FFRF: Imagine No Religion |

So exactly who is it that we should be listening to when it comes to the so-called Separation of Church and State? Should it be a radical far-left group which prides itself in mocking the millions of Americans who believe in God?

Because that is exactly what the Freedom From Religion Foundation does. Take for example, its recent Christmas, excuse me, Solstice cards, including “Heathens Greetings,” or “Yes, Virginia! There is No God.” Or its billboard campaign which includes classics like “Imagine No Religion,” “Faith is Believing What You Know Ain’t So,” or my favorite, “Nothing Fails Like Prayer.”

So when FFRF sent a threatening letter to a school in Mississippi regarding a recent prayer gathering claiming that it violated the Constitution, we should first consider the source, then the facts. My understanding from recent reports is that a local school principal decided to have a voluntary time of prayer to pray for the success of the upcoming school year. Terrible, I know. He invited the community to participate voluntarily on a Sunday —not part of a school day—not part of anything official, just a bunch of community members voluntarily gathering to pray. It took place even before the school year began, before teachers were required to report, and before students were required to begin attending classes. And pray they did. So did that voluntary prayer gathering, even at a school (God forbid), violate the Constitution? According to FFRF’s skewed reading of it, yes. According to the actual Constitution, and case law, no.

Even the cases that FFRF cites in its letter are stretched beyond their true holdings. No case states that a person forfeits their own freedom of religion merely because they have taken a job with the government. And there is a tremendous difference both factually and legally between an official government prayer made during school where students are required to be present, and a voluntary community prayer time that everyone, including students, is invited to attend that takes place outside of school time.

Are we that far gone in this country where community members–even those who work for the government–can no longer voluntarily gather together to pray for our students, schools, community, or country? And isn’t that what we do each year at See You at the Pole and on the National Day of Prayer? If FFRF has its way, these events will no longer be “legal” under the supposed evolving, changing version of our founding documents.

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Mike Smith

If the principal invited community members to pray at his school, it could be reasonably argued that he abused his power as a government official to support religion. Let him do it on his own time, with his own facilities, with his own money, and with his own power unrelated to his office, and then there is no problem. But when a government agent, including a teacher or principal, uses the power of their office to promote religion, then yes, that is unconstitutional.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O5T3LJSBZ66DOCZ4ABANNHUGAA Tim

If these people think that we are so stupid by praying and that prayer has no power or bearing on anything, and that its just a an exercise in futility, then they ought to be delighted that we Christians pray and waste our time and hurt no one, they had even ought to be more encouraging of it since it makes them look so smart. The fact of the mater is they serve a different master and they want their master’s voice heard above ours and that’s what this struggle is for evermore about.
Dcortman

Actually Mike, whether the argument is reasonable is open to debate. Whether it violates the constitution, less so. Cases have clearly held that when a school official acts as a private citizen outside school time, even on school grounds, they are permitted to engage in religious speech. Anyone could have held that same prayer on those school grounds on that Sunday. The fact that it was the principal doesn’t change anything. He doesn’t forfeit his constitutional freedom of religion simply because he has a government job during the week. No one was influenced or coerced to participate and the “power” of his office, whatever that entails, wasn’t even exercised. On Sunday mornings, he is not a principal, he is a citizen like you and me, and enjoys the same constitutional freedom as you and I do. It was his own time, with no government money, on outdoor school grounds which can be used by anyone in the same way. There is simply no Establishment Clause problems here.
Bob Ritter

Alan, let me see if I have the facts correct. The principal — a government official — sponsors a prayer session at his school and that doesn’t violate the law? Of course it does. The First & 14th Amendments prohibit government promoting religion. And that’s the law of the land.
Anon

I would like to learn more about the religious rights of faculty and staff at public colleges. I hear a lot about student rights but I am a staff member. Speaking to one of our senior VPs across the street at a Starbucks one day I was hushed to not mention God, The Bible or anything spiritual. Remember, this was at a Starbucks. I felt like I was in some SciFi movie where big brother would come bursting through the door any minute should I mutter something about Christianity.
Jctaylor7614

Your wrong fella! The constitution says the gov. cannot establish a religion. There isn’t a law that say’s the principal,teacher, or anyone else cannot pray, read the bible, or even witness to anyone at schools. Your reading into the constitution what isn’t there.

FFRF: Imagine No Religion

Author David Cortman - ADF Senior Counsel

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