Man-oh-man there are some good ones there! I especially got a good chuckle from Mark Twain's! I love that guy! What a wit! Thanks for the laugh!
There are two things that George, Herbert (and many religious conservatives) doesn't seem to understand: 1. Contraception used effectively (education in the use of contraception helps in its effective use), is much more successful in preventing teen pregnancy than prayer. 2. School kids are not prevented from praying in schools, if it is the student's initiative....the Constitution forbids adults(teachers, coaches, school board members, administrators or anyone with any governmental office) from leading and organising institutionally conducted prayer fests. George's comment only serves to demonstrate his ignorance of the Constitution that he swore to uphold whilst in office as POTUS. Edit: 3. School kids in non-government schools may be able to pray all day in their schools if they wish (and if it conforms to school policy and practice)...there is no Constitutional limitation on private schools as far as prayer is concerned. George Herbert (and the meme creator) don't seem make that distinction.
And if Teachers understood that as well, you would not have teachers flipping out because Tommy is praying before a test. They have been known to start hysterics when a small group of diners choose to pray before a meal. It is no body else's business.
Agreed, whether or not, a student chooses to pray, or stand for the oath of a allegiance, is nobody's business but the person whose decision it is to make. Unfortunately, sometimes, children follow their parents' lead, and make a federal issue of things that they have no right to pursue with those who chose not to conform to "custom" or "tradition". As a person, at one time who, like Tommy, used to pray before tests, I found out empirically, that there was no substitute for actual study, application and preparation. Prayer alone yielded results no better than random chance (or worse). Seeing a group of small diners choosing to pray, would be of no concern to me....seeing a group of small diners coercing other small diners into joining them might be a concern. When voluntary school prayer becomes involuntary school prayer, that should be a concern for believers and non-believers alike. Students should not feel intimidated into participating in religious observances through peer pressure or student bullying. Jennifer Ahlquist, Kalei Wilson, Damon Fowler, and others, have experienced the kind of push back that comes when adults (and their fundamentalist spawn) don't themselves embrace and apply the guiding principles of the Constitution that they may claim to venerate. Jessica Ahlquist - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Christians bully teen into closing atheist club Damon Fowler http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/atheist-student-pledge-of-allegiance_n_5399090.html?section=Australia Teacher Sued After Punishing Second-Grader for Being an Atheist
The diners in question, were told to stop, not because of any coercion, but because others could HEAR them. That is wrong.
Not knowing which school and which incident you are referring to, it's difficult to get a handle on what the actual circumstances were. I have referenced particular incidents in my earlier post. If you are referring to Pine Creek high School, Colorado, then it may not perhaps be as clear cut as may be suggested.
