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Valedictorian Defies School District and Recites Lord's Prayer [W:618]

Should the school have banned the reading of the prayer by the student?

  • Yes

    Votes: 24 27.3%
  • No

    Votes: 60 68.2%
  • Undecided

    Votes: 4 4.5%

  • Total voters
    88
In all honesty, I have nothing against any religion. The Valedictorian can pray after the speech concludes though. There are graduation parties where those who do not wish to participate can leave, but if students wish to not hear the speech during the actual graduation, they have no choice but to listen, not exactly fair. Not everybody subscribes to the same religion, people need to realize that. Majority does not apply because EVERY religion is protected by the 1st amendment.
 
Freedom of religion my friend. The Valedictorian is imposing their religious views on people of may different religions, that is offensive to say the least especially to the parents of children who came to the ceremony that are of different religions. Not everybody is your religion, not everybody believes in God, not everybody needs to be subjected to your religion. Just because the Valedictorian is a certain religion doesn't mean everybody is, and they should respect the guests by refraining from mentioning religion. Freedom of speech only extends as long as it is not violating any other rights of individuals, and in this case it is.

You don't have the right to not hear the religion of someone else.
 
It is his valedictorian speech. It's his time. He can say whatever he wants. The kid finished highschool top of his class and he will have a bright future if he keeps up the good work. The fact that he is religious was a bonus to him and he has no given thanks to what he believed helped him through -> i.e. his faith.

Again. His speech. he has the right to say whatever he wants. Praying isn't hate speech.

Then again, Jesus did warn us of people who pray in public for all to see. they aren't bad people... just prideful people who want to appear modest.
 
Separation from church and state, the valedictorian is in the wrong. Simple as that.

The valedictorian is not a government institution. He is a private individual. Separation of Church and state doesn't apply here.
 
You don't have the right to not hear the religion of someone else.

Are you kidding me? This person is forcing people to listen to their religion.

From the Justice Department:

The Supreme Court has interpreted “free exercise” to mean that any individual may believe anything he or she wants, but there may be times when the state can limit or interfere with practices that flow from those beliefs.

The right to engage in voluntary prayer does not include the right to have a captive audience for that prayer or to compel other students to participate.
 
You don't have the right to not hear the religion of someone else.

actually you are wrong in some case you most certainly do

as for the OP of course the school has a right its their function they can limit the speech and senor its content however they see fit.
 
Are you kidding me? This person is forcing people to listen to their religion.

From the Justice Department:

Technically he quoted an ancient text. Didn't know there was a law against that.
 
actually you are wrong in some case you most certainly do

as for the OP of course the school has a right its their function they can limit the speech and senor its content however they see fit.

Against the 1st ammendment? I don't think so.
 
Against the 1st amendment? I don't think so.

well you think wrong twice now, people do have the right not to be forced to listen to others pryer and the school most definitely has the right to limit and sensor the speech how they see fit or not allow him to speck at all, its their function on their property etc etc.

if they shut off the mic and made him leave ZERO of his rights would have been violated.
 
well you think wrong twice now, people do have the right not to be forced to listen to others pryer and the school most definitely has the right to limit and sensor the speech how they see fit or not allow him to speck at all, its their function on their property etc etc.

if they shut off the mic and made him leave ZERO of his rights would have been violated.

Actually it is public property. He can say what he wants.
 
Technically he quoted an ancient text. Didn't know there was a law against that.

As i said.

The right to engage in voluntary prayer does not include the right to have a captive audience for that prayer or to compel other students to participate.

It seems pretty black and white to me. Of course how dare we take away this individuals right to free speech? He's a white Christian male so his views MUST be more important than the rest of the school body's.
 
Ahhh the majority rules thing, sort of like Jim Crow laws or interracial marriage laws. Unfortunately for that line of reason the Constitution doesn't say one thing for one majority and another for a different crowd. there were plenty of other times for him to pray for his fellow students, he could have simply done the moment of silence... but no he wanted to say the word which is preaching. I know the Christians don't want to see it that way but it is.

Don't confuse wanting our rights to be recognized with fearing Christianity. Christians just love to be the martyrs in these discussions. The Muslim thing is to smoke out the very confused rationalizations Christians go through to justify their insistence on religion in all events but not any other POV.

There are plenty of personal parts a student can throw in without praying. Most students pray BEFORE they graduate.

Umm. No it's absolutely not like the Jim Crow laws they discriminated against other people and led to inferior conditions for other people who most likely were actually the majority population in many areas (there were and still are large concentrations of african americans in the southern US that sometimes outnumber 'white' populations).

Making a culturally appropriate speech is not discrimination now is it nor does it lead to inferior conditions for a large group of people :moody

The point here is that his prayer hurt no one, it's not against the laws of this nation to simply say a prayer out loud, the school was wrong for telling him not to do it. So good for him for standing against that overly sensitive political bull**** and doing it anyways.
 
As i said.



It seems pretty black and white to me. Of course how dare we take away this individuals right to free speech? He's a white Christian male so his views MUST be more important than the rest of the school body's.

It was not offensive speech. If anyone thinks so apparently they are a little too sensitive and should practice the "tolerance" they so desperately want Christians to follow. In other words, Athiests need to get over themselves. Just listen to the speak, nod your head and move on if you don't like it. No one is forcing you to believe or agree to it.
 
I think one needs to be very careful about chanting "freedom of speech".

I personally don't have a problem with the kid reciting a religious passage. It's his time. He can use it as he wishes.

However, suppose he started reciting something that was more connected with a harsher brand of Islam? Still religious, but more controversial?

Suppose he went FLDS and into promoting polygamy?
Suppose he was a devout follower of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptists?

There are guidelines set forward for a reason. A school, and a graduation from said school is nowhere near a platform for freedom of speech.

If the school has regulations about what can be said and what can't, and that speeches must be pre-approved for large ceremonies, the kid must follow these rules.
 
Actually it is public property. He can say what he wants.

nope its a school function and he can not

you are wrong twice now, people do have the right not to be forced to listen to others pryer and the school most definitely has the right to limit and sensor the speech how they see fit or not allow him to speck at all, its their function on their property etc etc.

if they shut off the mic and made him leave ZERO of his rights would have been violated.
 
I think one needs to be very careful about chanting "freedom of speech".

I personally don't have a problem with the kid reciting a religious passage. It's his time. He can use it as he wishes.

However, suppose he started reciting something that was more connected with a harsher brand of Islam? Still religious, but more controversial?

Suppose he went FLDS and into promoting polygamy?
Suppose he was a devout follower of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptists?

There are guidelines set forward for a reason. A school, and a graduation from said school is nowhere near a platform for freedom of speech.

If the school has regulations about what can be said and what can't, and that speeches must be pre-approved for large ceremonies, the kid must follow these rules.

You honestly believe that this controversy would even exist if it had been a Muslim speaking of Allah? No way.
 
It was not offensive speech. If anyone thinks so apparently they are a little too sensitive and should practice the "tolerance" they so desperately want Christians to follow. In other words, Athiests need to get over themselves. Just listen to the speak, nod your head and move on if you don't like it. No one is forcing you to believe or agree to it.

It doesn't matter, those people, no matter how much or little it affected them have the right not to listen to that, and he violated it. It doesn't matter if it was simply a prayer or not. We are missing the point though. The kid deliberately went against what his approved speech was, knowing the consequences. Why should anybody defend him? And you are using the first amendment to defend him, well I am using against him, and the Supreme Court is siding with the majority over one kid.
 
It doesn't matter, those people, no matter how much or little it affected them have the right not to listen to that, and he violated it. It doesn't matter if it was simply a prayer or not. We are missing the point though. The kid deliberately went against what his approved speech was, knowing the consequences. Why should anybody defend him? And you are using the first amendment to defend him, well I am using against him, and the Supreme Court is siding with the majority over one kid.

Nowhere is there a right to not hear something.
 
It doesn't matter, those people, no matter how much or little it affected them have the right not to listen to that, and he violated it. It doesn't matter if it was simply a prayer or not. We are missing the point though. The kid deliberately went against what his approved speech was, knowing the consequences. Why should anybody defend him? And you are using the first amendment to defend him, well I am using against him, and the Supreme Court is siding with the majority over one kid.

You're right, they should cut his ****ing tongue out, the little criminal.
 
Nowhere is there a right to not hear something.

again you have already been proven wrong, if there is force of the matter you do have a right to be free of it.

Why do you deny facts?
 
Yes....I don't think anybody at a school function in front of a mic should be leading any prayer....

At the same time...good for that young girl. I like it when youngsters buck the system for what they believe.

The Supreme Court opens with prayer, Presidential Functions include prayer, yet someone at a school function shouldn't be able to pray?
 
again you have already been proven wrong, if there is force of the matter you do have a right to be free of it.

Why do you deny facts?

I deny that anyone was forced. Nobody had to stay and listen. They could leave and come back when he was done.
 
If schools are to held accountable for everything valedictorians say in their graduation speeches there wouldn't be a school left open. This is just a silly overeaction.
 
Nowhere is there a right to not hear something.

Ok, be ignorant, ignore actual court rulings i quote and just continue to think that your religion is the only one out there, and don't think how the forcing of listening to anothers religion can affect one. whatever i have no time for ignorance. Continue to think this kid has been wronged even though not only did he violate the rights established through court cases on the matter, but he defied his school at the same time. You are right the poor kid is being disciplined for NO reason.
 
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