Well, that time of year is upon us again - unfortunately, more and more it's 'that time of year' - time to silence Christians and (gulp) Christmas!
It appears that a Christian church in Little Rock, AK was presenting a matinee production of "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown" which students from Terry Elementary School were planning to attend as a 'field-day' trip. This trip was strictly voluntary and letters were sent home explaining the purpose of the trip. A (meaning ONE) parent objected to the field trip and contacted the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers which is - you guessed it - a 'self-described community of atheists, agnostics and humanists'. Well, why not!!
Anne Orsi, attorney and vice-president of the organization said, "The problem is that it's got religious content and it's being performed in a religious venue and that doesn't just blur the line between church and state -- it oversteps it entirely". She (Orsi) also said the 'concerned parent' didn't want to be identified. Ultimately, the church cancelled the matinee performance so as to avoid any legal ramifications that might attach to the school board.
The above is a summarized version of the incident; however, a copy of the letter from the Appignani Humanist Legal Center to the Principal of Terry Elementary School and to Dr. Morris Holmes, Superintendent of the Little Rock School District was ultimately published in the Arkansas Times and some of its content is the actual core of this post.
Let's begin with this statement:
"The American Humanist Association is a national nonprofit organization with over 10,000 members and 20,000 supporters across the country, including in Arkansas. The purpose of AHA's legal center is to protect one of the most fundamental legal principles of our democracy: the constitutional mandate requiring separation of church and state, embodied in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment." [emphasis mine]
Well, I've looked high and low and in every copy of the Constitution I have and NOWHERE did I read in the First Amendment a mandate with the specific wording "separation of church and state". If anyone can find it there, please let me know. Also, does their statement seem to carry a sort of 'bullying' tone?
Next, this statement:
"As you must know, the Supreme Court has made clear that the "First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state" and that this "wall must be kept high and impregnable .....To do so, "the Constitution mandates that the government remain secular".....In order to secure this freedom from state-backed religion, the Constitution requires that any governmental "practice which touches upon religion, if it is to be permissible under the Establishment Clause," must have a "secular purpose" and not "advance.....religion." [emphasis mine]
Couldn't locate this 'fact' either.
Next, this statement:
"Applying these general constitutional rules to the issue at hand, we have reason to believe that the school's actions are in violation of the Establishment Clause. The school is encouraging impressionable young students to attend an event in a Christian venue with a Christian message. The effect is to affiliate the school with that message, encouraging its adoption by the students by means of this endorsement." [emphasis mine]
The letter goes on to enhance their argument by pointing out the words to Hark the Herald Angels Sing and more gobbledeegoop.
I have heard some Christians say 'what does it matter if 'they' remove the nativity scene or call it the Holiday Season instead of Christmas' as long as we, as Christians, hold the true meaning of Christmas as the birth of Jesus in our hearts and minds. I, personally, do not believe it is ok to just let it go at that because then we are NOT spreading the Word as we should.
First Amendment to the Constitution:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Could it be any more clear?
Anne Orsi, attorney and vice-president of the organization said, "The problem is that it's got religious content and it's being performed in a religious venue and that doesn't just blur the line between church and state -- it oversteps it entirely". She (Orsi) also said the 'concerned parent' didn't want to be identified. Ultimately, the church cancelled the matinee performance so as to avoid any legal ramifications that might attach to the school board.
The above is a summarized version of the incident; however, a copy of the letter from the Appignani Humanist Legal Center to the Principal of Terry Elementary School and to Dr. Morris Holmes, Superintendent of the Little Rock School District was ultimately published in the Arkansas Times and some of its content is the actual core of this post.
Let's begin with this statement:
"The American Humanist Association is a national nonprofit organization with over 10,000 members and 20,000 supporters across the country, including in Arkansas. The purpose of AHA's legal center is to protect one of the most fundamental legal principles of our democracy: the constitutional mandate requiring separation of church and state, embodied in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment." [emphasis mine]
Well, I've looked high and low and in every copy of the Constitution I have and NOWHERE did I read in the First Amendment a mandate with the specific wording "separation of church and state". If anyone can find it there, please let me know. Also, does their statement seem to carry a sort of 'bullying' tone?
Next, this statement:
"As you must know, the Supreme Court has made clear that the "First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state" and that this "wall must be kept high and impregnable .....To do so, "the Constitution mandates that the government remain secular".....In order to secure this freedom from state-backed religion, the Constitution requires that any governmental "practice which touches upon religion, if it is to be permissible under the Establishment Clause," must have a "secular purpose" and not "advance.....religion." [emphasis mine]
Couldn't locate this 'fact' either.
Next, this statement:
"Applying these general constitutional rules to the issue at hand, we have reason to believe that the school's actions are in violation of the Establishment Clause. The school is encouraging impressionable young students to attend an event in a Christian venue with a Christian message. The effect is to affiliate the school with that message, encouraging its adoption by the students by means of this endorsement." [emphasis mine]
The letter goes on to enhance their argument by pointing out the words to Hark the Herald Angels Sing and more gobbledeegoop.
I have heard some Christians say 'what does it matter if 'they' remove the nativity scene or call it the Holiday Season instead of Christmas' as long as we, as Christians, hold the true meaning of Christmas as the birth of Jesus in our hearts and minds. I, personally, do not believe it is ok to just let it go at that because then we are NOT spreading the Word as we should.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"
Mark 16:15 NKJV
First Amendment to the Constitution:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Could it be any more clear?
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