Posted on 01/17/2020 9:12:38 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The US Education Department is sending out memos to school leaders telling them that they cannot block students or teachers from praying in public. The plans were revealed on the same day as President Donald Trump welcomed to the Oval Office a group of Christian, Jewish and Muslim students who have experienced discrimination in schools.
They met the US President to mark National Religious Freedom Day on Thursday.
In an announcement, the White House said that the Trump administration was "taking action to further safeguard students' constitutionally protected right to pray in school".
The new federal guidance says that students are free to read from religious texts or pray outside of lessons. Furthermore, public schools risk funding if they are found to have violated the religious freedom of students.
"The update will help safeguard students' rights by giving education providers and students the most current information concerning prayer in public schools," the White House said.
"To receive Federal funds, local educational agencies must confirm that their policies do not prevent or interfere with the constitutionally-protected rights outlined in the guidance.
"The updated guidance will help improve individuals' ability to file a complaint if they are denied the ability to participate in protected religious expression.
"The new guidance makes clear that students can read religious texts or pray during recess and other non-instructional periods, organize prayer groups, and express their religious beliefs in their assignments."
The White House added that the administration was also changing the rules regulating religious organisations "to protect religious organizations from unfair and unequal treatment by the Federal government".
"The proposed rules would eliminate burdensome Obama-era requirements that unfairly imposed unique regulatory burdens only on religious organizations," it said.
Education secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement: "Our actions today will protect the constitutional rights of students, teachers, and faith-based institutions.
"The department's efforts will level the playing field between religious and non-religious organizations competing for federal grants, as well as protect First Amendment freedoms on campus and the religious liberty of faith-based institutions."
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins welcomed the news: "President Trump and his administration are taking on the bullies that have been intimidating school officials and bullying students with their often baseless lawsuits.
"No longer will students have to stand alone in the defense of their religious freedom as these anti-faith organizations seek to rob students in public schools of any form of religious expression."
You just know the Godless dems will go judge shopping for a Godless Liberal judge to put a hold on this EO.
Great. Now a crap load of Somalis will demand prayer rugs and loudspeakers to blast that annoying chat! Here’s a thought. Have Trump make teachers teach relevant things not based on theory, like math, reading and history as it really was.
[[Furthermore, public schools risk funding if they are found to have violated the religious freedom of students.]]
I think they meant to say they risk LOSING funding- This is great news- but you watch ,the left will scream that this is blackmail, and scream about the President threatening and busing his power to bully school officials- and amounts to ‘endorsing one religion over others’ somehow- But Trump I believe has rulings by the Supreme court to back him up on this- Noone can be denied their right to express their religious preferences in public- not even public or government employees- that is religious discrimination if they are prevented from doing so-
Our constitutions was set up to protect people from a government FORCING people to convert to a government run religion under penalty of the law if they refuse- what it was NOT set up for was to prevent government or anyone from expressing their religious beliefs in public or government settings-
The left have bastardized the constitution and it’s amendments to the point where they now claim it means that any mention of religion by a government employee or school official or whatever amounts to the government ‘endorsing’ one religion over all others- But heck0 even IF that were the case, which it is not- it still wouldn’t be unlawful to do- AS LONG AS the government doesn’t force people to convert under penalty of the law if they don’t- like we had to back in england in the day- that is what we escaped from- forced religion- and that is what the intent of the constitution was for- to prevent that forced religion
A government employee praying in a public place is NOT forcing anyone to convert under penalty of the law if they refuse- and the left knows this- but again, they have bastardized the const to such a degree that they now claim government if not allowed to ‘exclude anyone’ by expressing the beliefs of just one religion- they claim it ‘leaves people feeling isolated’
Well boo freakin hoo- Our constitution wasn’t set up to protect delicate feelings, it was set up to uphold inalienable rights- What about straight people when they are forced to sit through a gay lesson that goes against the beliefs of the straight person- or gay play in their school- doesn’t that qualify as excluding? I guess according to the left- some exclusions carry more weight than others?
The problem is that there are Somalis here who shouldn't be, not that our First Amendment rights.
Complaining about what Muzzies will or may now demand is the same type of argument the anti-2nd Amendment people make, "Great, now some redneck will have a fit of road rage and murder another driver for stopping on a caution light rather than flooring it and going on through".
Limit 2nd Amendment rights and save drivers, same line of reasoning.
Good.
Interesting perspective you offered.
I guess this is another example of the road to hell being paved by good intentions.
Incredible how we also provide prayer rugs and Korans to captured terrorists detained at Gitmo—while religious persecution keeps increasing around the globe.
They sure are sure of themselves. How long can that last with us here. Let the clock tick.
[[Great. Now a crap load of Somalis will demand prayer rugs]]
They already do, and they get them-
[[Here’s a thought. Have Trump make teachers teach]]
The teachers aren’t teaching prayer- they are simply praying themselves if they feel led to do so-
[[history as it really was.]]
History like when Christ was here on earth performing miracles being witnessed by the religious and irreligious alike and recorded in books and scrolls? His life wasn’t a ‘theory’ it was recorded Historical fact-
Trump wasn't supposed to happen. Herself was supposed to clamp down on prayer in school.
Thank God for President Trump.
*Yes, I know how to spell it. Just making fun of the media.
I CHEERED when I heard this yesterday!
Should not be. No equipment is needed to pray. bible has acounts of people praying in jail and thre jail cells likely not as nice/equiped as current day ones.
so, no items need to be provided to any person wanting to pray in school.
my concern is muslims or other belief kids or teachers claiming to need to pray at specific times - interupting or leaving class in that sense.
correction: i should have read full excerpt - Trump clearly states prayer allowed during non instructional period.
You mean stop teaching everything from ClimateChange Anthropogenic ClimateChange Armageddon to Gender Fluidity to atheistic evolution?
Cool. Read the koran out loud and let people hear what is actually in that vile, evil tome. Most people actually think it’s a holy book on par with the Bible.
Yes, which is why these new guidlines fail to articulate what is allowed vs. limits. Government used to generally affirm faith in and dependence upon and gratitude to a Creator (singular), and if anything specific, sometimes invoking the Christ of the Bible, for both reflected the general beliefs of the Founders overall and the people.
Which the government is to do, without requiring faith or instituting a particular state religion, nor making agnosticism or atheism the only acceptable position. Which is what the gov. does by not offering prayer, effectually conveying that it has no need of help from a creator or owes any gratitude to the same.
The gov. will always reflect belief, and which atheism is, and any expression or lack will offend someone, and thus a basic one should generally be, that of the general belief of the Founders and the states and people that ratified the Constitution. Which is why we (yet) have laws against polygamy, while secularism means most anything can be justified as Constitutional.
The key word here is VOLUNTARY and Non- coercion.
If students want to gather around a certain place (a flagpole for instance), and pray or study the Bible, the First Amendment guarantees that.
Blaring a prayer on the loudspeaker should not count because it forces a person who does not want to participate to hear it.
A Muslim who wants to face Mecca and pray can be given reasonable accomodations in a quiet place to do so.
A lot of quarrels in our society can be resolved peacefully using goodwill and common sense.
Excellent! The "assignments" issue is the most egregious attack on religion that the classroom communists propagandizing the children commit...
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