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Judge says school cannot hold graduation ceremony in church

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by gb93433, Jun 3, 2010.

  1. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (ABP) -- A federal judge ruled May 31 that a Connecticut school district's plan to hold graduation ceremonies in a mega-church violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state and ordered school officials to find a secular alternative site.
    First Cathedral includes numerous architectural elements intended to communicate the gospel. (Wikipedia)

    U.S. District Judge Janet Hall handed down a preliminary injunction blocking Enfield Public Schools from holding graduations for two high schools scheduled June 23-24 at The First Cathedral, a 120,000 square-foot facility that is home to an 11,000-member Christian church.

    The rest of the story is at http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5195/53/
     
  2. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    Good luck finding a low (or no) cost facility of this size in Connecticut now.

    This is the way things are headed, I'm not surprised. The judge is trying to throw her judicial weight around too much right now. Why not wait until after the graduation and then say, not anymore? This robs students of dignity and elevates a judge beyond the bench.
     
  3. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    Federal court bars high school graduations in church

    “Rabbi Yitzchok Adler of Beth David Synagogue in West Hartford agreed.”
    http://www.jewishledger.com/articles/2010/06/02/news/news05.txt

    --------------------------------------------------------------------

    America’s New Religious Intolerance

    “Two students and their parents objected to entering a Christian church and they filed a frivolous lawsuit against the school. They were joined in their suit by the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Separation of Church and State.

    One of the students is agnostic and the other is Jewish. The agnostic student stated that it would be “difficult if not impossible for me to attend my own graduation if it were held at First Cathedral.” The Jewish student feels that she would be subjected to “Christian beliefs … through its scriptures and symbols.” ...”

    http://www.fortliberty.org/americas-new-religious-intolerance.html
     
  4. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    The judge needs a Recto-decraniotomy.
     
  5. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    Amazing. My HS graduation 36 years ago was held in what at that time was a 'mega-church'. Not one word was said.

    Some judges are not worthy of the title.
     
  6. PamelaK

    PamelaK New Member

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    Do the agnostic student and the Jewish student expect to insulate themselves from any symbols of other beliefs their whole lives?
     
  7. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    I suspect they are but pawns in a much larger scheme of things.
     
  8. ReformedBaptist

    ReformedBaptist Well-Known Member

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    Just another move in the direction of demonizing and ultimately criminalizing Christianity.
     
  9. PamelaK

    PamelaK New Member

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    You are probably right.
     
  10. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    RB, I often wonder if 'the camp of the saints' is not actually in the process of being encompassed by their enemies now, today (Rev 20).
     
  11. ReformedBaptist

    ReformedBaptist Well-Known Member

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    Could be. It is feeling like in the U.S. that its heading in a way where bible-believers will be in danger.
     
  12. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    I can see the point here. Don't like it, but it is reality.

    We have a large church in our city that is LDS. If the schools said they were having graduation or baccalaureate program there, I know many Baptists who would object and not attend. Symbols, paintings, statues, everything about it is cultic and offensive.

    Should have it in the school gym and make the judge sit 3 boring hours in the bleachers . . .
     
  13. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Dr. Bob, the high schools themselves have materials and objects that any Baptist Christian should object to. A building is a building.

    What appears to be happening here is that government is and has been turning itself upside down. It used to be here to protect and defend people...especially those who were unable to protect and defend themselves.

    Now if we want freedom we can't depend on the people we elected to ensure that protection is given. It takes cash and often position in society. Ya know, the way of life, the way of thinking that people came to this country to get away from.
     
  14. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    When I was in school, we had Christmas plays with the manger scene and Bible reading. In the fourth grade (of course, that was in 1956), I quoted scripture from Luke 2. In high school (1962-65), I had a teacher who read the Bible and prayed at the beginning of each class, and no one complained. Unfortunately, things change but only for the worse as mankind tries its worst to push God out of everything.
     
  15. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    It seems to me that the only "symbol" that offends people of other religions is Jesus, and ANYTHING even remotely religious offends so-called atheists. I find it interesting that those who claim there is no God spend so much time trying to prove it. I don't believe in a lot of things, but I don't waste my time trying to prove they don't exist.
     
  16. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    Not encompassed but infiltrated. That's why there are so many false teachers and false teachings. They're not outside; they're INSIDE.
     
  17. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    They should make a law that athiests and those religions that hate Christ cannot get Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas off with pay. I've never seen them refuse that.

    Kind of like environmentalists who are always criticizing all of us, yet they drive cars and live in houses that consume energy like the rest of us.
     
  18. Zenas

    Zenas Active Member

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    I've given this one a lot of thought and, while I wish our country had been founded as a Christian nation, it was not. Non-Christians have a right to participate fully in the economy of the United States of America, including a dignified high school commencement. Like Dr. Bob, when I think what it would be like for me to attend my commencement under Mormon symbols, or in a mosque, or in a Hindu temple, it would not be to my liking. If I am to have a high school commencement, I would have to be there. There are no alternatives except to stay away.

    Now require a Muslim, Hindu, etc. to have his commencement in a Christian place of worship and it would be the same thing. The judge was right and, while it would distress me greatly to make such a call, I would do the same thing if I were in her place.
     
  19. convicted1

    convicted1 Guest

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    Bro Ky,

    The thought that came to my mind is this:"Would it have been handled differently if had been in a synagouge(sp?)?? What if it were the "church" the islams, buddhists, muslims, etc used? I bet the judge would "okay" the graduation then.

    Willis
     
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