ACLU Backs Gate City Students Jesus T-Shirts
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ACLU Backs Gate City Students Jesus T-Shirts
A prayer debate sparked a student-planned protest in one part of the Tri-Cities region Friday night. At the center of the argument: a prayer delivered by a student over the public address system...
A prayer debate sparked a student-planned protest in one part of the Tri-Cities region Friday night. At the center of the argument: a prayer delivered by a student over the public address system before a Gate City High School football game back in September.
Last month, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney out of Virginia sent a letter to the high school stating “a concerned parent advised us that Gate City High football games are regularly opened with a Christian prayer…that such practice is unconstitutional and it should cease immediately.“
At the center of that prayer, junior Tori Bowen. When Bowen prayed in Jesus’ name over the public address system at a high school football game, she had no idea her words would cause such a stir. “We did it as a nice gesture to Sullivan South, and I think God’s been really good to our community… I was like, oh gosh, I didn’t think it would be an issue at all,“ said Bowen.
Several Friday’s later, she stands behind her words. “I’ve actually had a peace about it…that I think God’s given me, that it’s ok to be for Him, and it’s ok to stand up for what I believe,“ said Bowen. Even if the ACLU calls her public prayer unconstitutional.
“The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled specifically that you cannot give a prayer, particularly a sectarian prayer over a high school address system at a high school football game,“ said Kent Willis, Executive Director of of ACLU Virginia. In response to the ACLU’s criticism, three of Tori’s classmates at Gate City got together and designed a tee-shirt.
One of those students, senior Evan DeBoard. “We just want people to know that we do stand for Jesus, and everybody wearing these shirts stands for Jesus,“ said DeBoard.
The students sold 800 of the tee-shirts that read “I still pray, in Jesus name, amen,“ to community members and fellow students. They plan to wear them to Friday’s game.
“We’re not going to let anybody tell us where we can pray, cuz we’re going to pray and we’re going to pray in Jesus name, cuz that’s how prayers are supposed to be done
This time, the ACLU backs the students, stating that the U.S. Supreme Court backs their Constitutional right to demonstrate. “So the students, if they’re organized on their own, it’s not promoted by the school or anyway endorsed by the school, they have a right of free speech as long as that speech doesn’t disrupt the educational process,“ said Willis.
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I didn’t realize that Christians were using taxpayer’s money everytime they pray….well, finally tax money put to good use.
Now more than ever do we adult christians need to standup for our rights and our children’s rights to pray. We also need to stand behind our children as they exercise their freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I could not be more prouder of the students at GCHS than I am now.Keep up the fight.Keep the faith.WE R GC CHRISTIANS
The post by “server” illustrates the ignorance that is so prevalent about this issue. The alleged essay “server” attributes to Andy Rooney is about as legitimate as claims made by Christian supremacists that they have special rights to force their religious beliefs on others using tax-payer funds. (See http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/prayer.asp)
The student prayer over the loud-speaker at Gate City’s football game was illegal under the Constitution’s Establishment clause keeping the government neutral in matters of conscience.
Now these students who want to protest by wearing the “I still pray” to this week’s football game are well within their rights to do so. Private expressions of religious belief (or non-belief) are Constitutionally protected forms of free speech. The school cannot ban such t-shirts as these are the expression of the students and not paid for with our tax-dollars.
When people react hysterically to the enforcement of the law by screaming they are being discriminated against do their cause no favors as it is clear to any cognizant person that Christianity is the dominant religion in a country of high religiosity. Christians have the most freedom of any religious group in the history of humanity. It is disingenuous for those theists to cry repression when they are inconvenienced or annoyed by being held to the same law that applies to every citizens of our country. Just because a person is a Christian, they are not granted special rights as the Constitution & Bill of Rights are there to guarantee minority groups in our nation protection from the tyranny of the majority. So either understand just how good you have it under the Constitution or feel free to relocate to another country that practices a theocracy… say maybe a place like Iran.
Way to go kids, stand up for what you believe. Here’s a quote I found from Andy Rooney.
HOORAY, HOORAY, HOORAY for Andy Rooney. I myself have been grumbling and wondering how a handful of people have been able to take our right to pray in public places away from us. So, agreeing with Andy, I GLADLY will forward this email AGAIN, AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Folks, this is the Month that we RE-TAKE AMERICA
********* Get Ready *********
Andy Rooney says:
I don’t believe in Santa Claus, but I’m not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don’t agree with Darwin , but I didn’t go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what’s the big deal? It’s not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They’re just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.
But it’s a Christian prayer, some will argue.
Yes, and this is the United States of America , a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1 So what would you expect—somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer…
If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn’t be offended. It wouldn’t bother me one bit.
When in Rome ......
But what about the atheists? Is another argument.
What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We’re not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that’s asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do.. I don’t think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world’s foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.
The silent majority has been silent too long. It’s time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be hea rd that the vast majority doesn’t care what they want. It is time that the majority
Rules! It’s time we tell them, you don’t have to pray; you don’t have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don’t have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!
God bless us one and all ... Especially those who denounce Him ,God bless America , despite all her faults. She is still the greatest nation of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.
Let’s make 2009 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.
I still pray, in Jesus name, Amen.
Well, I’m glad to see that people aren’t afraid to say that they do stand for Jesus !!!
Hehe…I bet this took the wind out of the religonists sails…
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