Three evil words
By Tom Quiner
Do you think it is a good idea for our public schools to encourage our kids to do their best?
Yes or no?
Do you think it is a good idea for our schools to encourage our kids to grow mentally and morally as well as physically?
Yes or no?
How about to be kind and helpful to fellow classmates and teachers? To be honest with ourselves as well as with others? To be good sports and smile when we lose as well as when we win? To teach the value of true friendship?
Are these things our schools should encourage?
The answer is no.
For twenty years, a school in Rhode Island, Cranston High School West, proudly displayed these ideals on a banner they had written and made just for them.
A single student forced the removal of this beloved banner, because she was offended by the first three words.
Read the content of the entire banner below to see what was so offensive:
Our Heavenly Father.
Grant us each day the desire to do our best.
To grow mentally and morally as well as physically.
To be kind and helpful to our classmates and teachers.
To be honest with ourselves as well as with others.
Help us to be good sports and smile when we lose as well as when we win.
Teach us the value of true friendship.
Help us always to conduct ourselves so as to bring credit to Cranston High School West.
Our heavenly father doesn’t refer to a Christian God, a Jewish God, nor a Muslim God.
Just God.
The offended student is an evangelical atheist who speaks out at public rallies to promote her godless religion. She was offended by something she says doesn’t exist.
In light of the fact that something like 9 out of 10 students DO believe in a God, why is it okay to offend them by removing the banner, but not the single atheist?
I’d appreciate knowing how anyone can be offended by something they claim doesn’t exist? As Mr. Spock would say “It simply isn’t logical”.
This is a prayer to a god. Public schools are not the proper place to display prayers. What if some students wanted to display some type of atheist creed? There is no problem displaying prays or other religious materials in a church school or private school. That is just one reason why if we want our government to fund education, then students and parents should have free choice of schools and the money should follow the student.
How can anyone be offended by something they claim doesn’t exist? As Mr. Spock would say, “It simply isn’t logical”.
It’s past time Christians stopped their capitulation to this type of nonsense. When Jesus taught that we should turn the other cheek He didn’t mean we should meekly acquiescence, sit down and shut-up.
Imagine how Muslims would respond if someone antagonistic to their religion demanded Allah Akbar be removed from their banner. To parrot Jeff Dunham’s character Achmed, “I’ll keel you”… 🙂
This is ridiculous and very sad. Anyone who doesn’t believe in God can ignore the banner. When I was in public elementary school, we started each day with the Pledge of Allegiance, a Psalm, and a patriotic song. It was a good start to each day, and I thought it was crazy when the Supreme Court made us get rid of the Psalms.
That’s really absurd. Perhaps the young lady’s parents might want to teach her the value of tolerance — as in, if someone says something you don’t like, just disregard it, instead of throwing a temper tantrum and demanding its removal.
I would like to see these same people who make us remove GOD from public institutions because of separation of church and state, stand up with the Catholic Church and the HHS Mandate. If these same people don’t want God in their state then they need to do it that way across the board.
This is so terrible that our country has gotten to this place. What would our founding fathers say?
It’s not about offense. It’s about whether or not the prayer was Constitutional or not.
It’s not, so it’s gone.
Religious students can still pray if they want to. The school, however, doesn’t get to post prayers on the wall.
The banner wasn’t taken down for Constitutional issues, it was taken down for political correctness reasons. The Constitution prevents the establishment of a state religion, it never called for a separation of God and State. Take a look at our money. What does it say? In God we trust.
“The banner wasn’t taken down for Constitutional issues, it was taken down for political correctness reasons.”
Sorry, you’re wrong, and the judge who ruled on it disagrees with you.
“Take a look at our money. What does it say? In God we trust.”
Which was added in the 1950s by right-wingers who were afraid of the ‘godless Russians’.
What politicians, to be politically correct, did in the 50s has nothing to do with the Constitution.
Google Smalkowski Case Oklahoma. When a teenager did not join in on the prayer circle before a game (she stood quietly beside the group with her down as taught by her parents), it was learned that the girl was raised an atheist. The attacks on her and her family that ensued from her classmates, teachers, and even principal, led to a law suit that made national news.
How many parents would object if a Muslim Cleric lead a school prayer at your child’s school each morning?