This Community Continues to Amaze Me
This community never ceases to amaze me. Everyone wants to refer to this area as a Christian Community. Yet what do I see? I see a community not only endorsing but encouraging their children to openly violate the civil rights of other citizens in this area thus violating the law and violating school board policy. So is this what it is to be a Christian? I just don’t see it. You ask yourselves, “What would Jesus do?” So, you think Jesus would advocate violating the law of the land? I guess then it is safe to say that you know a different Jesus than I do.
Are these acts of open public practicing of religious rites, namely praying, at public school sponsored events supposed to glorify God? Sorry, but they don’t. All they do is glorify those who perform these stage acts for their attending audiences. God is not glorified there. The God I know wants personal, private relationships with his followers. That is why he instructed his followers to pray to him in private. A personal and private conversation and relationship with his children is found in this manner. He taught us in the book of Matthew that those who pray as a public performance, such as these prayers being performed by these students at these public school sponsored events, have already received their reward. That reward being the grand rounds of applause and admiration of their public audiences. Sorry, but I don’t believe that you would find Jesus participating in an act designed to show disobedience to and disrespect of the law of the land. Like it or not these acts are hurtful to others. So, are these then the acts of Christians glorifying the Lord? No, I think not. So, that means they are simply acts of rebellion being staged against a lawsuit brought against the school board, schools and their faculty and staff, by certain students through the ACLU, and the ruling on this case by the United States Federal Court. These are acts then, which not only violate certain laws of the land, but also violate the teachings of Jesus. What a wonderful thing to teach and encourage our young people to do!
Is it, in a Christian community, considered fair and right that you force others to endure you practicing of your religious rites in a public forum? Is it fair and right to force some of your fellow graduating classmates to endure your arrogance, in order to participate in their own graduation ceremony, which they earned as much as you? Sorry but this attitude of, “if they don’t want to listen then don’t attend”, isn’t right, nor is it fair. It also doesn’t sound like the attitude that Jesus would adopt in this matter either.
The Jesus I came to know by reading the bible was a considerably different person than that which I see being put forth in the actions of those who now call themselves Christians. The Jesus I came to know didn’t go around endorsing violating the law of the land. I also don’t believe that if he disagreed with some particular law that he would advocate violating it to show your objections to it. I believe he would instead suggest that you go about seeking the change in that law that you desire, by using the procedures provided to do so in a lawful manner. Jesus was not a militant man as best I can tell and it seems to me that before he began his ministry he was a carpenter. He was a constructive man, not a destructive man. He was a peaceful, constructive, law abiding man. He wasn’t concerned with whether or not you could stand on a public stage and deliver a performance by praying before an audience. He didn’t try to force a captive audience into listening to his teachings. He wanted, or wants personal and private relationships with his willing followers. He traveled around the country side, teaching any who wanted to come to him and listen. This is the way he instructed his apostles as well. No captive audiences there like you have in a public school setting. You only had willing people interested in and desiring to hear their teachings. And these teachings were being held in a lawful manner and place.
I do not believe that it was the intent of the student’s who brought their lawsuit, to take away the rights of Christians. It would seem to me that they were only taking those steps necessary to protect their own rights. The Christian Community does not have the right to force others to endure their open, public practicing of their religious rites. Especially not at a state sponsored venue. A public high school graduation, being what it is, should also always be held as a public school sponsored event and therefore be free of having any one particular religious group’s rites being performed openly.
Pace may be a predominately Christian community. But that does not mean, nor does it give said Christian community the right to try to make a public school a Christian venue of worship and praise. If the Christian community desires a school that allows and encourages the practice of religious rites on campus then they should come together and build one. Well, I hope that I have given people something to think about here today. Only time will tell.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Stage Performance
Well here I am back again,
I would like to take the time now to address the graduation ceremony held recently at Pace High School for their graduating class of students. As we all know there was a recent U. S. Court decree handed down regarding a suit that was filed against several school officials here in Santa Rosa County, among them being the Pace High School principal Frank Lay. One of the primary issues addressed in this suit was regarding the open public performing of religious rites, namely praying.
Well, since this was ruled as being an act that violates certain student’s civil rights it was to be permanently banned at school as well as at school sponsored events, namely graduation ceremonies. So, what happened this year at the Pace High School graduation ceremony? You guessed it! A group of students separated themselves from the rest of the class and put on a stage performance! They showed their audiences that they could defy the court’s ruling by, in an act of rebellion, recite the “Lord’s Prayer”! Bravo! What a show! They received quite an arousing round of applause! Quite the show of being a true Christian!
Or was it? Who was glorified in that act of rebellion? Christ? I don’t think so. For one, he wouldn’t have performed such a blatant act of rebellion against the law of the land. That just isn’t in his teachings. Quite the opposite I believe. So just who was glorified in this act of defiance? Well, it would have to be the stage actors themselves I guess. So, was this then the act of Christians glorifying the Lord? No I guess not. So that means it was simply an act of rebellion against the suit brought against the school board, school and it’s faculty by the those students represented by the ACLU, (which they won by the way) and the ruling of the federal court. This was an act otherwise known as an act of disobedience.
I suppose maybe I misunderstood the bible years ago, (back when I still called myself a Christian) during the course of all my studies in it. I was always of the understanding that God wants personal and private relationships with his followers. I understood that it was his desire that when I would speak to him he wanted it to be a private matter, just between him and me. Thus, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”(Matthew 6: 6) Not the public stage type thing! Thus, “And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you they have their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5) This is what it sounds like happened that evening at Pace High School in the football stadium. You had a group of people stand “on stage” before and audience and perform the “Lord’s Prayer”. Sorry, they weren’t glorifying God, they were glorifying themselves. So, not only were they defying the law of the land, they were also defying the teachings of Jesus himself. So now I ask you, is this what it means to be a Christian today? It sounds like someone who is a Christian in name only. They are missing something within themselves; there is no Christ in them it would seem. He wouldn’t have been there, nor would he have taken part in their little show.
The Jesus I came to know by reading the bible was a considerably different person than that I see being put forth in the actions of those who now call themselves Christians. The Jesus I came to know didn’t go around endorsing violating the law of the land. I also don’t believe that if he disagreed with some particular law that he would advocate violating it to show your objections to it. I believe he would instead suggest that you go about seeking the change that you desired in that law, by using the procedures provided to do so, in a lawful manner. Jesus was not a militant man as best I can tell, seems to me that before he began his ministry he was a carpenter. He was a constructive man, not a destructive man. He was a peaceful, constructive law abiding man. He wasn’t concerned with whether or not you could stand and make a public spectacle of yourself by praying before an audience. He didn’t try to force a captive audience into listening to his teachings. He wanted, or wants personal and private relationships with his willing followers. He traveled around the country side teaching any who wanted to come to him and listen. This is the way he instructed his apostles as well. No captive audiences there like you have in a public school setting. You only had willing people interested in and desiring to hear their teachings. And these teachings were being held in a lawful manner and place.
Well, I hope that I have given people something to think about here today. Only time will tell.
I would like to take the time now to address the graduation ceremony held recently at Pace High School for their graduating class of students. As we all know there was a recent U. S. Court decree handed down regarding a suit that was filed against several school officials here in Santa Rosa County, among them being the Pace High School principal Frank Lay. One of the primary issues addressed in this suit was regarding the open public performing of religious rites, namely praying.
Well, since this was ruled as being an act that violates certain student’s civil rights it was to be permanently banned at school as well as at school sponsored events, namely graduation ceremonies. So, what happened this year at the Pace High School graduation ceremony? You guessed it! A group of students separated themselves from the rest of the class and put on a stage performance! They showed their audiences that they could defy the court’s ruling by, in an act of rebellion, recite the “Lord’s Prayer”! Bravo! What a show! They received quite an arousing round of applause! Quite the show of being a true Christian!
Or was it? Who was glorified in that act of rebellion? Christ? I don’t think so. For one, he wouldn’t have performed such a blatant act of rebellion against the law of the land. That just isn’t in his teachings. Quite the opposite I believe. So just who was glorified in this act of defiance? Well, it would have to be the stage actors themselves I guess. So, was this then the act of Christians glorifying the Lord? No I guess not. So that means it was simply an act of rebellion against the suit brought against the school board, school and it’s faculty by the those students represented by the ACLU, (which they won by the way) and the ruling of the federal court. This was an act otherwise known as an act of disobedience.
I suppose maybe I misunderstood the bible years ago, (back when I still called myself a Christian) during the course of all my studies in it. I was always of the understanding that God wants personal and private relationships with his followers. I understood that it was his desire that when I would speak to him he wanted it to be a private matter, just between him and me. Thus, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”(Matthew 6: 6) Not the public stage type thing! Thus, “And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you they have their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5) This is what it sounds like happened that evening at Pace High School in the football stadium. You had a group of people stand “on stage” before and audience and perform the “Lord’s Prayer”. Sorry, they weren’t glorifying God, they were glorifying themselves. So, not only were they defying the law of the land, they were also defying the teachings of Jesus himself. So now I ask you, is this what it means to be a Christian today? It sounds like someone who is a Christian in name only. They are missing something within themselves; there is no Christ in them it would seem. He wouldn’t have been there, nor would he have taken part in their little show.
The Jesus I came to know by reading the bible was a considerably different person than that I see being put forth in the actions of those who now call themselves Christians. The Jesus I came to know didn’t go around endorsing violating the law of the land. I also don’t believe that if he disagreed with some particular law that he would advocate violating it to show your objections to it. I believe he would instead suggest that you go about seeking the change that you desired in that law, by using the procedures provided to do so, in a lawful manner. Jesus was not a militant man as best I can tell, seems to me that before he began his ministry he was a carpenter. He was a constructive man, not a destructive man. He was a peaceful, constructive law abiding man. He wasn’t concerned with whether or not you could stand and make a public spectacle of yourself by praying before an audience. He didn’t try to force a captive audience into listening to his teachings. He wanted, or wants personal and private relationships with his willing followers. He traveled around the country side teaching any who wanted to come to him and listen. This is the way he instructed his apostles as well. No captive audiences there like you have in a public school setting. You only had willing people interested in and desiring to hear their teachings. And these teachings were being held in a lawful manner and place.
Well, I hope that I have given people something to think about here today. Only time will tell.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Another Observation
Friday, 8:38 a.m.
This is Jessie from Pace. I would like to talk about this stuff going on about the schools. The two students who filed the lawsuit. They will have to answer for there’s later. But what they messed up on is when they took God out of the classroom. Now students are taking sexual photos of themselves on the bus and they bust out peoples windows. God bless Frank Lay. The two cowards need to be rain out of the country on a split rail.
Silver Wolf’s reply:
Hello Jessie from Pace who called in your response. I agree with you! We are truly blessed to have Frank Lay! Without him our children wouldn’t be taught that it is alright to violate people’s civil rights without concern for punishment. Without him as a roll model setting the example showing that there isn’t anyone else out there other than themselves that should be considered in our actions what would our children do? No doubt about it! Without his Christian leadership our children might well be lost! Thank God for Frank Lay!
These posts can be viewed on the Santa Rosa Press Gazette’s web site on their Speak Out- June 3, 2009 page.
This is Jessie from Pace. I would like to talk about this stuff going on about the schools. The two students who filed the lawsuit. They will have to answer for there’s later. But what they messed up on is when they took God out of the classroom. Now students are taking sexual photos of themselves on the bus and they bust out peoples windows. God bless Frank Lay. The two cowards need to be rain out of the country on a split rail.
Silver Wolf’s reply:
Hello Jessie from Pace who called in your response. I agree with you! We are truly blessed to have Frank Lay! Without him our children wouldn’t be taught that it is alright to violate people’s civil rights without concern for punishment. Without him as a roll model setting the example showing that there isn’t anyone else out there other than themselves that should be considered in our actions what would our children do? No doubt about it! Without his Christian leadership our children might well be lost! Thank God for Frank Lay!
These posts can be viewed on the Santa Rosa Press Gazette’s web site on their Speak Out- June 3, 2009 page.
Observations of others views on the subject of prayer in public schools
Sunday, 9 a.m.
Yes, this is Lynn. I would like to congratulate Pace for standing up for what they believe in. Good luck to you and I appreciate the great job you did at your graduation. The two who wanted to cause all of this mess you should have been home schooled and not caused this mess or not go to school at all.
Silver Wolf's reply:
Hello Lynn who called in your response. What a wonderful thing to say about those children. You are right! They absolutely have no rights whatsoever in this country. They should be banned from attending public school! I mean really who do they think they are? What a beautiful example of being a Christian!
These posts can be viewed at the Santa Rosa Press Gazette’s web site on their Speak Out- June 3, 2009 page.
Yes, this is Lynn. I would like to congratulate Pace for standing up for what they believe in. Good luck to you and I appreciate the great job you did at your graduation. The two who wanted to cause all of this mess you should have been home schooled and not caused this mess or not go to school at all.
Silver Wolf's reply:
Hello Lynn who called in your response. What a wonderful thing to say about those children. You are right! They absolutely have no rights whatsoever in this country. They should be banned from attending public school! I mean really who do they think they are? What a beautiful example of being a Christian!
These posts can be viewed at the Santa Rosa Press Gazette’s web site on their Speak Out- June 3, 2009 page.
Prayer at and in Public Schools/ revised and expanded edition
Well hello again,
As I mentioned in the earlier post on this subject, I may return and pound on it some more. Well, here I am again. I knew that I had left some thoughts unmentioned so I wanted to try to get them out there a little better this time. This subject is a really big one for me and it bothers me at my core. So please forgive the fact that I just took my original post and revised and expanded on it. So here we go:
Here in my local area there has recently been a “flap” caused regarding, among other things, the practicing of religion and religious rites at and in a public high school. The high school involved in the above mentioned flap, Pace High School in Pace, Florida. My opinion regarding this subject is quite plain and straight forward, and I feel very strongly about this one. The open public practicing of religion and religious rites has absolutely no place in or at public schools or public school sponsored functions.
It is my opinion that the separation of church and state is a good thing. I feel that our country's founding fathers had the right idea regarding this premise. Our founding fathers wanted this country to welcome and allow all faiths to have the right to practice their chosen faith without having another’s faith imposed upon them in any manner.
Now, what do we find happening right here in Pace, Florida, and specifically at Pace High School? We find the Christian citizens of the area imposing their chosen faith upon the rest of the citizens and students who attend that school and its functions. The faculty and administration, it would appear, support this violation of the non-Christian peoples civil rights. Therefore, the Santa Rosa County School Board supports the teaching of the students in its school system that it is quite alright to ignore the law, recent court rulings and violate people’s civil rights. Now I would like to think that this is not truly the case. However, in the apparent absence of action being taken by the school board then the message that is sent to the public at large is that this is accepted practice. Not to mention the fact that our own Mr. Wryosdick, the Santa Rosa County School Board Superintendent, was present at the Pace High School graduation ceremony and thus witnessed in person a blatant violation of a court’s order. It was the faculty’s duty, to at the very least, make an attempt to stop students from violating the court’s decree. No such attempt was made. So what is the message sent to the students here? Simply put; it is alright to violate the law if you don’t agree with it. It is alright to violate another’s civil rights if you want to. There are no repercussions that need to be considered or worried about. The only person here that needs to be considered is you. What a great lesson to teach!
Now, with that said; perhaps since the school board can't seem to get the school's administration to abide by the law of the land, as well as recent court rulings, (thus students and citizens who attend this school and it’s functions continue to have their civil rights violated) perhaps they should all just be fired and hire people who can do the job while abiding by the courts rules and protecting every ones civil rights. This would be fine by me.
Some people even say that because the majority of the people here are "Christians" they should be able to practice their religious rites at the school. You know! Majority Rules! Sounds like we are getting pretty close to; well, since the "majority" of us here are "Christians" we should require everyone here to be a Christian and practice Christian religious rites. Isn't that getting pretty close to why our founding fathers and their families left England? They were being forced to endure religious oppression. So now at Pace High School, if you aren't a Christian, because the "majority" is, you have to endure their oppression and suffer through their religious rites being forced upon you. My how we have evolved! This is what it means to be "Christian".
I observed this trend some years ago and have to admit that it made me feel very ashamed. I was so ashamed that I have no longer claimed to be a Christian myself and no longer attend what was my Baptist church. I do not wish to be associated with people who show such a blatant disregard for the rights of others just because they may be in the minority. I do not feel that they properly represent what their lord Jesus tried to teach. I cannot believe that he would condone the type of behavior and religious oppression that I am seeing being forced upon the student body at Pace High School. I further find it very troubling that the faculty and staff of Pace High School are obviously condoning, and possibly even encouraging this behavior and religious oppression.
Some will question the use of the word “forced”. There is a fairly simple way to justify this. If you have a child who enjoys and wants to participate in say, band, but that child is offended by having to endure a Christian prayer, then yes, they are “forced” to have to choose whether or not they should take and participate in band. I ask you, is that fair? I mean, this is supposed to be a school that is “public” and in which this issue is not supposed to even be a problem!
If you want your children to be permitted to practice their religion and its rites at their school, then send them to a parochial school. The public school system, funded by state and federal money, is not the place for the practice of religion and religious rites.
Well, I suppose that I vented enough regarding this subject again for the time being. I do however still reserve the right to address this again later if I should feel the need! Thanks for hanging around long enough to get to the end!
As I mentioned in the earlier post on this subject, I may return and pound on it some more. Well, here I am again. I knew that I had left some thoughts unmentioned so I wanted to try to get them out there a little better this time. This subject is a really big one for me and it bothers me at my core. So please forgive the fact that I just took my original post and revised and expanded on it. So here we go:
Here in my local area there has recently been a “flap” caused regarding, among other things, the practicing of religion and religious rites at and in a public high school. The high school involved in the above mentioned flap, Pace High School in Pace, Florida. My opinion regarding this subject is quite plain and straight forward, and I feel very strongly about this one. The open public practicing of religion and religious rites has absolutely no place in or at public schools or public school sponsored functions.
It is my opinion that the separation of church and state is a good thing. I feel that our country's founding fathers had the right idea regarding this premise. Our founding fathers wanted this country to welcome and allow all faiths to have the right to practice their chosen faith without having another’s faith imposed upon them in any manner.
Now, what do we find happening right here in Pace, Florida, and specifically at Pace High School? We find the Christian citizens of the area imposing their chosen faith upon the rest of the citizens and students who attend that school and its functions. The faculty and administration, it would appear, support this violation of the non-Christian peoples civil rights. Therefore, the Santa Rosa County School Board supports the teaching of the students in its school system that it is quite alright to ignore the law, recent court rulings and violate people’s civil rights. Now I would like to think that this is not truly the case. However, in the apparent absence of action being taken by the school board then the message that is sent to the public at large is that this is accepted practice. Not to mention the fact that our own Mr. Wryosdick, the Santa Rosa County School Board Superintendent, was present at the Pace High School graduation ceremony and thus witnessed in person a blatant violation of a court’s order. It was the faculty’s duty, to at the very least, make an attempt to stop students from violating the court’s decree. No such attempt was made. So what is the message sent to the students here? Simply put; it is alright to violate the law if you don’t agree with it. It is alright to violate another’s civil rights if you want to. There are no repercussions that need to be considered or worried about. The only person here that needs to be considered is you. What a great lesson to teach!
Now, with that said; perhaps since the school board can't seem to get the school's administration to abide by the law of the land, as well as recent court rulings, (thus students and citizens who attend this school and it’s functions continue to have their civil rights violated) perhaps they should all just be fired and hire people who can do the job while abiding by the courts rules and protecting every ones civil rights. This would be fine by me.
Some people even say that because the majority of the people here are "Christians" they should be able to practice their religious rites at the school. You know! Majority Rules! Sounds like we are getting pretty close to; well, since the "majority" of us here are "Christians" we should require everyone here to be a Christian and practice Christian religious rites. Isn't that getting pretty close to why our founding fathers and their families left England? They were being forced to endure religious oppression. So now at Pace High School, if you aren't a Christian, because the "majority" is, you have to endure their oppression and suffer through their religious rites being forced upon you. My how we have evolved! This is what it means to be "Christian".
I observed this trend some years ago and have to admit that it made me feel very ashamed. I was so ashamed that I have no longer claimed to be a Christian myself and no longer attend what was my Baptist church. I do not wish to be associated with people who show such a blatant disregard for the rights of others just because they may be in the minority. I do not feel that they properly represent what their lord Jesus tried to teach. I cannot believe that he would condone the type of behavior and religious oppression that I am seeing being forced upon the student body at Pace High School. I further find it very troubling that the faculty and staff of Pace High School are obviously condoning, and possibly even encouraging this behavior and religious oppression.
Some will question the use of the word “forced”. There is a fairly simple way to justify this. If you have a child who enjoys and wants to participate in say, band, but that child is offended by having to endure a Christian prayer, then yes, they are “forced” to have to choose whether or not they should take and participate in band. I ask you, is that fair? I mean, this is supposed to be a school that is “public” and in which this issue is not supposed to even be a problem!
If you want your children to be permitted to practice their religion and its rites at their school, then send them to a parochial school. The public school system, funded by state and federal money, is not the place for the practice of religion and religious rites.
Well, I suppose that I vented enough regarding this subject again for the time being. I do however still reserve the right to address this again later if I should feel the need! Thanks for hanging around long enough to get to the end!
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