Christian Band Sues Ohio School District

[truthpusher]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2005/feb/17/021701315.html

Today: February 17, 2005 at 19:44:44 PST

Christian Band Sues Ohio School District

ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - A Christian rock band banned from playing at a public school assembly filed a federal lawsuit against the suburban Toledo district on Thursday, claiming discrimination and violation of their right to free speech.

Rossford High School officials in December canceled the band Pawn's performance at an anti-drug assembly. Board members said they feared a lawsuit if they allowed a religious performance in a public school.

(snip)


Band members said in the lawsuit that they did not intend to play any songs at the assembly that referred to religion and had agreed to stick to the anti-drug message.

Kyle Kleeberger, a Rossford senior and a member of the band, said after his group was banned that he hoped "we can get more publicity to take Jesus Christ to more levels and follow whatever his plan is."

complete story:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2005/feb/17/021701315.html

[coloradodem2005]

1. So Free speech applies to a Christian rock band.

But not to people who speak out against Bush.

[Ian David]

20. Free speech also doesn't extend to tolerance or Spongebob, either

[Placebo]

2. "Christian Rock Band"

talk about an oxymoron :eyes:

[Anakin Skywalker]

3. I Never Could

understand that one myself.

[frylock]

7. you're not making christianity better..

you're just making rock n roll worse!

[solinvictus]

11. Ha!!!

That's what I thought of too!!!!

[megatherium]

16. Why should the Devil have all the good music?

Not that I listen to much Christian rock. My idea of sacred music is Benjamin Britten or Ralph Vaughan Williams.

[Fuzz]

27. A Larry Norman reference

:)

[Placebo]

34. Who said that non-Christian rock is "devil" music?

Or that there even is a devil? :shrug:

[karlrschneider]

4. "Pawn"??? How ironically appropriate.

:eyes:

[Behind the Aegis]

5. I think the school made a good call.

The band member said they did not intend to play songs about religion and they would stick to the program, but then the little shit goes on to say (about being banned), "we can get more publicity to take Jesus Christ to more levels and follow whatever his plan is." Sounds to me like they would do what they felt was best. We will never know, but groups like this say one thing, then do what they want in the "name of Jesus." They want gigs, stick to church functions and late night infomercials!

[Ian David]

21. They could just start playing Bar Mitzvahs

That is, if they just stick to their Old Testament songs.

[dsc]

6. The school had no business banning them

Replace Christian with liberal and we would be screaming like raped roosters. They agreed to stay on message and only were banned due to playing Christian songs elsewhere.

[moobu2]

12. But how could anyone trust a Christian? I sure as hell dont

The end allways justifies the means to them...

[dsc]

17. How could we trust a gay or lesbian

they all recruit. It is the same thing. As a teacher I sign a contract to teach the curriculum. That is what I do. This group stated they would abide by certain rules. They deserve the chance to prove it.

[merwin]

13. I don't think that there's a rule of seperation of liberals and state

(as much as * would like that)

[dsc]

19. So all Christian teachers should be fired as well

If you can't trust this band at a public assembly you surely can't trust a teacher in a private room. This is the same thing.

[merwin]

36. If they are preaching in the classroom, yes. Look at this quote:

Kyle Kleeberger, a Rossford senior and a member of the band, said after his group was banned that he hoped "we can get more publicity to take Jesus Christ to more levels and follow whatever his plan is."

[dsc]

42. He said that after they banned him

He did no preaching at any assembly since he hadn't been permitted to perform yet.

[Ian David]

22. Good one, Merwin! I'll have to remember that one

But apparently, there is often a Separation of School and Brains.

[tkmorris]

14. Last I heard the Constitution didn't

keep politics and government seperate. Personally I don't care if schools ban political idealogues, as long as they do it across the board.

That is the point behind keeping religion and government seperate. The compulsion to foster a one-sided point of view would become too strong, resulting in the persecution of the minority.

[Cooley Hurd]

32. There's no edict about separation of ideology and state...

...so the liberal vs Christian analogy isn't really applicable here. This is a public school, and they are a Christian band, so I think the banning is appropriate.

[dsc]

44. They are a Christian band who agreed not to sing Christian songs

They were banned for activity they did on their own time. It is no different than a liberal teacher who agrees to teach to a certain curriculum. As long as he or she does teach to the curriculum, then things should be fine.

[msongs]

8. they do NOT know what jesus' plan is........??????

"we can get more publicity to take Jesus Christ to more levels and follow whatever his plan is."

boy they do not know much about their own religion or the bible.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Bozita]

9. This sounds like a Tom Monaghan (Domino's) sponsored activity

His little law center's been pretty busy lately.

And, the geography's right.

http://www.thomasmore.org/history.html

Scroll down to the bottom (both figuratively and literally.)

Check out the timed quotes.

[98geoduck]

10. South Park; Cartman starts a Christian Rock Band....

Token: Goddammit! (After finding out he can play bass guitar because he's black)

Cartman: I love Jesus Christ, I'm in love with Jesus Christ, what's the difference?

Cartman: I want to get down on my knees and start pleasing Jesus, I want to feel his salvation all over my face.

Cartman: Jesus!

Butters (To Cartman): You!

TV Reporter: When asked if MOOP's strike will stop them from illegaly downloading music, 1% said "yes". 2% said "no". And, 97% said "Who the hell is MOOP?"

Butters:(gives Cartman the finger)(beep) you Eric!

Cartman (muttering): I'm going to kill you one day, Token.
Token: What did you say?
Cartman: Nothing!

Butters: "We're not Christian we just pretend to be."
Cartman: "Remind me to cut your balls off when we get back..."

Cartman: (Singing) Whenever I see Jesus up on that cross/I can't help but think that he looks kinda hot.

"Believe me, i never did anything just for the money and if I lie the lord shall strike me down right now." - Cartman

Cartman: "Believe me, I never did anything just for the money and if I lie the Lord shall strike me down right now."
(Butters and Token slowly step away from Cartman.)

Cartman: Christians have a built in audience of over 180 million Americans, and if each one of them just buys one of our albums for 12 dllars and 95 cents that would be...
*Points to Butters*
Butters: 2 billion 331 million dollars
Cartman: Still want to leave Token?

Stan: You don't even know anything about Christianity!
Cartman: I know enough to exploite it...

Kyle: You won the bet. You were totally accurate about being able to crap out your mouth, and i've justy be frustrated cause i didn't think of it first. I want you to enjoy that money cause you really impress me with your insight and i'm proud to have you as a friend.
Cartman *after a long pause*: You Son of a bitch Kyle! I hate you!

Cartman: F--k you Token, you black asshole!! (Token punches Cartman twice in the face, then kicks him in the face)

(After his dad refused to give him money for CD's )
kyle: Aw come on dad! Don't be such a jew!

[markus]

15. A new topic for stealing our children

There was an Xian Rap Group promoting a values and anti-drug message playing the local public schools in assemblies here in Fargo.

Except that (oops) they invited everyone to an overtly religious, off-campus event over the weekend.

The principal of my daughter's middle school is a militant Xian who allows the Gideons to distribute bibles on school properly, and placed an overtly religious article in the Xmas news letter (from a book by an Xian radio evangelist).

The right win has decided it's their country and their are no more f---ing rules.

[dsc]

18. What is wrong with inviting people to a religious activity ?

over the weekend? The rest I agree are problems but to simply invite children to a religious activity when the inviter is merely a guest of the school doesn't strike me as a problem.

[Ian David]

23. The school (state) shouldn't pay (taxpayer money) to recruit for a church

[Sterling]

25. Keep it out of my school bub.

Take it back to church where it belongs plz. Thx.

[arwalden]

26. Everything Associated With This Activity... The Funding, Venue, Invites...

... the publicity -- everything -- needs to be kept separate from the public school system. Advertise it on radio, through churches, word-of-mouth. Pay for it with church dollars (assuming that it's not "diverted" faith-based government money... or money that was "freed-up" because of the influx of faith-based gov't funds) and let some other PRIVATE venue pay for the insurance, maintenance, security, utilities, set-up -- everything -- associated with this concert.

[RetroLounge]

24. Would the same Xtians be defending Marilyn Manson

if they got banned from playing somewhere?

of course not.

I believe it's in the rights of the school to ban any band for any reason that they find innappropriate.

RL

[FlyByNight]

28. Good band name

Hell, why not "Automaton" or "Robot"?

:eyes:

[Fuzz]

29. Was it this guy?

http://www.compfused.com/directlink/615/

[callous taoboy]

30. That does it! I have no choice but to rename my

bagpipe band "The Atheist Honkies" and demand we be given stage time at the local high school.

[noonwitch]

31. How does one define "Christian Rock"?

U2 got their start at a christian rock band, there is room for crossover. One could even make a case that much of Bob Dylan's music, if not outright christian rock, has christian themes.

I don't have a problem with a christian rock band playing, along with other bands, at an anti-drug concert. I don't think there's some kind of endorsement of christianity involved by the school, it's more that the school is seeking partners in it's anti-drug program.

Anyways, who else are they going to get?

[JerseygirlCT]

35. Great point. And free speech is free speech.

So long as the performance doesn't include proselytizing, they ought to be free to be artists. Pamphlets, hand-outs, preaching? Get them gone. But playing music?

Of course, the school can regulate some content -- language or violence. But if the band was already agreeable to keeping the content to anti-drug messages, where's the problem. Would it be better if they marketed themselves differently?

I find most of "Christian rock" to be execrable stuff. And artists like U2 to do a far better job getting a spiritual message across. But I'm troubled by how many here are jumping on the band...

[DU GrovelBot]

33. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

==================
GROVELBOT.EXE v3.0
==================



This week is our first quarter 2005 fund drive. Democratic
Underground is a completely independent website. We depend almost entirely
on donations from our members to cover our costs. Thank you so much for
your support.

[Terran]

37. Stop bashing Christians!!

<sarcasm off>

Seriously...this is WHY a lot of people at DU tend to bash Christians; because of this clueless sort of behavior regarding church and state.

[Brooklyn Michael]

38. "....whatever his plan is."

"Kyle Kleeberger, a Rossford senior and a member of the band, said after his group was banned that he hoped 'we can get more publicity to take Jesus Christ to more levels and follow whatever his plan is.'"

In other words, whatever Pat Robertson TELLS us Jesus' plan is....which is, according to Pat, that gays are evil (among other things).

But wait....if the Freepers are demonstrating in DC in support of Jeff Gannon, who is gay...

....and Jeff Gannon, who has written several articles slamming gays and politicians who support gays, considers himself a Christian (if only a two-holiday Christian), but is also known as "Hotmilitarystud"......


AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! (head explodes)


:grr: :nuke:

[Bridget Burke]

39. The band is free to play anything they like.

Nobody is restricting their freedom of speech.

It appears that they have a problem getting gigs, though. Could it be that they suck?

[GOPBasher]

40. What's wrong with them playing at an event?

I don't get what the heck is wrong with letting a Christian rock band play at an event. I think they should be allowed to play, and I think a Buddhist band should be allowed to play, and the same goes for a Jewish band, Muslim band, Hindu band, whatever. I don't see what is wrong with that. All this does is fuel the fire so the right can claim "discrimination" and tens of millions of evangelicals will be duped into voting against their own self-interests.

Something that would be bad is having an event that actively promotes one religion over another, but the individual students should be allowed to express their own personal opinion.

[athenap]

41. While I object to the lawsuit, I don't object to the band's

right to play the assembly. Firstly, at least one of the band's members is a student at the school. I'm kinda grateful at all that there's at least one kid in this public school with some arts education--even if they turn out to suck. Secondly, oftentimes, these school functions operate on a very limited budget--student bands and bands who otherwise can't get paying gigs are the only ones volunteering to play. Thirdly, the band promised to avoid religiously-themed music. They should have been given the chance to keep their promise.

Finally, it's not stated in the article that this is a mandatory school assembly. Plus, it's an anti-drug assembly, likely greeted with all the enthusiasm of a beer fart in a whirlwind. I can't see it being that big of a deal.

[VegasWolf]

43. I think it's okay, after all, there has to be SOMEBODY left who still

believes in god.

Destined to be a Preachers Wife