Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 7,117 |
Originally posted by spgoode: I must be thick or supm', but i'd like to hear the whole story about your experience, not just yours. I'm sure your parents had nothing to do with your act of civil disobedience.
The reason why this tweaked my interest is that people like you are always claiming that children can't pray in schools. Which is complete baloney. They can pray all they want at lunch, silently to themselves in class(do you really need to pray out loud for God to hear you?), before class, in the hall. Jesus even said to not pray in public like the hypocrites, but in private. Is jesus wrong on this?
As a matter of fact the idea was mine & my parents did not know anything about it until they got the call from the school. I suppose that my upbringing has something to do with it so you could theoretically point a finger of blame toward them. My father, in fact, was the local newspaper publisher & was quite irritated by my stand. Last thing he wanted was the competing media splashing this story about his young son everywhere. I don't know if other media got wind of the story, but I do know that it was never printed in my fathers paper.
Perhaps you're right about schools these days, I haven't attended a public school in some time. I simply cited an example, which was my own experience. And just so you understand where I am coming from, here is the situation from my childhood:
Back in my day, there was a morning prayer, as well as the pledge of allegiance every morning before classes. This was suddenly changed & the morning prayer was replaced by a 'moment of silence'. Having been in the habbit of the prior routine & being a good Catholic child, I continued to make the sign of the cross & offer a prayer. After all, the law as I understood it prohibited the school from leading the students in such an observance, but I never heard any of the news reports say anything about a student voluntarily saying a prayer. I was sent to the Principals office after morning #2 & asked not to say a prayer. Next moring, I came into class with the teacher & Principal there waiting. The 'moment of silence' was announced & I made the sign of the cross, completed my prayer in complete silence, & was promptly pulled out of class & suspended.
Seemed an appropriate time, I uttered not a single word & observed the rules given me. So you see, the scenarios you offered above would not have been acceptable at the time. Everybody was running scared after that supreme court ruling on the separation of church & state as applied to prayer in public schools.
And no, Jesus was not wrong.
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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