And then get Luvs.
Much to my chagrin, I just received this forwarded piece of crap. Thought I’d post it here because it seems to me that this type of propaganda totally gives the impression that opponents of public-school-supported prayer are faithless, pierced, blue-haired, rabid, anti-Christian freaks trying to prevent the poor devout Christian children from acknowledging Jesus in a way they see fit. Pisses me off, it does, and misses the point entirely. Typical knee-jerk reaction. Points of interest: equating totem poles and vampirism; the quote by, of all people, Anais Nin at the bottom.
THE NEW SCHOOL PRAYER
This was written by a teen in Bagdad, Arizona. This is incredible!!!
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
it violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange, or green,
That’s no offense; it’s a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God’s name is prohibited by the state.
We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues, and cheeks.
They’ve outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book, makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the ‘unwed daddy,’ our Senior King.
It’s “inappropriate” to teach right from wrong,
We’re taught that such “judgments” do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It’s scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school’s a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen
If you aren’t ashamed to do this, please follow the directions. Jesus said, “if you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before the Father.”
Pass this on. . .only if you mean it.
Yes, I do Love God. He is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I will be nothing. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4:13 This is the simplest test. . .if you Love God, and are not ashamed of all the marvelous things He has done for you, send this to ten people and the person who sent it to you!
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so when you die, you’ll be smiling while everyone around you is crying.
“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that this new world is born.”–Anais Nin
Keep Smilin’
Love Always, Melissa J. Nath
Last week at the PTO (or PTA in your school) meeting we had a moment of silence for a child that had been hit by a car that morning waiting for the bus. At the time I didn’t think much of it as my son and the other 3rd grade classes were singing that night. Later it occured to me that it might not be legal to do so. Not that I begrudge the child a moment of silence. He rides the bus with my child. (He’s also at home, doing better with a broken leg.)
HiJack…NPR had a report on last week. It seems that the Boy Scouts might be going back to court. There are some school districts that have revoked their privledge to use school property for meetings or distribute recuritment materials during school hours. The BS are naturally upset. In one instance the school board cited their contract that stated that the organization using state property was not allowed to engage in discriminatory practices while using state property. The BS claims that they have a contract with the school and that the school was aware of their policies. The school is maintaining that they had no idea of their stance until it came out in the media. Thought this subject to be a similar to the prayer issue.
Needs2know
I’m not sure if they are exactly similar. If I recall correctly, the Boys Scout issue was one of public vs. private. At its heart yes there is the freedom of religion and freedom of expression, but the case was decided on more than just that.
The scouts contended in the New Jersey case (the one that led to the SCOTUS decision) that they were a private organization and free to exclude/include anyone they wished. The New Jersey court felt they were a public organization since they used “places of public accommodation” and therefore were subject to the laws governing public organizations. The SCOTUS decision backed the idea that the scouts are a private organization.
Now it all depends on whether or not a school is required to allow private organizations to use school property.
I have no idea how these cases will work out since my legal knowledge would fit in a thimble. However, I’m assuming for the moment that the schools are not stepping outside the law when they refuse to accomodate the scouts.
I used this article to get an brief overview of the SCOTUS decision:
http://www.cnn.com/2000/LAW/06/28/scotus.gay.boyscouts.01/index.html
Continuing my tradition of public service begun on the dead Jenny glurge poem thread in GQ, I offer the following supplement to the “New School Prayer” poem in Gundy’s post. I suggest pasting this in just before the last verse: with luck, less-than-alert anti-SOCAS spammers will fail to notice the addition before passing their little poetic germ, er, gem around to everybody they know.
Of course, I’m still completely free
To pray in classes silently,
Or lead a group in spoken prayers
Before each class in halls or stairs;
And then at recess or at lunch
I’m free to join a vocal bunch
Of kids and teachers praying too
(Supported by the ACLU),
And then in Bible Club at four
We meet and pray to God some more
(Since we’re a student activity
We get to use school property);
And we can talk to any kid
About Our Lord and what He did,
Or offer Chick tracts at our lockers—
We can’t be bullies, thugs, or stalkers,
But if our witnessing’s polite,
We’re free to witness day and night
And cover bookbags, if we wish,
With crosses, prayers, and Jesus fish,
Commandments printed on our T’s,
And deck ourselves like Christmas trees
With all kinds of religious stuff—
But Pastor says that’s not enough!
He says the school has got to teach
All kids to practice what we preach,
And when our faith we want to mention
It has to make them pay attention.
He says it’s a disgrace and shame
We can’t be scheduled at the game
To fill the silent stadium air
With real official sponsored prayer!
I’m not sure why the great I AM
Needs so much help from Uncle Sam,
And government’s endorsing it
Can’t give more truth to Holy Writ;
But Pastor says our population
Makes this by rights a Christian nation:
Since our religion is the best,
We’re just more equal than the rest!
So government neutrality
Is very bad for folks like me
And God dislikes it. And I know
That’s true, 'cause Pastor told me so.
And he said maybe if I wrote
A poem that everyone could quote
About how sorely I’m oppressed,
These awful wrongs might be redressed.
Nice, Kimstu…
Leaving all content aside, much better than the original…
I am all for a moment of silence. It’s just that if they were to use school property for broadcasting Chrisitan prayers, I also want to hear Islamic prayers. They are much cooler IMHO. I would be interested inseeing mow may fundies would go along with that.
On the OP, the purpose of the ACLU is to protect your rights. They defend nazis and skinheads, but they also protect teens who want to hand out bible literature or pray out loud in school. They are there to defend yourr rights.
“Right” being whatever the theocrats say it is.
“Choas” being the term the author uses to refer to any community in which she doesn’t get to tell everyone else what to do.
Re: the Boy Scouts
There is a big difference between a group which is aimed towards a certain type of person and a group which allows only a certain type of person. The former may use school facilities; the latter may not. If a group has a religious persuasion that makes it unappealing to atheists, that’s fine. But if the group simply does not allow atheists to attend meetings, that’s not okay. If a group has a political persuasion that makes it unappealing to homosexuals, that is acceptable. But if a group specifically excludes homosexuals, that’s not.