Pagans, you may want to do a little self-policing of websites...

[mrnoodle]

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 peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. That's different from "you can say whatever you want with no consequences." Parents can censor their children from dawn till dusk if they like. They can prosecute whatever doesn't meet their standards. The school operates as (can't remember the latin term) a surrogate parent when the kid is at school, and therefore can set any number of unreasonable, unconstitutional, unfair and mean rules that kids have to follow.

Having a closed campus was always the one that pissed me off. That, and the public-display-of-affection thing. Not that I ever had a girlfriend.

[Elspode]

One society's discrimination is another society's protecting the children.

Moral values are always subject to the interpretation of whoever is in power. This is precisely why the Church (regardless of *which* church it happens to be) and the State must remain separate.

[OnyxCougar]

I guess I'm just pissed that if that little girl had written that she gets together to worship with her friends, it wouldn't have been a big deal. It's hypocrisy like this that pisses me off about people.


edit:
Trivia nugget:

Husband went to school in Midland, Michigan.....

[OnyxCougar]

Students do not abandon their constitutional rights to free speech when they enter public school. The United States Supreme Court has stated, “It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”1 The court has also stated that a student’s free speech rights apply “when [they are] in the cafeteria, or on the playing field, or on the campus during authorized hours…”2

The Supreme Court has ruled that religious speech is protected by the First Amendment and may not be singled out for discrimination.3

Footnotes:
1 Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503, 506 (1968)
2 Id at 506.
3 See Good News Club v. Milford Central School District, 533 U.S. 98, 108-10 (2001); Widmar v. Vincent, 454 U.S. 263, 269 (1981).

******
The irony here is that this quote and footnotes are from a (different) Christian group's website that was promoting an anti-homosexual "Day of Truth".

[Troubleshooter]

I agree but what are the pagans going to do about it?

Nothing.

granola eating hippie-freak pussyfests...

[OnyxCougar]

and btw noodle:

damn. we just have grape juice and crackers at my church.

That was hella funny!

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Elspode

One society's discrimination is another society's protecting the children.

Moral values are always subject to the interpretation of whoever is in power. This is precisely why the Church (regardless of *which* church it happens to be) and the State must remain separate.

No that's why the chuch and state should embrace each other...then walk arm in arm up to lover's leap.

[tw]

I hear a nearby town council passed an ordinance is banning Orange robed Buddists. Something about they fear an Orange Revolution. Oh. There goes that news van again.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Would saffron hold up it court?

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by OnyxCougar

I guess I'm just pissed that if that little girl had written that she gets together to worship with her friends, it wouldn't have been a big deal. It's hypocrisy like this that pisses me off about people.

The thing is, *no one* should have to hide their religion in school. There's a big difference between someone writing a paper about their faith, and the school saying (as it did when *I* was in grade school), "Alright students, now, before we sit down to eat our lunches, let's say the Lord's Prayer and give thanks for our food."

Individual expression of one's religion *is* protected speech. Publicly funded entities embracing one religion over another is *not* protected speech, it is state-sponsored religious advertising.

[LCanal]

Now were talking have a look at the aliens at < www.rael.org >

[wolf]

Aren't they the ones that (probably) faked cloning last year? Friend of mine got a couple folks out of that cult, I think. (that page won't load for me)

[tw]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

A web site called MagicWicca.com reports that new recruits to witch covens go through an initiation ceremony in which they are blindfolded and bound, have all clothing cut away with a sword, are bathed and kissed by all coven members on the feet, knees, stomach, breasts, and lips, are marked with an “X” on the forehead, breasts, and genitals, and are then carried around in a circle three times by other coven members “laughing and shrieking” until the recruit is placed on the ground before the altar.

That's what happens in the mosh pit. When did sex and drug and rock and roll become a satanic religion? Oh. Mick Jagger and the Stones. I forgot.