HS Grads DEFY School Board and Say Lord's Prayer

[Hagar]

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Imo, a great story.

[tvc184]

Good for them. 

Governments cannot sponsor or sanction prayer but they cannot stop individuals from practicing it. 

[bullets13]

3 hours ago, tvc184 said:

Good for them. 

Governments cannot sponsor or sanction prayer but they cannot stop individuals from practicing it. 

  I'm not sure how the valedictorian leading a prayer at a school function is different from cheerleaders holding up signs with scripture at a school sponsored event?  Is it because the prayer itself was not sanctioned by the administration, where the cheerleaders were getting resources from the school to make their signs? 

[tvc184]

3 hours ago, bullets13 said:

  I'm not sure how the valedictorian leading a prayer at a school function is different from cheerleaders holding up signs with scripture at a school sponsored event?  Is it because the prayer itself was not sanctioned by the administration, where the cheerleaders were getting resources from the school to make their signs? 

 There is a huge difference. One is a person representing himself. The other is a group of students, wearing school uniforms, at a school event, over a school PA system, and in the case you are talking about having signed documents saying that any time they were in uniform they were representing the school. 

Representing a school is different than representing yourself. 

The church and state issue might be one of the most misunderstood constitutional concepts. That goes from  both sides of the argument.

 Some people incorrectly believe that merely mentioning anything about religion on government property is  somehow illegal.  That is nonsense.  Some people believe just the opposite, that you can say anything you want anywhere you want and it is legal. That is nonsense. 

 I was reading about a case one time where a teacher had students, as a class assignment, write an essay on anything.  It was just a writing assignment. One student turned in a paper about God and she said that it was not allowed and was illegal under separation of church and state. She was shown to be incorrect. A teacher cannot say  you can write about anything that you wish… except God.  While a teacher might not be able to demand that you write about God, he/she couldn't likewise restrict you from it either.  A student voluntarily writing a personal essay on his or her beliefs as a class assignment is not unconstitutional because the word God appears in it.  That is an example of personal and not government.

Cheerleaders representing a school district is not personal.  Signs themselves are not illegal.  Who is showing them and under what conditions might be.