"When I was a child, I thought like a child..."

Amazing how many still believe in childish religious fantasies.

[smiley]

14. i saw a bumper sticker today with a confederate flag....

and it said "Southern by the Grace of God".
Not that it matters, but I live in Denver, Colorado. Southerners crack me up... especially the bible bangin' ones.

[HockeyMom]

15. They ASSUME you will pray to Jesus

If I want to pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, let's see how much they support my right to that.

[Thav]

25. Yeah, demand they allow you to lead a prayer to FSM

Yea as he blesses each of us with His Noodly Appendage, may our days be filled with sauce and meatballs!

See how many are up in arms about that.

Maybe the pagans can get in on it as well. Or, GOD FORBID, muslims announce their call to prayer over the PA. Man that'd be a Pay Per View event to watch their heads explode.

[laurel46]

16. This reminds me of a Barry Goldwater piece on the religious right.

This is written by a libertarian, who is not pro Obama, but he makes some good points about the take over of the GOP by the RR and what hypocrites they are.

Jerry Ryburg, November 10, 2008

There are so many issues which this country needs to tackle in which we do not need the Religious Right(RR) to distract with other issues. The irony of the RR is that they are not conservative, nor libertarian, as evidenced for their demands for federal laws banning abortion, gay marriage, drug use, euthanasia, etc. The RR asks for “big government” laws to forward their agenda, thus negating “individual rights” of the states, as well as their fellow Americans.

What the RR needs to understand is that their “issues” do not have any pivotal effect whatsoever in the major issues which frame our policy-making which govern this country in a way defending the Constitution. Abortion, drugs, gay marriage, etc. are just smokescreens distracting our lawmakers from tackling the real issues i.e. terrorism, the financial crisis, economy, taxes, border patrol, etc. The RR needs to realize that their “hot button” issues, are issues to be discussed within their families, churches, and study groups, and private schools--they should not be legislated at the federal level.

Whether the RR likes it or not, the policies of the RR are secondary, maybe even tertiary, concerns which can be dealt with later, after our reconstruction. Otherwise, the Dems will always look at the GOP as Barry Goldwater said in 1989—that the GOP has been taken over by a “bunch of kooks.”


 ryburg.blogspot.com

[Just One Woman]

17. ironic twist

This is almost too funny. The local news is alive with stories of how these students are going to pray anyway, led by all kinds of preachers coming out of the woodwork. As long as it is not tax payer funded, they can pray, meditate, or chant all they wish. The ironic part is that the game tonight is against Rhea County in Dayton TN. Ring any bells? The famous "Monkey trials" were held there, where teaching evolution was on trial. Those that don't study history are doomed to repeat it. Not all of us Southerners are sheeple. Anybody know where I should move to? LOL Seriously, I am going to move out of this state to a more liberal area. My daughter is in Oklahoma. And though I would love to live near her and her family, Oklahoma is not much different than Tennessee. Any ideas?

[Angry Dragon]

21. Minnesota is not too bad

as long as you stay out of the sixth district ...... bachmann

[dballance]

19. Once Again My Home State Embarasses Me

Don't they realize this is settled law? This has been litigated to death and the people wanting prayer always lose. Of course, with the Roberts court they may get their way if they can get there anytime soon.

Let's see them support a Rabbi or an Imam saying a prayer before the game.

Chattanooga is in east TN. A very red, conservative part of the state where they're really proud to be stupid. TN is really like three states. West, middle and east. Middle TN should get the hell out of the state. It has some intelligence there except the Southern Baptist Convention's HQ is in Nashville. So now that I think about it - screw 'em all.

[Crunchy Frog]

20. These people would have hated Jesus.

Matthew 6:5-6: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men....when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret...."

[Bigmack]

24. Does that fucking school have a Social Studies...

Department?

"I don't want to go around the law, I want to go right through it. I want this completely overturned," said 17-year-old Shelton Brown,

Somebody needs to go all "History Teacher" on this little asshole. A little study of the Constitution, the Supreme Court, local laws... hell, even the very concept of laws - how we make them and how we change them. I could load that fucker up with enough work on things he doesn't know to keep him so busy he wouldn't have time to pray.

[texastoast]

27. You mean let the educators do their real job

Novel.

[boppers]

28. You think proving somebody is actually doing their job is hard *now*...

Just wait until we have standardized tests for history, art, civics, social studies, etc.

Apparently such things are needed, because there's a lot *besides* math and reading (the two biggies being tested) that our students aren't learning.

[dflprincess]

29. "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

Luke 12:1

[Ian David]

30. If we can't masturbate in school, then why should we be allowed to pray there? n/t

[mitchum]

33. They need to read Matthew in their magic book of fairy tales