# Why are t-shirts about god allowed in school?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 23, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341 "2001-09-23T15:08:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ozonebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozonebaby)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/1 "2001-09-23T15:08:21Z")
One thing about school I hate is that no one is allowed to wear anything with words one it that might be offensive. Well, no one can where shirts with anything from anything like the Simpsons (which, I think is quite dumb,not that I would wear one)but they are allowed to wear shirts that have stuff about god on them. Like, I saw one that implied I was evil and would go to hell if I didn’t believe in god. Isn’t that offensive?! Why is that allowed but nothing else (less offensive stuff)?! 😕 :mad:
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### Author:  [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/2 "2001-09-23T15:16:19Z")
Just a guess, but maybe because folks like yourself haven’t taken the time to complain about it to the administration.
FWIW, I am an atheist, but I am also a person who believes strongly in individual rights. I give you the same advice that I give fundies who get upset over things they find offensive: You don’t like the person’s shirt? Don’t look at it.
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### Author:  [@ozonebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozonebaby)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/3 "2001-09-23T15:19:22Z")
I couldn’t help looking at that shirt because the person who was wearing it sits right in front of me in class and everytime I looked up, there it was right in my face.
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### Author:  [@ozonebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozonebaby)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/4 "2001-09-23T15:21:29Z")
Plus, I did complain to the administration. I wrote the safety commity in our school a nasty letter about our unfair dress code.
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### Author:  [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/5 "2001-09-23T15:31:46Z")
Then may I suggest a piece of paper and tape to cover up the message? (Assuming, of course, that you have a light enough touch to get the tape to stick without the person noticing. 🙂 )
Or… and this may be a long shot here… Have you talked to the person who wears the shirt, and CALMY explained to him/her why the shirt offends you? Probably won’t get much beyond either: a) a blank look or b) hostility, but it’s worth a try. Plus, if you DO get hostility in return, it might better your case with the admin.
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### Author:  [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/6 "2001-09-23T15:35:35Z")
This seems more like a Pit thread. And here it goes …
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### Author:  [@ozonebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozonebaby)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/7 "2001-09-23T15:36:12Z")
CALMLY!!! I have never been calm in ever in my entire life!
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### Author:  [@ozonebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozonebaby)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/8 "2001-09-23T15:39:06Z")
Oh, and by the way, lawoot, it’s calmly not calmy. I guess I should have put it in the Pit but it’s too late now. 😃
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### Author:  [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/9 "2001-09-23T15:45:50Z")
The people wearing the God shirts have every right to do so. To prevent them would be illegal. HOWEVER, them prohibiting shirts with other sorts of messages is also illegal.
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### Author:  [@abuse\_angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abuse_angel)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/10 "2001-09-23T15:58:09Z")
schools can prohibit anything that causes a problem. they can prohibit a t-shirt that reads “you, infidel! you are going to HELL!” just as easily as one that says “drink more beer, get more sex!”
just like they can prohibit someone from screaming a prayer in the middle of a math test, they can prohibit religious t-shirts that are offensive and cause problems in the school.
the question is what is offensive? da’ cook finds this t-shirt offensive. say no one else has complained about it. da’ cook writes a nasty letter to the administration. if i were them, i’d roll my eyes and toss that letter right into the trash. you don’t get anywhere being nasty.
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### Author:  [@panzermanpanzerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panzermanpanzerman)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/11 "2001-09-23T16:02:28Z")
While 1rst Amendment case law prohibits public school officials–as agents of the state–from endorsing religious expression, they are also equally strongly prohibited from quelling it.
See, the constitution not only forbids congress (and by extention, local school officials) from making a law establishing a religion, but the 1rst amendment also specifically prohibits them from "restricting the free exercize thereof.
Just because the U.S. lacks a state church doesn’t mean the official religion of the United States defaults to atheism.
Schools are to be neutral towards religious expression. But they must not be hostile towards it.
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### Author:  [@abuse\_angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abuse_angel)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/12 "2001-09-23T16:09:07Z")
but _if_ the shirt is offensive – and not just offensive to non-religious because it’s religious, but really offensive – the schools wouldn’t be quashing religion but keeping discipline. the same argument is applied when schools ban outrageous hairstyles and other offensive forms of expression in their hallways. it’s not censorship; it’s keeping the peace.
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### Author:  [@ozonebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozonebaby)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/13 "2001-09-23T16:10:04Z")
I am naturally a nasty and hostile person because I dislike most people(I threw that dislike in instead of hate for you religous nuts). People think that just because a shirt or something is about god it can’t be wrong or offensive. Well I got news for you bozos who think that: IT IS and why don’t you do something better with your life instead of dedicating it to something that isn’t real. Of course that’s my opinion and I can’t change your mind about it. I evolved from an ape and that’s what I believe. But why am I not allowed to express me beliefs in school but others can?
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### Author:  [@ozonebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ozonebaby)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/14 "2001-09-23T16:15:48Z")
“but _if_ the shirt is offensive – and not just offensive to non-religious because it’s religious, but really offensive – the schools wouldn’t be quashing religion but keeping discipline. the same argument is applied when schools ban outrageous hairstyles and other offensive forms of expression in their hallways. it’s not censorship; it’s keeping the peace.”
Yeah right, whatever. Not in my school. That’s like saying the miss america padget isn’t about looks! :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@abuse\_angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abuse_angel)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/15 "2001-09-23T16:28:30Z")
yeah, lemme guess. fifteen and know everything, right? no wonder you’re not getting any response to the letter.
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### Author:  [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/16 "2001-09-23T16:59:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by abuse angel \*
> \*\*yeah, lemme guess. fifteen and know everything, right? no wonder you’re not getting any response to the letter. \*\*
Uh-huh. are you sure you aren’t talking about yourself? And don’t
use the same thing on me just because you can’t think of some snappy insult. BTW, **Da’ cook** , well said!
> [@](#):
>
> I evolved from an ape and that’s what I believe. But why am I not allowed to express me beliefs in school but others can?
That’s exactly the problem. I’m not going to call anyone nasty names, but all of you religious (ah, forget my promise) snobs (in my school anyway) are rubbing it in our faces that we can’t wear shirts with our favorite band on it(no matter how un-offensive they are) but you can still wear god shirts. I’m not saying that it is stupid to believe in god, but it _is_ stupid to revolve your life around it. I hear so much about god in school it’s sickening! You just don’t want to face the _ **FACTS** _ that we EVOLVED from an ape and your precious lord had no part in it!
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/17 "2001-09-23T17:17:43Z")
Um, you could wear a T-shirt supporting evolution. That would not be offensive or obscene. You can also wear a T-shirt with a religious message.
The standard for “offensiveness” should not be “I saw the shirt and I’m offended”, but whether a reasonable person would be offended. If all it takes is one person claiming to be offended, then one person could dictate the school dress code. You have no right to not be exposed to religious messages. You have a right not to be preached at by your teachers, but the students have no such obligation.
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### Author:  [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/18 "2001-09-23T17:30:28Z")
Can anyone give me the text of these T-shirts? I mean, honestly, how bad can they possibly be?
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### Author:  [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/19 "2001-09-23T17:37:27Z")
Whoa…da’cook, bobevilsquid, you guys need to CALM DOWN.
People are entitled to their beliefs without you getting snippy and mean to them about it. They’re even allowed to wear T-shirts stating their beliefs as long as they’re not offensive and disruptive in a classroom setting.
You know what that means, though? You can wear T-shirts that state your belief in evolution. You can (at my school) even wear T-shirts with rock bands on them as long as there’s no obscene language or graphics. (Note: this was my school’s policy. I do not speak for all schools.)
There are people who believe that God is real, just like your thoughts on evolution. For them to tell you you’re stupid for believing in evolution (just like your hostility to religion) is petty and divisive.
With that said, I’d like to know what the T-shirts say.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2001, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-t-shirts-about-god-allowed-in-school/83341/20 "2001-09-23T17:45:55Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by da’ cook \*
> \*\*I am naturally a nasty and hostile person because I dislike most people(I threw that dislike in instead of hate for you religous nuts).
\*\*
Well at least you’re honest about it. However you’re going to have a hard time getting through life if you’re generally hostile and nasty to those around you. For one thing who at your school is going to care about what you think since you’re a naturally hostile and nasty person?
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*
> But why am I not allowed to express me beliefs in school but others can? \*\*
You can’t wear a shirt about evolution? On the other hand I don’t imagine that they make many shirts with an evolution.
Marc
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