One Christian who fought back.

I'm not a christian.

 

Mostly, it's funded by Christian tax payers, I presume.

Not like there's anything special or unique about that.

 

If I understand your point (I'm guilty quite often of not understanding people), and you really believe it, and aren't using "sarcasm", then your lack of understanding in hermeneutics is truly astounding, for and ordained minister. I would expect this from someone who hasn't taken hermeneutics, but not an ordained minister.

 

who else believes in Satan?

 

I think there might be a differentiation here between hermeneutics and the requirement to keep state and church separate.

Having said that, although I am confirmed agnostic and while not anti-religious wish to live free of the influence of religion, I sometimes wonder why official America gets its knickers in a twist over religion and schooling. No doubt there are very good historical and contemporary reasons for the policy and far be it from me to critique it seeing as I lack the understanding that living in a society bestows on people who grow up knowing the nuances. I think he was a cheeky little bugger, not brave and not principled; as Margot has pointed out the area appears to be quite fond of Christianity so he wasn't going to be lynched for his prayer, but as has been pointed out by others, if he had begun a non-Christian prayer he may well have ended up in big strife. Now that would have taken some guts.

Nope, the kid has shown himself to be unable to comply with a simple request that millions of other Americans have had to comply with over the years. That's mere self-indulgence.

 

I'm an agnostic who believes that Christians should feel free to be Christians in public and not just in private. There is no such thing as an undercover Christian.

 

Jesus said not to be a hypocrite that prays in public then does not at all worship God in his privet life as his public prayers creat a false immage but instead be real and when you pray in privet God recognizes you do.

 

If seperation of church an state was the point, then comparing it to Jesus makes absolutely no sense.

Now, as for the yound man who repeated the Lord's prayer, he was just being rebellious as most teens are, a bit idealistic. As for the "guts" of the matter, I disagree. Had he done a "muslim" prayer, no doubt many people of the left wing establishment would have come to his defense, but being a christian prayer, it brought the right wing establishment to his defense, so "guts" is clearly in the eye of the beholder. The "area" is christian, granted, but the national platform that he ended up being on, has taken it out of the "area". As for your assertion that he lacked "principles", I disagree, in fact he was just exercising his freedom of speech. As well as I remember, I also supported the atheist in chesterfield, so I see both sides of the "theistic" issue.

 

...the man...

 

I'll agree with the "tax payers" part...
Why you would want to quantify tax payers as Christians is a mystery.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah, 'cause it's the state's involvement in schooling that's the problem, not the inability of people to leave their religion at the door...

 

He never said one prayer in public? Are you sure about that? He said to not be like the Pharisees and was addressing their self righteousness and long public prayers in which they glorified themselves.

 

When I quote Bible verses, it's always at Christians who haven't read the bible.

The following is from the Book of Matthew

6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

If more Christians would read the bible, there would be less Christians.

 

Oh course that is not true at all and in fact the same right wing nuts who are praising the student have already said that would be wrong. The thing is there are rules for the speech and he decided that he was above the rules. That makes his prayer invalid in the eyes of God and blasphemy.

Perhaps the schools should have a rule that no devout students can give the address because obviously they can't be trusted...

 

The right wing ni=uts have said "what" would be wrong?

Also what verse are you using to support that breaking the rules of a "secular" or government institution, would be "invalid in the eyes of God", and or "blasphemy"?

 

But illiteracy was high. If we as a country want to compete globally, we need many educated individuals. Unless you want to import all the smart folks.

 

You profess to know the mind of God and are able to judge what He sees as invalid and blasphemy?

 

no I believe the poster who keeps showing what Jesus said about such things makes it pretty clear....should we delve into that more?

 

That IMO is an absolutely foolish statement. Unless of course your brush is so broad that everyone who disagrees with you is considered LW. Sure some far out there might have, but what you fail to see is, most LW would condemn him for doing it in the public setting regardless of a specific religions prayer. LWers aren't for muslims and against christians. Unless the LWer is muslim.

 

Yes, please do.

 

OK, maybe I misspoke, would it be better to say that some people would call it brave if it was a muslim prayer, and some people call it brave since its christian, so the "guts" is in the eye of the beholder? Is that better?

 

Praying in a church isn't quite the same as praying in public. Churches are buildings whose explicit purpose is for prayer and worship. A high school is not.

 

is a church not public?

 

It's a public place where you would be expected to see prayer and things dealing with God. By your logic, a sport's arena is a public place as well, but there's a difference between playing a game of hockey in a sport's arena and playing it in the middle of the street. One is a place meant for that, one is not. Same deal here. Churches are places(aside from homes and private buildings) where prayer belongs. High schools are not.

 

so can he be sued or arrested?

 

Oh I'm not saying that. Saying a prayer at a high school graduation is hardly something a person should get arrested for. Maybe he could be sued, maybe not, but if he was it would be a frivolous spiteful lawsuit and I don't agree with those.

I'm just saying that prayer belongs at home, not in schools, and the administration was right to get rid of prayer at the ceremonies.