Court: California School Board's Prayers Unconstitutional

A Southern California school board's policy of opening meetings with a prayer is unconstitutional because the prayers often invoke Christianity, and there are secular ways of accomplishing the board's goals of solemnizing meetings and showing respect for religious diversity, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday.

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/07/25/us/ap-us-school-prayer-challenge-.html

Good. This continuous blatant assault on the separation of church and state needs to stop.

 

It's the scene every Friday at the cafeteria of Valley Park Middle School in Toronto. That's not a private academy, it's a public school funded by taxpayers. And yet, oddly enough, what's going on is a prayer service – oh, relax, it's not Anglican or anything improper like that; it's Muslim Friday prayers, and the Toronto District School Board says don't worry, it's just for convenience: They put the cafeteria at the local imams' disposal because otherwise the kids would have to troop off to the local mosque and then they'd be late for Lesbian History class or whatever subject is scheduled for Friday afternoon. Mark Steyn

 

Would that be Toronto, CANADA?

 

Where in the Constitution is this 'separation of Church and State'? I keep missing it...

 

A state can no more de facto establish a religion than they can de jure.

 

Of course.

 

Prayer is not an establishment of religion, in fact banning the prayer is more in line with creating laws against the free practice of religion, the only peoples' whose rights are being violated would be those who wish to pray. Liberals hate the Constitution, its disgusting...

 

Which has what to do with America? Does Canada have the same Constitution we do?

 

No prayer is being banned. If the government wants to hold a non-sectarian prayer, they can.

 

There is NO "separation of church and state" in the Constitution, contrary to ongoing leftlies.

If it was a muslim prayer , the Californidorks would likely REQUIRE participation.

The School Board is ABSOLUTELY free to pray BEFORE ITS MEETINGS, as its members see fit.

They are NOT free to require participation in said prayer.

I applaud the Leftocrats on, yet ANOTHER, "COMPLETELY OUT-OF-TOUCH-WITH-MOST-AMERICANS move.


Bravo!! Please continue, WITH GUSTO, all the way to the midterms!!

 

A) What does Canada have to do with the US?
B) Is the school making ALL students take part in the prayer service?

 

The first amendment restricts any organization, group, or individual who represents the government from promoting or sponsoring any specific religion or religious practices. See the establishments clause: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/establishment_clause

"The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion."

Here is a list of all of the supreme court rulings that back that interpretation: https://infidels.org/library/modern/church-state/decisions.html

 

Clearly the state is violating the rights of those who wish to practice their religion in a manner that does not interfere with their duties, nor in any way violates the Constitution or the rights of others. We have seen these sorts of abominations across the land, its a blatant assault on people of faith by activist judges who clearly don't understand the Constitution...

 

Who the **** cares about Canada? Stay on topic.

This absolutely ought to be stopped - no prayers. Keep it in your own house.

 

They should not be using their public office to push a specific religion. Remove any Christian specific elements to the prayer, and they are fine.

 

Nonsense. No religion mixing with the state. END OF STORY.

 

They are not 'pushing' a specific religion, and its offensive and a violation of their rights to demand that they must alter their personal religious practices to please the state...

 

Yes, they are. They are using their government office to push Christianity by officially recognizing it with prayer.

If they want to have a Christian prayer, do it before the board is in session, not on government time. Or do it silently.

 

I fail to see how this violates the Constitution by establishing a national religion.

 

Separation of church and state is not in the Constitution.

 

Prayer is not proselytism, but that is what you folks are trying to sell it as, and activist liberal judges have dishonored their robes and duties and agreed so such blatant unconstitutional demands by atheists and other heathens...

 

Oh please...assault? Holy hyperbole. They can pray all they want on their own time. What does a prayer even accomplish at a school board? You do realize praying does absolutely nothing, right?

 

The oligarchs of the Supreme Court rewrote the Constitution. NOTHING in the Constitution allows the Federal government to prohibit ANYTHING a state does about religion whatsoever. It only says that CONGRESS may not prohibit or require religion.

 

Who are you to determine the value of prayer in any situation? The hubris of that statement is offensive...

 

It's equivalent to making a wish before you blow out birthday candles.