Published: January 13, 2009
Op-Ed Contributor
US District Judge Casey Rodgers Rules Against School Prayer
By Robert Paul Reyes
"A federal judge has ordered the Santa Rosa County School District to stop promoting religion and prayer in the classroom and at school events.
U.S. District Court Judge Casey Rodgers ruled Friday after school officials admitted allegations in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Rodgers' order prohibits employees from:
Promoting prayer at school-sponsored events, including graduation.
Planning or financing religious baccalaureate services.
Promoting religious beliefs to students in class or during school-sponsored events and activities.
Holding school-sponsored events at churches."
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090113/NEWS01/901130315/1006/NEWS01
The news chronicles the failures of humankind, and it's hard not to feel depressed after reading the morning newspaper. But every once in a while there's an article that gives me hope that we are evolving into more enlightened human beings.
Principals and teachers are held in high regard by their students, and school officials can use their influence for good or evil. In this case Pace High School Principal Frank Lay used his authority to attempt to indoctrinate his young charges into his Christian faith.
I can hear millions of Christians saying "what's wrong with that"? I would ask these fine Christians what if a Muslim principal or a Wiccan teacher spread his or her faith to schoolchildren?
When I try to convince people of faith that promoting the Christian faith at school is an abomination, they respond that atheists don't have to participate during a school prayer. Would they have the same perspective if their children had to sit still while their Wiccan teacher cast spells for world peace?
God bless Judge Rodgers for her ruling, and thank God that we can look forward to President Barack Obama appointing federal judges who share Judge Rogers enlightened views.
Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.
Robert Reyes
* The views of Opinion writers do not necessarily reflect the views of NewsBlaze
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