Two Florida school officials won't go to jail for praying

[--Pete]

Hi,

How is praying publicly establishing a State religion? When the action is done spontaneously by individuals, for me, that is personal freedom. When it is mandated or encoded in some rules or laws, then it is establishment.

When the praying is done by the principal and the athletic director of a high school, at a school function, then it becomes something other than a spontaneous expression of piety.

For example, the US Congress opens with a Christian prayer, which is exactly what violates the First Amendment.

Yes.

What is wrong with the tactic the ACLU is imposing is that the only remedy is to restrict expression, . . .

Again, do you read what you link to? Nowhere does it say that there was a private prayer. Nowhere have I ever seen the ACLU or anyone else condemning private prayer, or even public prayer by individuals (although, to be fair, there were cases where some students got into trouble by disrupting school functions with loud and long prayers). What is being condemned here is public prayer by authority figures at a public school function.

Aside to Frag: you're welcome. I know how fragile the egos of those that need the crutch and opiate of religion can be, so I held back. I find no great pleasure in beating cripples. :P

--Pete