A statement that was read at a Tennessee football game
This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school Principal, Jody McLeod.
"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country."
Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law.
As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate lifestyle," and if someone is offended, that's OK.**
I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK.
I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem...
I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology."
I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment."
However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated.
This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments.
Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical... I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.
For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time.
"However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet."
One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray.
They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box!
The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America - the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under GOD."
Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion. Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains!
JESUS said, "If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be ashamed of you before MY FATHER."
**MY COMMENTS: This is probably talking about Homosexuality. The Bible calls homosexuals sodomites. You See, I do see something wrong with that type of lifestyle.
By God's grace I will not deny Him.
It sickens me how everybody complains about how bad things are. Everybody killing whoever, yes, it's sad, but no one wants to take any responsibility for it. People say those killers had a bad childhood so it's ok. The families will get over it. For example look at Senator Foley. He supposedly was molested as a child, so he does the same thing as an adult. So he supposedly is going to rehab. It's called SIN folks. Nobody wants to hear that, though. You say he was born that way. That's partially true, we were all born sinners. Even me, I'm a sinner.
Take that man who killed children in the Amish country. He was supposedly molested as a child. He goes to kill some innocent children and then kills himself. Horrible. The people I feel sorry for are those families without the children. That's supposed to be the greatest pain of all, children dying before their parents. It's supposed to be the other way around. SIN has caused that to happen. It's inside everyone of us. This is a sin sick world we live in.
We've done away with SIN and the Bible and God because they offend people. That's why people want God out of their lives.
I love Jesus Christ. He died for me and I will talk to Him and for Him as He leads me.
I have been told this is controversial subject and I may loose some friends and gain others. That's fine if it has to be that way, but I have to take a stand and my stand is for God. I'll know who my real friends are.
52 comments:
I'm glad to see you taking a firm political/biblical stand.
Grrowl
It's how I believe.
I happen to agree.
I think the seperation of Church & State is important, but not to the extent where you can't say "God bless you" when someone sneezes in school without making a federal case out of it.
I see nothing wrong with congress praying or any political figure saying a prayer. That's not mixing church and politics. God is God of the government just like He's God of His Church.
That's right!!!
People should have the right to pray. Jesus was not popular while He was on the earth. His followers won't be either.
what if the guy writing the laws that you are going have to live by is praying to a carved wax figure soaked in chicken fat... what if your congressman is praying at a church that is not yours?
/t.
By the grace of God I will obey God's laws.
My congressman is something else. I don't know that he goes to church. If he doesn't go to my church, oh well, his loss, but its ok if he doesn't.
i agree, little lamb -- my point is that i don't want my politicians trying to turn my beliefs to theirs, especially as this relates to public policy -- i don't care if they pray to God or Jesus or Satan or a pile of rocks -- i don't want to see it in the halls of government
/t.
I do care who my congressman prays to. It does matter to me. The bible tell me to pray for those who have the authority over me. I don't want someone in office praying to Satan. That would be a big no no.
it's a tricky issue
personally, i think religion, sex, and politics are better left to the individual, than to public forums or public institutions or governments
a prime minister of my country once said, "government has no business in the bedrooms of the nation" -- i think he was right & wise
(Pierre Elliot Trudeau)
/t.
The government has the right to pray in public. But people don't like it. They find it offensive. I see nothing wrong with it as I say in another comment. The government can have God and so can the church. There's nothing wrong with public prayer, wherever you are.
are you willing to accomodate my beliefs, too, or only your own? will you agree to public prayer to a god other than yours, or do you intend to impose your belief on me and on my children -- i can't be very happy about that any more than you could be happy about me forcing my god/belief on you... tricky...
/t.
You're not going to like my answer. I do feel very strongly the way I believe, but so does everybody else. let's put it this way, I want God to have His way. I have a God who doesn't force Himself on people. I shouldn't force Him on others either. It is your right as a human beimg to believe as you choose. I can't stop you, but I can pray for you.
i think that is eminently sensible, little lamb -- thank you -- i feel exactly the same way
given this, it becomes difficult now for either of us to say that prayer this way or that should be policy in government and public institutions...
/t.
I think it should be and to my God, but I cannot force that. God has given man a free will. I cannot take that away. It is up to the individual what they choose to believe in. All I am able to do is pray that man make the right choice.
Not everybody will believe my way. It is wrong for me to force my beliefs on people.
if everybody felt that way (i think you're right) -- then there would be fewer problems in the world -- thanks for your post, little lamb -- a good one! -- and thanks for sharing some ideas
enlightening & enjoyable
/t.
You're welcome. My pleasure.
I thought America had free speech enshrined in the constitution. What happened? In Australia we only think we have free speech, it's not written in our constitution.
Our rights are slowly being taken away.
What do you mean "slowly??"
Our rights are being taken away at breakneck speeds.
Lex:
Our Constitution is meaningless when there's a man in the White House who wipes his ass on it...and people mill around like sheep while he does it.
We'll go over to Afghanistan or Iraq to fight for their fledgling Democracies, but we won't defend our own here at home.
Hypocrites!
Look upon these works, ye Mighty, and despair!
I don't think they want us to know about it, so they're doing it slowly, at least with our religious rights.
I think we should fight for our own first/
some good
thoughts there
little lamb, above
i should say in addition to
"given this, it becomes difficult now for either of us to say that prayer this way or that should be policy in government and public institutions..."
it also is difficult for either of us to say it should not be -- my belief that state & religion should always be kept apart is, after all, only my belief -- it is no more or less 'right' than yours
/t.
/t. I'm right and everybody else is wrong.
i stand
corrected
:)
/t. is dead on. He IS brilliant! I now want to move to Canada, marry one of his sisters (possibly MORE than one, it IS Canada after all), and write books with him.
Sorry, Lamby. I DO believe there should be a separation of church and state. One problem is the mixed messages we've been raised with, such as "One Nation Under God" winding up on our money; along with countless other examples of religious dogma on government buildings and such.
It's not that I don't believe in God, Jesus, Allah, or a Supreme Being. Some people believe that they need a spiritual compass for themselves and their families in the form of these organized reigions. And there is nothing wrong with that, as long as they do no harm to others.
Government should allow all religions equal footing, as long as they pose to threat to non-believers, each other or to our nation.
But I have ABSOLUTELY no trust mortal man's interpretation of what any of us should believe in. I don't want ANYONE inflicting their beliefs on me through the peer pressure, Big Brother, or any other sort of coertion.
Look at the history of organized religion in general, and note the many examples of cultural eradication, genocide, and atrocities in general that have been committed.
Some of the biggest (expletive deleted) I've met in life were church attending religious types. The concept of "rewards later on as long as you repent and/or accept Jesus as your savior" is not the best incentive for adopting the "Golden Rule" toward your fellow man.
Bottom line for our ADHD readers: God, Allah, Jehovah, Supreme Being, Other, (or None of the Above) = Good; Man's Manipulation of People's Spirtual Beliefs = Bad.
Great post, Lamby. Way to go. But our beliefs are WAY different. I'd be the wrong pug for you, if I were on the market.
Oops. Commented twice.
I know you're not the right pug for me whether you were or are on the market. I get the feeling you're married anyway.
Our nation was founded with religious freedom, but those rights are slowly being taken away by the government, or whoever.
Oh yeah--Pug's married alright.
He's married to yo mama.
pug is not my daddy, to my knowledge. But you never know. He wants to keep his identity a secret.
First of all, it's your blog, and you can say whatever you please with your given right of free speech, so if people can't deal with that, then move on folks. Secondly, a lot of this religious hysteria is fueled by a dislike of the present regime and a lot of disperate fear about the unknown. I don't think I live in a godless country because I know people who lived under communism regimes, and it wasn't pretty. I think people nitpick at "God bless you" and other stupidities as a way to punish those who claim to be believers. Once that claim is made, all these suppositions are made: You love George Bush, You hate Gays, You vote Republican, You endorse Pat Robertson's ideas. There are many kinds of Christians just as there are many kinds of atheists, deists, agnostics, Jews, Muslims...what bothers me is the lack of tolerance and the inability to cope with difference. I am a Christian who loves and welcomes people of all faiths into my home and into my life. At the same time, I am constantly asked to be tolerant when people scream at me about the Bible as one big lie and all that. I see that most people have issues with God which are not issues with him at all; they are mad at their parents, at their religious training and at their government. Have I been involved in any of this? Have you? Of course not. I am fine with the ideas of others, but I get hot when I even "hint" at mine and people go ballistic. Our views, Lambie, may not be the same, but we believe in Jesus, so that makes us part of the family of Christ. If others don't want to buy it, fine. But overreaction is really getting me down.
Sermon over.
I don't believe I'm over reacting here. In public school it is wrong to pray. You cannot bring a bible to a public school.
Maddalyn Murray O'Hare single handidly got prayer out of schools. A lot of people don't want anything to do with God. I take that personally. I believe that's where our society has gone wrong by trying to get rid of God. Everyone in the United States of America has the right to worship or not worship as they please, but for how much longer will we have that right to worship? Our religious rights are slowly being taken away. That's what I object to. I am going to stand up for what I believe in.
little lamb,
enemy can
correct me
if i'm wrong --
i think enemy might be speaking generally about overreaction, and not specifically about your post -- she does share some of your beliefs
/t.
I may have misunderstood her. She doesn't seem to like overeaction.
overreaction
goes both ways,
of course, and
it usually is not
good for anybody when we lose our balance -- either way
this is a great post, little lamb -- you made your case, made your stand, and you made people think a little harder about the issues -- good one!
/t.
Thanks. And i didn't make any enemies, either. I guess my blogger friends accept me.
sure,
you're
little lamb
&
the blogs wouldn't be
quite the same without you
/t.
At least for you it wouldn't.
/t is right. I am talking about people screaming at me (I joke not) about the Bible is this and that, and God is this and that, and Bush is this and that. I don't like Bush, but he isn't my God. I wasn't overreacting to YOU; I just think people are fired up in general. You and I share many premises, maybe not exactly if we were to nitpick. I am fine with the church and state separation, but it goes both ways, as you pointed out. I hope you got my point. I was actually agreeing with you!
Besides, I always pray, maybe not out loud, but I talk to God. Even without speech, I would pray to Him. Please don't think I am against you. Like I said, we might not agree on theological issues, but we are Christians, aren't we?
When Jesus walked the earth He was not popular either. Tbe people didn't believe Him in who He claimed tp be. I have no doubt people disagree with you. I've read your posts and I wish I knew how to be like your posters in how they say what they believe. Maybe I should try it sometime.
We will not be popular if we live godly in Christ Jesus. (I'm paraphrasing scripture.) You and I must stick up for what we believe in. I'm sure we will agree on stuff.
I am a Christian. If you got saved God's way we are sisters.
I'm an atheist so I don't really care about what people believe in. But I do object to the church/religious lobby groups pressuring government to make policy. This is where church and state should remain separate. Moral and ethical issues do not need religion to bring them attention. We are quite capable of determining that murder is bad,without having reference to GOD for example.
I see your point. But I don't like the idea of two people of the same sex going throught the government to make it legal that they should marry. That's when I'm going to step in and say that's against my beliefs. I will not support that type of thing.
It can be against your beliefs but that doesn't make it against the law. Put it this way, would you like it if I banned the sale of pork chops, ham and bacon? I can't eat those but others can because they don't follow my belief system. I use condoms and I don't mind earth day. I even enjoy a good porno now and then. What's a sin for one religion may not be for another. I'm talking about minor things like pork chops, not molestation. If you're not for gay marriage, don't marry someone of the same sex. You want to pray before a game, go ahead and pray before the game. Just because it's not over the PA system doesn't mean you can't do it. Your 10 commandments aren't my 10 commandments. Yes we can all agree on murder and adultery but they are interpreted so many different ways it's not worth getting into an argument over it. Do your thing with others that share our beliefs. Love one another, be happy. The country is too spiritually diverse to have it one way. In the long run, it's a good thing.
Good point, Ricardo. But I am going to stand up for what I believe in.
And that's what this country is all about. You'll always have that right.
And I'm going to have to pray more for my country. This post has opened up my eyes to our different beliefs and how we each have them and how we can have different beliefs and still get along. That's what it really is all about.
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