Quote:That is a better question. Are they proselytizing, or merely practicing what they believe? They aren't passing the hat for contributions as Pat does. I wouldn't deny a Muslim a prayer rug, and time during the allotted prayer times. We make public allowances for custom and tradition in meal preparation for various faiths all the time.At a personal level, yes. If you wanted to pray before your own meal, there is no prohibition. The problem is that this was a Principal, acting in that role, at a school function, asking a teacher to pray publicly over their meal. Even that would likely be a minor quibble, had they not been explicitly told by the courts before to keep religion out of school. They had been publicly praying, proselytising, and promoting Christianity for decades, in all sorts of settings, in complete violation of the first amendment. The court order told them to stop - the question in this case was whether this latest prayer violated that order. Apparently it did not, because it was considered an accidental slip-up. But the prayer itself is still unconstitutional.
Quote:Would there be an uproar if the principal asked a school official to bless a school meal in the name of Allah, or the Hindu goddess Annapurnu, or the Wiccan goddess of Demeter? Not in the same way. It probably would have caused an uproar at the next PTA meeting, but I bet the Christians would have been upset. The ACLU might have reacted equally, but the jury is out on that one.I hope the jury has an easy time deciding on the issue of a rhetorical question. I know I'd find it tough, what with no evidence and all - so they might be out for awhile.
The godly folk of Pace, Florida would be no doubt furious if some principal took it upon himself to introduce sundry, non-Christian religious blessings at school events. They would be well within their constitutional rights to complain that the principal was (bizarrely) introducing religion into their secular school. (Of course, no doubt, most of the anger would be that he brought another religion's blessing into their Christian school. But there, the constitution does not support them.) I shudder to think of the result if a Northern Florida Principal asked a teacher to dedicate a meal to the power and mercy of Allah.
Quote:So, this was a school event, held at a church with voluntary attendance.... which is still a school event, and covered by the earlier court order. The venue is slightly disturbing, but not in and of itself a problem. It's just a building, if you're not using it for religious purposes. But this is a strike against them, not for them - it is dubious that they were holding school activities there at all.
The ACLU explains its position here.
-Jester