Federal court rules Wisconsin schools' graduations in church were unconstitutional

FoxNews.com ^ | July 23, 2012 | unattributed

[Hunton Peck]

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that two Wisconsin high schools violated the U.S. Constitution by holding graduations in a church -- among the most recent decisions in a long-running debate about the separation of church and state.

A three-judge panel from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September the schools did nothing wrong by hold graduation in Elmbrook Church, in the southeastern part of the state.

However, the full 7th Circuit reversed the panel, ruling Monday the ceremonies were unconstitutional and noting students were exposed to religious messages in the form of a giant cross that hung over the church's sanctuary and religious pamphlets on middle school and high school ministries and hymnals in the pews.

The case against the schools was filed by a group of anonymous students and parents, arguing the ceremonies violated church-state separation.

"This decision upholds the separation of...

[freekitty]

Most of them are cowards. That’s why they wear face masks.

[EternalVigilance]

Separate school and state. Before it is too late.

[SUSSA]

Separate school and state. Before it is too late.
####

You have cut to the core of the problem. If we had a capitalist, free market school industry instead of a single payer socialized school industry we wouldn’t have these problems.

[piasa]

I wonder if these modern-day Jacobins have come up with a rule mandating that cefeteria workers in schools may not cut a sandwich twice because that would make the sign of the cross on some kids' lunches, or made rules banning t-squares.

Next thing you know they will order the removal of square linoleum tiles from public buildings because of the thousands of crosses they form at their intersections, and replace them with something else. They're clearly not interested in the purpose of the constitution- to bind government, not to bind the people, censor them or to shield them from the ideas or symbols of others. If they truly believed in a separation of government from religion for the sake of preserving people's rights they would separate government from education so it could not impose any ideas and would leave us alone. It's clear they are interested only in eradicating Christianity and promoting their own religion of atheism instead, and by their manners have no respect or tolerance for anyone's beliefs except their own.

Reminds me of the communists in East Germany perpetually trying to cover the image of a cross on a what I guess was a water tower. Nothing they tried worked, it just kept reappearing. They could never grasp that their problem wasn't so much because it was a "flaw" in the water tower as it was a flaw in their own heads. Birds could fly by that tower and the ever-present symbol unperturbed, because they do not hate and have nothing to fear from any symbol; but the communists could not pass by it without it capturing their eyes. They kept seeing a cross no matter how much they painted over it; it was something they most feared and could not take their eyes off of it; it consumed them even though it could not even command so much reaction from a mere bird.

Unwittingly they themselves were the best advertisement that cross ever had because by relentlessly attacking the cross they kept drawing the attention of others to it- and to their own relative powerlessness. It might have gone wholly unnoticed, seen for the round water tower it was, but their hatred and persecution of it made it shine all the more.

Seems to me if they want to play that game then they may ultimately shed a lot of blood as did earlier revolutionaries, but they will lose; let them just try to eradicate religion when we can see God in everything, and everything a sign reminding us of faith in something higher than mere mortal men, who fear what even a sparrow need not shy from.

[Venturer]

It is astounding ——the ignorance of people who would bring forth a suit such as this.
Obviously the Church’s were used because they were large enough to seat the graduating students’.

Well: Next year they can hold their ceremony in the un-air conditioned football field and if it rain it’s tough jelly beans.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Other than home schooling and self schooling, George Washington’s only formal schooling was in church. He turned out better than OK, IMHO.

[afraidfortherepublic]

You are 100% right. Elmbrook Church is the largest building in town. The high school has nothing comparable. Elmbrook church is used for lots of things, other than church — concerts, etc.

If the high school were to hold graduation in their own building, the students would not be allowed to invite more than one, or two guests to graduation.

So, in order to accomodate guests at graduation, the townspeople will be forced to pony up lots of $$$ to build a huge hall which will stand empty most of the year — or to brave thunderstorms on the football field.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

the ceremonies were unconstitutional and noting students were exposed to religious messages in the form of a giant cross that hung over the church's sanctuary and religious pamphlets on middle school and high school ministries and hymnals in the pews.

If this isn't freedom FROM religion instead of freedom OF religion, then I'll never know what is.

[Venturer]

That isn’t too hard for sane people to understand is it?These people who filed this suit are turds with nothing better to do than cause trouble.

[RicocheT]

I guess the Penn State sanctions rule applies and all the diplomas back to 1999 are null and void. That won’t inconvenience anyone, right? Its come to the point crazy is more sensible than what judges say.