Thread: Seperation of Church and State ? Compare and contrast...

Seperation of Church and State ?
Compare and contrast...

In Dallas, a school district strikes the words "In God We Trust" from the photo of an enlarged nickel on a yearbook cover for fear of offending students of differing religions. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/3876802.html

In California, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (the one that outlawed the Pledge of Allegiance for its reference to God) approved putting public school students through Muslim role-playing exercises. Investor's Business Daily reminds us: http://www.investors.com/editorial/I...issue=20060519

In a recent federal decision that got surprisingly little press, even from conservative talk radio, California's 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled it's OK to put public-school kids through Muslim role-playing exercises, including:

Reciting aloud Muslim prayers that begin with "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful . . . ."

Memorizing the Muslim profession of faith: "Allah is the only true God and Muhammad is his messenger."

Chanting "Praise be to Allah" in response to teacher prompts.

Professing as "true" the Muslim belief that "The Holy Quran is God's word."

Giving up candy and TV to demonstrate Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.

Designing prayer rugs, taking an Arabic name and essentially "becoming a Muslim" for two full weeks.

Parents of seventh-graders, who after 9-11 were taught the pro-Islamic lessons as part of California's world history curriculum, sued under the First Amendment ban on religious establishment. They argued, reasonably, that the government was promoting Islam.

But a federal judge appointed by President Clinton told them in so many words to get over it, that the state was merely teaching kids about another "culture."

So the parents appealed. Unfortunately, the most left-wing court in the land got their case. The 9th Circuit, which previously ruled in favor of an atheist who filed suit against the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, upheld the lower court ruling.

The decision is a major victory for the multiculturalists and Islamic apologists in California and across the country who've never met a culture or religion they didn't like — with the exception of Western civilization and Christianity. They are legally in the clear to indoctrinate kids into the "peaceful" and "tolerant" religion of Islam, while continuing to denigrate Judeo-Christian values.

In the California course on world religions, Christianity is not presented equally. It's covered in just two days and doesn't involve kids in any role-playing activities. But kids do get a good dose of skepticism about the Christian faith, including a biting history of its persecution of other peoples. In contrast, Islam gets a pass from critical review. Even jihad is presented as an "internal personal struggle to do one's best to resist temptation," and not holy war...

...This case is critical not just to our culture but our national security. It should be brought before the Supreme Court, which has outlawed prayer in school. Let's see what it says about practicing Islam in class. It will be a good test for the bench's two new conservative justices.

Meanwhile, creeping sharia in the public schools continues apace. Seattle is preparing to consider a proposal to accomodate Muslim student prayers.
http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/006180.html


Kids in Kentucky are fighting to recite the Lord's Prayer at commencement.
http://hotair.com/archives/the-blog/...d-prayer-down/

Ok, where are the ACLU and Barry Lynn?

Yoo-hoo: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/...n4997108.shtml

Hawaii Lawmakers Back The Creation Of 'Islam Day'
Hawaii Lawmakers Back A Plan To Celebrate 'Islam Day' Despite Some Objections
May. 6, 2009

(AP) Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" _ over the objections of a few lawmakers who said they didn't want to honor a religion connected to Sept. 11, 2001.

The Senate's two Republicans argued that a minority of Islamic extremists have killed many innocents in terrorist attacks. "I recall radical Islamists around the world cheering the horrors of 9/11. That is the day all civilized people of all religions should remember," said Republican Sen. Fred Hemmings to the applause of more than 100 people gathered in the Senate to oppose a separate issue : same-sex civil unions.

The resolution to proclaim Sept. 24, 2009, as Islam Day passed the Senate on a 22-3 vote. It had previously passed the House.

The bill seeks to recognize "the rich religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions" that Islam and the Islamic world have made. It does not call for any spending or organized celebration of Islam Day. "We are a state of tolerance. We understand that people have different beliefs," said Sen. Will Espero, a Democrat. "We may not all agree on every single item and issue out there, but to say and highlight the negativity of the Islamic people is an insult to the majority" of believers "who are good law-abiding citizens of the world."

But Republican Sen. Sam Slom argued that the United States has become too sympathetic toward Islamic extremists. "I don't think there's any country in the history of the world that has been more tolerant than the United States of America, and because of that tolerance, we've looked the other way a lot of times, and many thousands of our citizens have been killed by terrorists," said Slom, a Republican.

The lone Democrat voting against the bill opposed it on church-state separation fears.

On the Net: HCR100: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov


There is, as far as I know, no “Christianity Day” designation in Hawaiian law, though the state did designate Good Friday a government holiday, which courts ruled was “primarily proposed to increase the frequency of legal holidays.”

No such rationale here.

There is, as far as I know, no “Christianity Day” designation in Hawaiian law, though the state did designate Good Friday a government holiday, which courts ruled was “primarily proposed to increase the frequency of legal holidays.”

What's Christmas? That's a federal holiday.

ETA I don't understand the need for Islam Day but again, I'm not Islamic.

Gymeyers, I agree with that. I'm sick and tired of the Muslim religion being allowed in our schools but the Christian religion isn't.

This is a Christian country even though our evil president says it isn't. Our country was built on Christian principles and God is what kept our country strong. When we allow others to take God out of our lives we are also removing God's protective hand over our country.

You can mention God, Buddha, Jesus, Allah and the rest in a public school in a historical context but in not a religious teaching sense.

We have Christian Holidays, why not other religions?

Originally Posted by speedygirl

What's Christmas? That's a federal holiday.

ETA I don't understand the need for Islam Day but again, I'm not Islamic.

Silly girl, they aren't allowed to call it CHRISTmas in most places anymore. They have to call it holiday break or a winter performance. Of course that is not here fortunately. We still have Christmas break and a Christmas pageant where Heaven forbid we actually sing songs with the words Jesus and God in them.

Originally Posted by stresseater

Silly girl, they aren't allowed to call it CHRISTmas in most places anymore. They have to call it holiday break or a winter performance. Of course that is not here fortunately. We still have Christmas break and a Christmas pageant where Heaven forbid we actually sing songs with the words Jesus and God in them.

I'm still living in a place that it's called Christmas break too. MA is a notoriously liberal state but has one of the largest Catholic populations in the country so people aren't going to be quick to embrace "the holiday" thing.

I love my DD's school. The only time any religion is mentioned is when they are doing the World Religions section of their Social Studies book!