Friday, January 13, 2012
Judge Orders Prayer Banner Removed
Jessica Ahlquist has won her lawsuit! The well-spoken and courageous 16 year old high school student sued her school to remove a religious banner from its auditorium; the banner is now coming down by court order.
U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux issued a decision in the case against the prayer banner at Cranston West in favor of the ACLU and plaintiff Jessica Ahlquist.
The prayer banner at Cranston High School West, which sparked a citywide discussion about religious freedom and separation of church and state, has been ordered removed.
U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux issued a decision in the case regarding the banner, or mural, late this afternoon.
The court ruling orders the prayer's removal and the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union announced it will hold a 9:30 a.m. press conference at the ACLU office on Dorrance St. in Providence tomorrow.
School Committee Chairwoman Andrea Iannazzi said in a telephone interview that she is "dissapointed in the end result" and said she hasn't had time to read the entire 40-page decision yet and planned to tonight.
The School Committee will discuss the decision next Tuesday, Iannazzi said, and by then the district should have a better idea of "where to go from here."
In the decision, Lagueux said Ahlquist "is clearly an articulate and courageous young woman, who took a brave stand, particularly in the light of the hostile response she has received from the community."
Lagueux states that "no amount of debate can make the School Prayer anything other than a prayer, and a Christian one at that."
"The Prayer concludes with the indisputably religious closing: 'Amen;' a Hebrew word used by Jews, Christians and Muslims to conclude prayers. In between, the Prayer espouses values of honesty, kindness, friendship and sportsmanship. While these goals are commendable, the reliance on God’s intervention as the way to achieve those goals is not consistent with a secular purpose."
Lagueux referred to the School Committee's meeting during which the majority voted to formally defend the mural, stating "while the tenor of the School Committee's open meeting at times resembled a religious revival," committee members offered varied reasons why they felt the banner should remain, including two members who "were clearly motivated by their adherence to strong Catholic religious beliefs."
"The Court refrains from second-guessing the expressed motives of the Committee members, but nonetheless must point out that tradition is a murky and dangerous bog. While all agree that some traditions should be honored, others must be put to rest as our national values and notions of tolerance and diversity evolve," Lagueux wrote. "At any rate, no amount of history and tradition can cure a constitutional infraction. The Court concludes that Cranston’s purposes in installing and, more recently, voting to retain the Prayer Mural are not clearly secular."
Jessica’s speech at the 2011 Secular Student Alliance conference:
U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux issued a decision in the case against the prayer banner at Cranston West in favor of the ACLU and plaintiff Jessica Ahlquist.
The prayer banner at Cranston High School West, which sparked a citywide discussion about religious freedom and separation of church and state, has been ordered removed.
U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux issued a decision in the case regarding the banner, or mural, late this afternoon.
The court ruling orders the prayer's removal and the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union announced it will hold a 9:30 a.m. press conference at the ACLU office on Dorrance St. in Providence tomorrow.
School Committee Chairwoman Andrea Iannazzi said in a telephone interview that she is "dissapointed in the end result" and said she hasn't had time to read the entire 40-page decision yet and planned to tonight.
The School Committee will discuss the decision next Tuesday, Iannazzi said, and by then the district should have a better idea of "where to go from here."
In the decision, Lagueux said Ahlquist "is clearly an articulate and courageous young woman, who took a brave stand, particularly in the light of the hostile response she has received from the community."
Lagueux states that "no amount of debate can make the School Prayer anything other than a prayer, and a Christian one at that."
"The Prayer concludes with the indisputably religious closing: 'Amen;' a Hebrew word used by Jews, Christians and Muslims to conclude prayers. In between, the Prayer espouses values of honesty, kindness, friendship and sportsmanship. While these goals are commendable, the reliance on God’s intervention as the way to achieve those goals is not consistent with a secular purpose."
Lagueux referred to the School Committee's meeting during which the majority voted to formally defend the mural, stating "while the tenor of the School Committee's open meeting at times resembled a religious revival," committee members offered varied reasons why they felt the banner should remain, including two members who "were clearly motivated by their adherence to strong Catholic religious beliefs."
"The Court refrains from second-guessing the expressed motives of the Committee members, but nonetheless must point out that tradition is a murky and dangerous bog. While all agree that some traditions should be honored, others must be put to rest as our national values and notions of tolerance and diversity evolve," Lagueux wrote. "At any rate, no amount of history and tradition can cure a constitutional infraction. The Court concludes that Cranston’s purposes in installing and, more recently, voting to retain the Prayer Mural are not clearly secular."
Jessica’s speech at the 2011 Secular Student Alliance conference:
The 40-page decision from U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux can be read here (PDF).
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Right on -we don't need religion in our schools and society with their perverted ethics and morals that condemn - murder, rape, drugs, abortion, homosexuality, fraud, pedophilia, lying and incest.
ReplyDeleteNor do we need a relgion that teaches honesty, love of neighbour, concern for the welfare of others, courage, protecting the innocent, etc. We now live in a decrepit society of a people and government that no longer uses a moral compass, just look at our laws, our President, our Judiciary, our Military, etc, all who have championed our now evolving pagan society of fraud, murder, lust, envy, lies, pornography, sucking the brains of little babies out as they are born, slicing the throats of tri-mester aborted live babies, drugs, etc. Yep lets get rid of those stupid Christian virtues and morals and let our country evolve into a new era of modern paganism where might and force rule where our new faith is faith in lucifer. And then Gods Justice befell them and they cried in anguish and pain for all eternity.
One word: Christianophobia.
ReplyDeleteSuppose you didn't mention God, but simply said "May it be that so-and-so." ...And ended by saying "So be it". Would that not be allowed by the Constitution? There is a difference between keeping separate Church and State, and simply expressing the "prayers" of people. So why would that not be allowed? And, come to think of it, what more do the pious people who published that prayer really want?
ReplyDeleteAnd what about saying "Grace" at meals? Is it against the Constitution to say "May we be grateful for this food"? Are all prayers, all verbalized expressions of hope somehow establishing an official Church? So why is the State keeping us from public expressions of our pious wishes?
Who is paying the extensive legal bills? Find the answer to that, and you'll know who is behind this.
ReplyDeleteSo, what religion does this establish? Hinduism, Islam, Rastafarianism? It clearly does not establish any particular religion therefore it is not constitutionally, but rather, unpolitically correct. Atheism is in itself a religious attitude therefore this poor young tool is establishing dominance of her religion over that of the rest of all world religions.
ReplyDeleteShe is a poor misguided child being used to futher the agenda of those who hate American values. I will leave it to you to find out who these people are.
Atheism is not a group.....it's a thought process...a mindset. In fact if you replace the word "belief" with "mindset" it makes more sense.
ReplyDeletei.e. change the following: I "believe" in God, Allah, or David....to
My "mindset" is about God, Allah or David....
Or My "mindset" about Santa Clause is that he is true, false, a lesson for children or a Marketing tool....
Once you replace the word belief to mindset....it removes the perceived threat of attach....to one of changing ones thought process, logic and reasoning.
When you learn how to read, do arithmetic, science...it is simply about adding to or changing your mindset.
when new facts are revealed about science, reading or match...we simply add to or change our mindset. The only time this doesn't occur.....is when we use or defend our mindset as a "belief".
Yet when a child learns about Santa Clause....they are able to change their "beliefs"/ Mindset.....because the Grown Ups told them it was OK to.
Belonging to a group with like minded people....is not a religion/cult. It is based upon biological facets, logic and reasoning.
If I like the color blue....and all those around like red...and paint everything red, wear red clothes......I will be much happier when I find a group who likes blue as much as I do. So to seek and find friends or people who have similar interests as I.....happiness occurs......
Note: I didn't say I believe in red or blue....or even use the word mindset.....it was about what I liked.
So when you combine Church (groups) and Religion (beliefs) ...it very easy to see how difficult it is to be threatened by folks who use logic and reasoning "mindset" ....
Atheism is a tag for a group of people who use mindsets, logic and reasoning over beliefs........
As for the moral compass and ethics of this tagged group...called Atheism....there are many sub groups and spin off alike thinkers...just like any other group. There are good apples and bad apples...
I would rather hand with folks who use reason, and logic over beliefs to guide them. Believers are given "memorize" and adhere to thoughts. Logical thinkers, listen,create, change and adapt their thoughts based upon self experiences or experiences of others....with out conflict or having to choose sides.
So atheism is a danger to the world of government, churches and politics....because atheists are not followers....but free thinkers...a direct threat to the controlling elite who want servitude.
You go Girl!
ReplyDelete...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
ReplyDeleteReal democracy in action, one complains and the majority are prohibited of a prayer banner they believe in. The tax exempt ACLU using tax payer financed courts to remove a banner that does not harass or implore the little twat to embrace a religion, but tax payers get to pay for all the time waisted by a smug little butt hurt cunt.
Madeline Murray O'Hare would be proud. God has been legislated out of our lives. We will soon see what a godless country looks like. Sow the wind. Reap the whirlwind.
ReplyDeleteI'll write a check for $100,000.00 to anyone who can point to the words, "separation of church and state" in the U.S. Constitution. The expression "separation of Church & State" stems from an 1802 letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to a Baptish organization in Danbury, CT - it is referred to as the "Danbury Letter." Starting in the 1920's, Jewish lawyers used that letter as a basis for their de-Christianization agenda for America. The Danbury Letter is just that, a letter. It is NOT part of the United States Constitution.
ReplyDeleteIs this child a Jew?
ReplyDeletePeer pressure is used to make people believe in these make believe entities. Schools are perfect venues for peer pressure. When I went to school we had to actually pray out loud in a group chant. If you didn't have ashes smeared on your forehead on Ash Wednesday you were shunned. The Roman Empire first used this strategy to control the heathen.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite entity is the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
The modern day bible is held up as the word of God but all older versions of God's word have been destroyed. Try to find a version that is 1,000 years old, they don't exist. If you could find one, you would find thousands of inconsistencies, where they felt it wise to edit the supposed word of God.
The banner clearly promotes a Judeo-Christian belief.
ReplyDeleteThe banner is in a school fully funded with State/Federal money.
Therefore, the banner is unconstitutional.
It's really not that hard to understand. This isn't about oppressing Christians, despite their many protestations that they're subjugated as the majority. It is about ensuring that any and all students, whether they be Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, Atheist or otherwise not be excluded.
I'm not surprised to see that this young girl has received absolute torrents of hate from those professing to believe in Jesus. They hurl epithets and stones while forgetting the very words of their savior. Typical.