Obama: prayerful student groups on school property

[IndianaJones]

"Allowing the use of school property for meetings by voluntary student prayer groups should not be a threat, any more than its use by the high school Republican Club should threaten Democrats"

Barack Obama

[Missy M]

1. To me it would make sense to have.....

their prayer group meetings at the church.

[rodeodance]

4. anyplace but in the school.

[Occam Bandage]

12. Why would you restrict students' free-speech rights?

[Missy M]

18. The separation of church and state is the issue.

No one is saying you can't talk about religion or pray. I'm sure if a student wants to pray during school no one would object.

[Occam Bandage]

19. How is that threatened? Seriously. Explain exactly how

students voluntarily meeting after-hours to talk about religion and pray violates the establishment clause. No federal funding is going towards these activities, so the same argument that prevents teacher-led school prayer is not applicable.

It would also be helpful if you could explain how preventing students from meeting peaceably to discuss issues among themselves is not in violation of the first amendment.

[izzybeans]

2. Key word "voluntary"

where's the link?

[jefferson_dem]

3. Obama is right again.

Key word - "voluntary."

It's called "free exercise," "right to assemble," and "equal access."

Look them up.

Thanks for posting. :kick:

[HeraldSquare212]

5. Bill Clinton: I support that, too

It's become apparent that Clinton supporters don't know much about Hillary and Bill's positions on issues.

http://www.issues2000.org/Celeb/Bill_Clinton_Education.htm

Reasonable range of religious expression in schools

I signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was intended to protect a reasonable range of religious expression in public areas like schools and workplaces. The bill was designed to reverse a 1990 Supreme Court decision giving states more authority to regulate religious expression in such areas. America is full of people deeply committed to their very diverse faiths. I thought the bill struck the right balance between protecting their rights and the need for public order.
Source: My Life, by Bill Clinton, p.558 Jun 21, 2004

[jefferson_dem]

6. Oooopsie.

:spray:

[Occam Bandage]

10. It seems Clinton supporters have no interest in their own candidate's positions.

[rodeodance]

13. I know his position and this act, so please do not make assumptions: I can disagree

with the issue at hand.


.....It's become apparent that Clinton supporters don't know much about Hillary and Bill's positions on issues. .........

[Occam Bandage]

16. Why do you disagree with equal exercise of free speech and free assembly rights?

[MNDemNY]

7. So? this is tripe.

[bluestateguy]

8. Prayer is allowed in public schools

What is not allowed are prayer exercises that are led by the school's officers, or otherwise sanctioned by the school as a part of official school activities (classes, football games, commencements, etc.). If a group of students wishes to meet and pray on their own time on the campus, they are free to do so.

[Occam Bandage]

15. Absolutely. It's an issue of free speech and free assembly. To suggest that

students with an interest in art, debate, or politics could voluntarily meet like-minded students after-hours for discussion--but that religious students could not--would be rank discrimination.

[Occam Bandage]

9. So why would we have a problem with students deciding they want to engage in free speech?

[bigtree]

11. these groups are not a threat to anyone

anyone who has encountered these groups (individuals) meeting in the building after school can figure that out for themselves.

[mckeown1128]

14. Man the some of these anti-Obama threads are...

really getting crazy.

[Occam Bandage]

17. This is, I think, the silliest one yet. I like when they fall flat on their face like this one.