Say a Little Prayer

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

To me, it's clear that Americans have the right to freely exercise religion. That includes having the right to pray.

The First Amendment says nothing about prayer being banned from high school graduation ceremonies. Does it? I don't see it. Nope, the framers didn't include that.

The way I read it, Congress can't make a law respecting the establishment of a religion and it also can't prohibit a citizen from practicing one's religion as long as that practice doesn't violate other laws.

For instance, a religion that ritualistically tortures or murders people would run into problems. But saying a prayer, speaking words that are not inflammatory, can hardly be considered a danger to the social order, nor can it be considered an endorsement by the government.

Granted, Congress hasn't really stood in the way of citizens and their religious practices; but the Judiciary most definitely has.

A recent example--

RUSSELL SPRINGS, Ky. (AP) -- The senior class at a southern Kentucky high school gave their response Friday night to a federal judge's order banning prayer at commencement.

About 200 seniors stood during the principal's opening remarks and began reciting the Lord's Prayer, prompting a standing ovation from a standing-room only crowd at the Russell County High School gymnasium.

The thunderous applause drowned out the last part of the prayer. The revival like atmosphere continued when senior Megan Chapman said in her opening remarks that God had guided her since childhood. Chapman was interrupted repeatedly by the cheering crowd as she urged her classmates to trust in God as they go through life.

"So, when you get out in the world and things get hard and you don't feel like you're going to pass that final next week in college, or you're not going to be able to pay that next bill, God's going to help you through that with your faith in him," Chapman said in her speech.

Are the Leftists cheering this instance of civil disobedience?

I doubt it.

Are the liberals that demand tolerance and social acceptance for a myriad of alternative lifestyles and unusual practices willing to show an itsy bit of tolerance for religion?

No.

...The graduation took place about 12 hours after a federal judge blocked the inclusion of prayer as part of Russell County High School's graduation ceremonies.

U.S. District Judge Joseph McKinley granted a temporary restraining order sought by a student who didn't want prayer to be part of the graduation exercises at the south-central Kentucky school, about 110 miles southeast of Louisville.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed suit on behalf of the unidentified student on Tuesday.

ACLU attorney Lili Lutgens said she was pleased with the judge's order and "very proud of my client for standing up for the Constitution." Lutgens said prayer would be unconstitutional because it would endorse a specific religion and religious views.

"He did not feel that he should have to sit through government-sponsored prayer just to receive his diploma," Lutgens said of the student.

This student didn't stand up for the Constitution. In fact, I think he spit on it. I think he infringed on the rights of his fellow students to freely exercise their faith.

Is this student, pawn of the ACLU, so intolerant that he can't handle listening to others recite a prayer?

How incredibly close-minded!

The student, through his attorney, had previously appealed to Russell County High principal Darren Gossage to cancel the prayer, a request Lutgens said the principal denied.

Keith Ellis, an assistant principal at Russell County High School, said the school has a long tradition of prayer at graduation, something that will change with the judge's ruling.

"It will definitely change what we've done in the past," Ellis said.

When I was in high school, I never made an appeal to the principal through my attorney.

How ridiculous!

This is yet another case of the fringe Left relying on an activisit judge to accomplish something on its extremist agenda that it can't accomplish by other means.

I don't believe that this kid couldn't handle hearing a prayer at his graduation. I just don't buy it.

Why not be tolerant rather than deny others their Constitutional right to exercise their religious beliefs?

I really don't get why there is this attempt to rid all expressions of religion from the public square.

If a Muslim wanted to put his prayer rug down and pray during graduation, I wouldn't care.

If a Jewish prayer was recited during the ceremony, it wouldn't bother me in the least.

Why would it trouble me? I RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.

Saying a Christian prayer at a public high school graduation ceremony is not establishing anything.

Instead of eliminating prayer at the event, why not include prayers to cover all the students' religions? And for those atheists, there could be a motivational message of some sort.

That seems to be a far more appropriate approach to take in terms of teaching students to respect the beliefs of others. It also prepares them for the real world. Creating this phony, sterile, godless environment doesn't help students learn to function as adults in a diverse community.

Note to the public schools: American society is not a no-religion zone.

Russell County School Superintendent Scott Pierce called himself a "person of faith" and said he was pleased with the response to the ruling by the senior class. The response of the students showed an ability to be "critical thinkers," Pierce said.

"They exhibited what we've tried to accomplish in 12 years of education, they have the ability to make these compelling decisions on their own," Pierce said.

The challenge made the graduation even better because it unified the senior class, Chapman said. "It made the whole senior class come together as one and I think that's the best way to go out," said Chapman, who plans to attend the University of the Cumberlands with her twin sister Megan.

I think the students did the right thing. Good for them.

The judge's ruling was unreasonable. By praying, they chose to defend their rights. That's honorable.

I also hope the student that sued to prevent the prayer from being included during graduation wasn't damaged for life because he was subjected to hearing the "Our Father" before receiving his diploma.

Was he traumatized, poor thing?

Hopefully, the kid managed to muddle through without experiencing severe psychological harm. God willing, any injury he may have sustained will not be permanent.

Believe it or not, the ACLU has taken up another graduation prayer case in Kentucky.

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- School officials in Shelby County are trying to decide whether to include a prayer during graduation.

A complaint was filed through the American Civil Liberties Union last week, asking that the prayer not be a part of the graduation ceremony.

...High school principal Gary Kidwell says the school district will decide by the end of this week what to do about prayers at the graduation ceremony and other end-of-year activities.

A federal judge in Louisville halted a prayer from being a part of graduation at Russell County High School this month.

The A-C-L-U had sued on behalf of a Russell County student.

If the school district in Shelby County backs down to appease the ACLU and avoid legal action, or if the case does go to court and prayer is prohibited, I hope the students follow the lead of the graduates of Russell County High School and stage a similar "free exercise."