Teacher's Aide Given One-Year Suspension for Wearing Cross

AgapePress ^ | April 29, 2003 | Jim Brown and Pat Centner

[cake_crumb]

"Besides, Jesus told us not to flout ourselves; when we wanted to pray to Him we should go in private to do so."

BS. That's not why people wear religious symbols. I've worn a cross all of my life, and would fight ANYONE who tried to make me take it off.

If she'd been wearing a pentagram or symbol of Shiva, the school system probably wouldn't have noticed. Or cared.

[Hodar]

Some people can't see Christianity, because the cross get's in their way. Christ had some choice words and opinions about the moneychangers in the temple, and the pharisees who would publically (and only publically) make a big show of their religion. This case is the same.

She was warned, but she thought that the rules only apply to everyone else. Not all schools have these rules, but hers did. If she can bring the cross, then others can bring the gang-colors, pot-emblems, satanic sybols, Islamic, Jewish, Buddist, Hindu, Wiccan, ect, ect. And instead of teaching the subjects at hand, everyone can fight about who's religion is correct, and how everyone else is going to hell.

[Gorzaloon]

ARIN Intermediate Unit 28, an educational service agency located in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, claims Brenda Nichol's unwillingness to remove her cross is a violation of its policy prohibiting teachers from wearing religious items.

AND IF SHE WERE WEARIng a veil or headcovering or burkah???

WHAT THEN?

HUH?

WELL????

[sinkspur]

As a business owner, if I told one of my employess that they could not wear a Cross, Star of David or alike and then fired them for it....I would be subject to both civil and criminal prosecution...

Actually, you wouldn't. Southwest Airlines fired a flight attendant for wearing a cross, carrying a bible and talking about her beliefs while at work, and the firing was upheld in court.

An Arlington, Texas, police officer was fired for adding a cross to his uniform. He was asked to remove it, would not, was fired. His firing was upheld last month by the US Supreme Court.

No one has the right to wear whatever they want, ESPECIALLY in a private business, especially in a right-to-work state.

[Hodar]

No one had a problem when Madonna wore one.

Madonna doesn't teach class at this school. The school has rules, and rules apply to everyone. Or, are Christians 'special' as the rules that apply to everyone else, don't apply to them?

[Khepera]

thats because Christians will not kill you if you persecute them. Muslems will however.

[sinkspur]

If I have to stare at someone wearing a pentagon or a power bracelet, let them stare at my miraculous metal

You shouldn't have to stare at anything but the front of the classroom and what is being taught there.

If it were up to me, ALL schools would require uniforms, sans decoration of any kind.

[3rdgrademafia]

"Besides, Jesus told us not to flout ourselves; when we wanted to pray to Him we should go in private to do so."

Question…Where did Jesus say that we should pray in private? I don’t see praying in public as “flouting”.

[annyokie]

Jesus was no peacenik and wasn't a showboater, either. The story of the moneychangers and Jesus throwing them out of the temple is one of my favorites.

This woman deserves the discipinary action she got after two written warnings.

Rules are rules.

[RJCogburn]

I personally have no problem with her cross-wearing but

Teacher's Aide Given One-Year Suspension for Wearing Cross

is simply a misleading disingenuous title.

A more accurate title would be

Teacher's Aide Given One-Year Suspension for Violating School Policy

[annyokie]

In one of the gospels, Jesus admonishes the Pharasees and tells the faithful to pray in their closet. I'll try to google it for you.

[sinkspur]

Question…Where did Jesus say that we should pray in private? I don’t see praying in public as “flouting”.

The parable of the Publican and the Pharisee in John's Gospel.

Prayer-in-schools or at athletic events falls into the same category. Allow for a period of silence, so that each student can pray or reflect.

But no public prayers, please.

All that stuff is about agendas, and agendas don't belong in the education environment.

[I'm ALL Right!]

Yep, You're right. Still applies, though

[Travis McGee]

ping

[nevergore]

The SW Airlines flight attendant was preaching her beliefs at her business(not protected).

The police officer was out of uniform by adding the cross to his uniform(not protected).

If the flight attendant and the police officer wore a cross around their neck (not part of their uniform) and did not preach, then they could not have been fired IMHO....

However, this was the case with the teacher....she was fired for just wearing the cross around her neck....

Nor was this a safety issue such as loose jewlery around dangerous equipment....An employer can restrict all necklaces for that reason....Compliance with OSHA & state law...not religious specific...

BTW, Right to work doesn't mean as an employer that you can fire someone and abridge their rights....I could fire an employee wearing a cross, as long as I didn't state that as the reason for dismissal. In fact, most right to work states, do not require the employer to state a reason for dismissal.

In the case of the teacher, the school administration warned,counseled, and clearly stated the reason for dismissal both verbally and written....

NeverGore

[Grymskull]

Unless that policy is in direct violation of the First Amendment...

'The Free Exercise Clause . . . withdraws from legislative power, state and federal, the exertion of any restraint on the free exercise of religion. Its purpose is to secure religious liberty in the individual by prohibiting any invasions there by civil authority.''

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment01/05.html#1

[cake_crumb]

"So you're all in favor of Satanic symbols or Gaia or animal-worship manifestations in your child's classroom?"

Tell us all the truth sink: do you, or does ANYONE honestly believe the religious gastapo in charge of our schools can identify any but the most common (to our former culture) religious symbols? If they can't identify a religious symbol....how can they police it, even if they were really as impartial as you seem to belive them to be.

They are NOT as impartial as you seem to believe them to be: some elementary schools cancelled Thanksgiving (a non religious celebration of our own former culture) lunch in school last year, so as not to offend the sensibilities of MUSLIM students during RAMADAN (a month long religious undertaking) Sounds like that seperation of church and state stuff only applies to most of us.

[Gunrunner2]

>>Does this also mean no Muslim head attire, berkas, etc..? <<

No. You see, those are protected symbols of a religion of peace..A Cross or a Star are not. Get it? (I don't, but that seems to be the way things work.)

[RJCogburn]

My purpose was not to argue the First Amendment, but to point out the misleading, disingenuous nature of the headline. It evidenced an agenda. It is poor journalism.

[ZULU]

The conservatives in PA should use this cross issue to crucify the current DemocRATic governor when he runs for re-election.