Posted on 07/11/2005 11:13:58 AM PDT by Terriergal
That would probably have been fine with everyone. *sigh*
I see no reason to bow to his religious points of view and certainly see no reason for the state to enforce them.
ping!
So when are those government buildings with all the religous messages in the architecture going to be condemned?
If the people want religious endorsement, for some reason, then the 'government of the people, by the people, for the people' doesn't seem to matter.
I thought the First Amendment did away with these control freaks when it came to religion, but apparantly it didn't.
Some people have too much time on their hands. *sigh*
Asked about the issue on Tuesday, Marietta school board members said they were unaware that the bench with its "Jesus Loves You!" message even existed at the school until Bernknopf questioned it.
This part I did think was pretty funny. The bench is out in front of the school and the school board members never noticed it before??
This guy is an idiot!
It's pronounced "hey-zeus" not "gee-zuss"
There, no problemo!
Just reaching out to the Latin-American population in Texas!
R3
The polically correct are creating a religious underground.
I'll bet if it said "Allah" or "Satan" loves you, this woman never would have said word.
I hope the local community shuns this busy body - big time! She's earned it.
No surprise here that a former producer for CNN would be offended by the notion that "Jesus loves you." How inoffensive is that statement? And since the sign is paid for by private funds, there's a question here of whether individuals' freedom to speak violates some doofus's "freedom not to be offended."
I consider myself a Christian woman, but think that bench as described in the article has no business at the entrance to the school. It is very different if a student has a visible locker with a religious bumper sticker, or a security guard has something personal and religious at his desk by the door.
That school is a PUBLIC school, NOT a religious school, and certainly many people who don't believe in Jesus will pass through. It certainly sounds like it is being made to look like it was placed there by some official act.
I don't think this is at all like including timely religious songs in a seasonal school concert. I have no problem with that. But this bench is an "in your face" religious demonstration by a group trying to circumvent the constitution's intent. I for one don't want to see "Jesus loves you", "Allah loves you", "Moses loves you" or "Confucious loves you" in an official looking place in my kids' PUBLIC schools.
"But he said his stance on the bench will depend on the legal opinion provided by the school system"
He doesn't even have an opinion yet..
"I think its best at this point to give them to opportunity to figure out where they stand," Bernknopf said.
Because as soon as they do, then he'll know where he stands..
The left wing communist groups are giving it their best try. They want Government to be God - and they'll do by force if necessary. It's their anti-Christ jihad (sound familiar?).
The don't have to obey our laws. Our laws are just for the unwashed, tax enslaved peasants.
Here's my crazy idea about how not to be offended by the Jesus Loves You bench- don't look at the bench.
I know..I know, it's revolutionary, but that's the kind of gal I am.
Since when is telling someone JESUS LOVES YOU offensive? What is wrong nowadays with uplifting someone by letting them know that there is a God who loves them? With all that's going on in the world today, a bit of good cheer never hurt anyone.
"But he said his stance on the bench will depend on the legal opinion provided by the school system about the bench's presence at the school."
Hmm. Isn't that interesting. This producer can't yet indicate if he thinks it is ok or not ok? He needs someone to look at the law so he can discern whether there is something gruesomely offensive about a bench with the saying, "Jesus loves you" on it?
Well, he was a CNN producer. Brains and intellect don't seem to be a job requirement there.
I'm not at all surprised MHS has a "Jesus Loves You!" bench on their campus. When I was there there were Jesus posters and stickers and flyers all over the place. The student body at MHS was/is overwhelmingly Christian from degrees ranging from very religious to those who go along with all the Christian activities just to be social. When I was there, there was a lot of peer pressure to join in specifically Christian extracurricular groups such as FCA and Young Life. Young Life in particular attracted a lot of kids who were more interested in having a place to hook up before going out to get drunk. People who didn't take part or at least pretend to take part in all of this were actually teased and said to be weird. I was an agnostic bordering on atheist in high school (no more - long story) and so I was pretty much one of those outcasts. I didn't care though - in fact, I took it as a kind of badge of honor. I never really resented it because it wasn't a position the school itself took. Teachers and admins there were quite even-handed. All the pressure came from the kids themselves.
I can't help but think it's funny that some liberal is now challenging the school's status quo. That's definitely a new experience for MHS. Sounds like the school board is going to handle it in a reasonable fashion, but the God Squad contingency is not going to be happy if that bench is removed or even moved from its place at the front.
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