Judge orders removal of prayer
Complaints by student force Rhode Island high school to tear a banner from auditorium’s wall
Cranston, R.I. has been ignited by a twister of emotions, courtesy of the persistent work of a high school junior who imposed a lawsuit on the city to remove a prayer from her high school auditorium’s wall.
School spirit — The banner in question has hung in Cranston High School West for 49 years. Photo credit: Cranston Patch
According to the NY Times, a federal judge ruled this month that the prayer’s presence at Cranston High School West was unconstitutional, hence the verdict that the chalked religious graffiti violates the principle of government neutrality in religion.
This is a blatant attack against Christianity, and the ruling is in direct violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which protects the right to freedom of religion and expression from government interference.
CNN.com reports that the school’s prayer banner begins with the phrase, “Our Heavenly Father,” and concludes with “Amen.” The 8-foot-high, 3-foot-wide banner encourages students to strive academically, show kindness, be honest, display good sportsmanship and conduct themselves in such a manner as to bring honor to the school.
“As an atheist, I do not feel included in the message of the prayer; in fact, I feel excluded,” Jessica Ahlquist said, according to CNN.com.
CNN also reported that Ahlquist’s father believes his daughter should not be subject to a religious communication and display with which she does not agree as a condition of attending public school.
Sara Williams, a Family and Consumer Science teacher at Maury River Middle School in Lexington, Va., disagrees.
“It [the prayer] has every right to be on the auditorium wall as anything else,” Williams said. “She is a self-atheist. That’s her personal choice. But I don’t think one person should have the right to dictate what is placed and published for public viewing on public facilities.”
Christiansburg math teacher Julia Knopp approached the situation from a different angle.
“People need to realize that the government isn’t a Christian government anymore,” Knopp said. “It is silly to assume the government will support and uphold Christian values in a public school arena anymore.”
“I’m an atheist,” Ahlquist insists. “I don’t believe in the Heavenly Father, so I shouldn’t have to look at it.”
Then don’t look at it, Miss Ahlquist.
The 16-year-old plaintiff’s argument is weak at best. The prayer banner is being covered up after a federal judge ordered it to be removed to satisfy the junior’s objection, declaring it unconstitutional to have the banner mounted in public view.
“We have freedom of speech and the right to practice whatever religion we want without government interference,” Williams said. “She [Ahlquist] needs to back up.”
Williams also proposed that rather than being largely concerned with the laws of the land and her religious rights as a U.S. citizen and public school student, Ahlquist may be pressing for legal action to get attention.
“I can see why we have separation of church and state,” Williams said. “I don’t always agree with the concept. But I get what people’s mindsets are about it. If I were a part of that school’s administration, I would be asking her [Ahlquist] what about that segment of scripture bothers her and why specifically is she pressing so hard for legal action against the school and town in which she resides.”
Ahlquist could save her school and city an enormous and time-consuming financial migraine by tolerating all religions and public expressions that the First Amendment allows all American citizens to practice and enjoy. The city is staring down the barrel of a $173,000 court fee — standard procedure for winning a court case, but a hefty fine for the school district to pay. And if the case proceeds down further legal channels, it will only become increasingly difficult for them to handle.
To cave to the juvenile’s request is a repulsive concept and will further confuse and distort the gravity of freedom and the gavel of power the First Amendment grants citizens regarding religious freedom and expression.
It would appear the Court disagrees with your assessment, not to mention your conclusion. Based on the assumptions made in your article, I must speculate that you didn’t bother to read the Court’s published decision in full, or you wouldn’t have made the erroneous assumptions that you did.
Now, ultimately, the question is… who is better qualified to decide Constitutional issues… you, or the Court? I’ll accept the Court’s interpretation as the more accurate one, and as the only one that really matters.
“This is a blatant attack against Christianity, and the ruling is in direct violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which protects the right to freedom of religion and expression from government interference.”
I guess you’ve never heard of the establishment clause.
You have it wrong, Jason. The presence of the banner is an attack on freethought and freedom of conscience and religion. Not to mention an attack on the Constitution itself. Right at the top of the banner it says “School Prayer”. That alone makes it unfit for a PUBLIC school to display, as the school has NO legitimate business stating what religion, beliefs, or prayers are acceptable in its eyes. The school serves students of many faiths and of no religious beliefs as well, and is prohibited from endorsing any religious faith, or faith over non-belief. The truly repulsive concept is that of public schools dictating religious orthodoxy.
Oh, the things you gloss over while trying to justify your views.
You skip the first half of the religious clause in the 1st amendment – “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”. This includes endorsing a religion on the wall of a publicly funded school.
You skip over the fact that Jessica didn’t go immediately to the courts. She went to the principal first, then to the school board. Then she asked the ACLU to ask the school board to take it down. When she (and the ACLU) were told no 3 times, THEN they resorted to legal action.
If you’re going to post about something, please try to provide accurate information. To do otherwise belies the reason for having a news blog, and is not becoming.
“Complaints by student force Rhode Island high school to tear a banner from auditorium’s wall”
Rhode Island high school student brings awareness to unlawful practices – a true hero
Fixed that title for you!
The judge ruled wisely. We have greater religious freedom when public schools do not display sectarian prayers. I attended public schools where my friends were catholic, protestant, jewish, muslim, mormon, Jehovah’s witness and buddhist. We were free to practice our different faiths, and nobody’s religion was forced on the other students.
Public schools are paid for by the public, and serve the public. They need to be inclusive and welcoming of all their students. No student should be made to feel marginalized on basis of religion. If you want your kids to read about God, sit down and read the Bible together….on your own time. Your child’s spirituality is not Uncle Sam’s job.
I fallowed this case via Facebook and this was anything but easy for Jessica. She received threats and was ostracised by the community. The oh so forgiving Christian community. You know, the Christian community that is supposed to help the poor. The ones that are supposed to behave like Jesus, not pass judgement or throw stone.
Muslim Brotherhood, et al vs. FFRF? The ultimate smackdown. Can’t wait…..
How can you be called the “Liberty Champion” and disagree with the constitution? You are further proof of the fact that less and less people actually understand what Liberty means. How sad is it that a 16 year old understands the constitution better than you do.
Actually, the writer disagrees with one interpretation of the Constitution — which is highly debated — not the Constitution itself. Read it and explain where it prevents prayers in schools. That is not to say whether you are right or wrong, just that you ought to properly phrase your argument.