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Students Hold Prayer Despite Atheist's Threats

Posted 12 months ago|13 comments|521 views
Some more equal than others !:]
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"Openly atheist graduate Damon Fowler complained to the superintendent about the traditional prayer and threatened to contact the American Civil Liberties Union if it wasn't removed from the ceremony...Freedom From Religion Foundation...offered Damon a $1,000 "student activist" award for his courage to speak out."
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/May/S...%29

Graduating senior Laci Rae Mattice stood for her convictions, unswayed by threats and censorship, she delivered her prayer as part of her graduation ceremony May 20...
much to the support by most of those in attendance.

It gets pretty bad that one person can disrupt the traditions and freedoms others have enjoyed... I guess when the "protester" is being paid a $1,000 to have convictions contrary to the majority... you get what you pay for. I want to know... where is the "tolerance" we are supposed to have for opposing views?

I wonder just how many other "protests" against religious freedoms are paid for? I hear it quite often that "Christian 'fanatics' get what they have coming, and don't deserve freedom to push their religion"... and then on the other hand they yell up and down when they don't have freedom of speech! Either we all have freedom to speak or we don't,
I guess this is what we can expect from an atheistic point of view...
"all men under man" ...some more "equal" than others !:]
UPDATE - 1 month ago
"Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper
http://dwynrhh6bluza.cloudfront.net/reso...
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COMMENTS
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
12 months ago: Of course a fellow evangelical proselyter is going to salute somebody who spits in the face of religious plurality by using in Jesus name sectarian prayers in public school to hawk their religion. Now if the person had been another religion or the prayer had been 'blasphemous' , I'm quite sure we wouldn't have heard from you or you would have been seething that Christianity wasn't reigning supreme.

To quote a blogger who witnessed the event,

"This girl used prayer as a weapon to separate the Good Christians from The Others. To alienate. To shun. To mock. And even more disgustingly, the community cheers along like a pack of warriors who have defeated their enemy, and laugh condescendingly at the mention of a moment of silence."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaD8iQFaw...


12 months ago: Mark,

You are soooo funny, if this was a Christian using the "law" to manipulate a traditional event you would have already arranged their crucifixion!
Coloranter Raver
Coloranter Raver
Denver, CO
12 months ago: I guess I have two issues...

(a) Separation of Church and State is important to me because it protects all of the religious people as well as the atheists.

(b) I've always been pretty convinced that Christians support the prayer as long as it is a Christian God-based prayer. The minute it's an Islamic prayer, a native American prayer, a Jewish prayer, a Hindu prayer, etc., wow, do they still support it? What if the person states in the prayer she prays to God that one day soon social conservatives realize that gay marriage and global warming are a reality? Isn't it just safer in a public school not to have prayers? Because that way you don't have to worry about all the bad press that comes when someone's prayers are being censored.
12 months ago: CR,

I do like your response, and am willing to agree, keep all religious beliefs out of school... teach only facts and leave off socialistic training and mind control all together. Leave theories and philosophies at the door... reading writing and arithmetic should be the focus not a socialistic agenda...

"Since the time of John Dewey, top educators became members of the Church of Indoctrination. Everything they do during the school day is focused on turning out a child socialized in a certain way, not an educated child. These educators see the school as a socialist training ground, a place where high-minded social engineers (them) can create a wonderful new kind of humans who will build a brave new world. (Note that the social engineers themselves will rule this world--certainly a conflict of interest.)"
http://www.rantrave.com/Rant/Church-of-K...
12 months ago: It's petty when people feel the need to publicize their private beliefs one way or another!
12 months ago: DJ,

YEAH... like here on Rant/Rave !:]
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
12 months ago: Dwayne: ..It's petty when people feel the need to publicize their private beliefs one way or another!...

Truthbrary: YEAH... like here on Rant/Rave !

Me thinks Dwayne walked right into a Lyoto Machida crane kick - lights out baby.

12 months ago: Mark,

You are such a foaming violent bloodthirsty Moderator... I think you should really examine your comments in light of video footage... and keep your private comments to yourself... IF I wanted your comments I would have posted this on Rant/Rave !:]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y6L9kRRW...
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
12 months ago: Great video - the ultimate in life imitating art.
12 months ago: Mark,

Wow dude... that's deep!
12 months ago: It's true guys. I did walk right into that one. I was feeling lazy when I wrote that comment. The truth is that there was more to that comment than I actually wrote, that would have clarified what I meant. Here is what I left out:

The Atheist is right that he should not have to be subjected to prayers in a public space. However the praying student is also right that a long held tradition that the majority seem to agree upon should not be trampled just because of one bitter person. So we have a conundrum right? That is why things would have been best left alone if either or both would have kept there opinions to themselves. If the damage was done and the prayer stopped I would have left it at that. Conversely If I was the Atheist I simply would not have shown up for the prayer part.
12 months ago: DJ,

I am inclined to agree that the whole religion, and sex or theories about our origin for that matter, should be left out of school... Just the facts... Just the facts.
11 months ago: Recently attended my daughter's grade 8 graduation dinner held by her school. It is a private school so, a little different from the public realm, however, the school is extremely diverse and ethnically differentiated.

For many years, a prayer has been offered. the individual who leads it is christian, however during the ceremony, he asks everyone to rise. Announces that he will be offering a few words of prayer in the form of his tradition, but prior to that asks everyone to take a moment to reflect and offer any prayers if they wish in their own tradition.

This gives everyone in the room, the opportunity to quietly participate in their own belief system in a manner they seem fit.

Between my 2 children, we have been attending this school ofr 12 years. There has never been a complaint.

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