Current Events        vs.       Founding Documents

Entry 12                                                  Submitted by: Mark Musselman

Current Event

As reported by CNN on August 19 – (full article available on line) {this trial case is pending as of 12/4/09}

Two Florida school administrators face contempt charges and possible prison time for saying a prayer at a school luncheon.

They face a non-jury trial September 17 before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers. The statute under which they are charged carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison, subject to sentencing guidelines.
Attorneys defending Lay and Freeman call it outrageous that the two are being prosecuted for “a simple prayer.” But the American Civil Liberties Union, whose lawsuit led to the consent decree, maintains that students have a right to be free from administrators foisting their religious beliefs on them.
….

On January 28, “Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new fieldhouse at Pace High School,” according to court documents. “Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event. It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students, faculty and community members.”
….
Liberty Counsel said it is challenging the consent decree, maintaining that it “unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of teachers, administrators and students.”

VS

The opinions of a few ACLU leaders vs. the First amendment of the US Constitution.

Founding Document

The Constitution, First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…..

Quote from Thomas Jefferson

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”

We the People:

There is nothing in those words of the first amendment or in Thomas Jefferson’s clarification which prohibits the verbal prayers of any school administrator. Indeed the first amendment demands protection from prohibiting the free exercise of religion – regardless of the location.

Ironically, the civil liberties of those administrators are being attacked by the ACLU. I resigned my membership years ago because the ACLU leaders have perverted their organization’s charter.

The Liberty Counsel deserves our support for defending those administrators. The chilling effect is intimidation of any teacher or official from praying on public property. In addition, tax dollars for schools will be diverted from education. However these attacks will get worse if we are not willing to pay the costs to fight them in our school systems.