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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
I'm about as atheist as one can get, and I don't view this as "shoving their religious beliefs and prayers down the throats of other people". It was just some kid thinking he was hot stuff reciting a prayer. There's no problem here, so long as all other venues are equally kept open (as I have outlined before).

Why complicate things when you don't have to though? Just leave it ALL out of school. Then we can concentrate on what school is supposed to be about, getting an education to help you survive in the real dog-eat-dog world.
 
It wasn't school; it was a graduation ceremony. We don't let children wear long black robes and funny hats in school either. Our children are all grown up and we have eight grandchildren. All have attended a variety of public and private schools in the US and abroad. The lesson? They're quite stable and durable, and perfectly capable of making sound choices.:peace

It's a school sponsored event.
 
Or how about lying about being a Christian to avoid sharing a sleeping bag with a lion ? Rumor has it there were millions of those type of liars....................

Given population estimates of that period, I doubt there were millions, but the incentive was certainly powerful.:mrgreen:
 
Why complicate things when you don't have to though?

Because it's a free country and we should be free. Free ain't simple, it ain't safe, it ain't easy; but it's better than the alternative.
 
Well, this is simply your opinion and nothing more. The fact is the speech was pre-approved and then the boy changed the speech without getting permission and included the Lord's Prayer in his speech.

This may be the more basic question to consider, "Why should a valedictorian's commencement speech require approval?"
 
Liberty High valedictorian's speech causes stir - FOX Carolina 21

Do you think the school was right to ban this in the first place? Why or why not?

Put me in the "who ****ing cares" camp. Don't we have more important things to worry about than this?

Students leading a prayer in front of a student assembly at a school function is a grey area between separation of church and state and freedom of speech. I honestly don't know whether it's right or wrong or what. And I don't really care, because it doesn't really matter. If the school wants to ban it, that's okay. If the school wants to allow it, I'm fine with that. How about we all grow up a little and quit being such whiners about the religion crap. Just because a school doesn't want a kid to say a prayer at graduation doesn't mean they're oppressing your religion or anything, they're just covering their asses. And just because someone does say a prayer at a school function once doesn't mean you need to lose your **** and start wailing about how America is becoming a theocracy.
 
Good evening pg. I haven't seen you around here lately, been traveling the world?

Only part of the world, AP. I'm beginning to think it's the worst part. :shock:
 
Well, this is simply your opinion and nothing more. The fact is the speech was pre-approved and then the boy changed the speech without getting permission and included the Lord's Prayer in his speech.

Yup, and there's absolutely nothing the school, or the law, or anyone but his parents can do about it. It was his speech to make, he earned that with diligence and hard work.

Btw, you all do know that schools aren't compelled by law, by statute to have a graduation ceremony. It's not part of the curricula nor is it in any state or federal requirement.
 
Only part of the world, AP. I'm beginning to think it's the worst part. :shock:

Ah, you must have gone to New England...

Or the "left" coast...
 
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This may be the more basic question to consider, "Why should a valedictorian's commencement speech require approval?"

Are you kidding me? I guess you were never a teenager before. :roll:
 
Yup, and there's absolutely nothing the school, or the law, or anyone but his parents can do about it. It was his speech to make, he earned that with diligence and hard work.

Btw, you all do know that schools aren't compelled by law, by statute to have a graduation ceremony. It's not part of the curricula nor is it in any state or federal requirement.

So? How would you feel about a kid getting up there and cursing? And the schools do have control, responsibility and liability of all school sponsored events.
 
Are you kidding me? I guess you were never a teenager before. :roll:

I was and a valedictorian as well. My speech required no approval. That was 1971...
 
Well, this is simply your opinion and nothing more. The fact is the speech was pre-approved and then the boy changed the speech without getting permission and included the Lord's Prayer in his speech.

Jesus Christ! Didn't your daddy teach you the little "sticks and stones" saying?
 
It all happened in Liberty,lol, SC, lol, population 3,000, lol, need I say more ?, lol............................
 
so many random postings in this thread im not sure what everybody is actually arguing so ill state some facts

The school has every right to censor, limit or not allow any speech that is given as a privileged to anybody at a school function.
The kid broke the rules.


now with that said people can debate thier opinions all they want about whether the kid did a good thing, bad thing etc but the facts wont change.
 
Are you kidding me? I guess you were never a teenager before. :roll:

Apply some common sense. The valedictorian is likely to be a pretty well-mannered kid given their accomplishment.
 
I was and a valedictorian as well. My speech required no approval. That was 1971...

Yeah, that was a long time ago though wasn't it? :mrgreen: Things have changed a lot since 1971 I would say. We have a lot more diversity nowadays.
 
Yeah, that was a long time ago though wasn't it? :mrgreen: Things have changed a lot since 1971 I would say. We have a lot more diversity nowadays.

We do? In what way?
 
Apply some common sense. The valedictorian is likely to be a pretty well-mannered kid given their accomplishment.

Well, there was that case I mentioned earlier where the girl decided to use the word "hell" in her speech. Apparently, some of the audience weren't too happy with that either.
 
Are you kidding me? I guess you were never a teenager before. :roll:

exactly not to mention its the schools duty to manage and monitor the kids, its basic common sense.
 
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