Help me write a response to this infuriating email!

[Amy6627]

A statement that was read at a football game (OK - see Snopes)

This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School , Kingston , Tennessee , by school Principal, Jody McLeod.


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"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country."

Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate lifestyle," and if someone is offended, that's OK.

I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK.

I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem...

I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology."


I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment."

However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated.

This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments.

Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequen tly ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical... I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.

For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time.

"However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet."

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray.

They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box!

The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America - the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under GOD."

Somehow, Kingston , Tennessee Remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion. Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains!

JESUS said, "If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be ashamed of you before MY FATHER."

If you are not ashamed, pass this on.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

1. Peace to all

And goodnight.

[MADem]

2. WELL.....

I'd say flag the thing for your SPAM folder. Get rid of the addressee.

If you must respond, say FUCK OFF, IDIOT. Too strong? Use PISS OFF instead.

Who could read that shit? I got about an eighth of the way through and could smell it. Why pollute this site, and waste bandwidth?

Come on, don't you have a life? Live it. Don't spend your time responding to SHIT...hey, that life we get is too short for that.

Tell these idiots to go fuck themselves, to piss off, and take you off their whacko-bullshit distribution list, and then you'll all be happy.

[ComerPerro]

4. maybe something like

"whats the matter? Not secure enough in your relationship with Jesus? You gotta prove something to him by spamming people with this bullshit rhetoric? I doubt it impresses Him very much..."

[MADem]

7. Nicer than my approach, but hey, it works. NT

[ComerPerro]

3. reply all, really big font

PRAISE ALLAH!!!!!!!!


How bout that at your fucking football game?

What would you think then?




See what they say.


And, BTW, I have never heard anyone at a school event advocate any of those things he mentioned.

[IChing]

8. What about the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

We even have our own night headgear for children

[Nite Owl]

5. The story in this thread

might help:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x87104

Separation of church and state has a reason and it is more to protect religion than to dismiss it but it has to be all religions and when the state chooses others beliefs are then dismissed. Can they possibly understand this concept? I truly doubt it, people like this only seem to understand a situation when they themselves are on the wrong end.

[Amy6627]

12. Thank you this was great!

[countingbluecars]

6. What a BS e-mail.

That principal would be kissing her job good-by.

[OregonDem]

9. WWJD? Pray in Secret

Matthew Chapter 6
5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

10. Gee, I wonder how highly that HS is ranked?

Bet there aren't too many Merit scholars coming out of that joint. Or critical thinkers, for that matter.

Plus, if the story is true I wonder how many people bowed their heads and acted like they were praying out of fear of being scorned (and worse) if they didn't? Is that what Jesus would do? Coerce people?

And when traditional Christians act like simple minded ignoramuses, they will be portrayed as such. It is the same with any group, religious affiliation notwithstanding.

That Freedom Of not Freedom From argument is just so much crap. It implies that some sort of religion is mandatory for all citizens; one is only permitted some latitude over which one. Please. I wonder how ol' Jody would feel if he/she was forced to sit through Muslim prayers.

Just some random thoughts there. Don't know if you can use any of them but emails like that piss me off too. :hi:

[bonzotex]

11. This spam is crap but, to answer it, use their own crap....

"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 6:1

I pulled this from another nice thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2040600

[TreasonousBastard]

13. Looks like it's a true story, or at least...

it's got a life of its own on the web, so it might as well be true:

http://timpanogostribune.com/index.php?cat=News&sub=Religion&art=498

Anyway, emails like that I just stick in my "Bullshit" folder along with the more creative Nigerian spam, and if I bother to reply at all, I just say that McLeod is an asshole who hasn't the foggiest idea what either religion or this country is about.

[whiterabbit76]

14. .....

...when (and how) will it end?

[DeSwiss]

15. Okay Amy6627, I'll take a shot at it...

"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country." (It was also "custom" at one time to own slaves and to beat your wife as long as the branch or rod was not bigger than you thumb. You still beating your wife principal?)

Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate lifestyle," and if someone is offended, that's OK. (Well, there are other "perversions." According to the bible its an abomination for a man to shave or to wear mixed fabrics. Hi prinicipal, you're looking mighty abominable today with your clean face and your polyester tie!)

I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK. (What's the matter Principal? Not gettin' any? You wanna see offensive? Visit a children's AIDS clinic.)

I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem... (Even if the baby's daddy is the pregnant girl's daddy too? You know we have a lot of that going on right here in Roane County, TN.)

I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology." (No, you can't praise Mother Earth AKA: Gaia, nor designate any kind of worship ceremony. That would be preaching religion.)

I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment." (Yes. You're point being???? You've already confirmed the simple-minded and ignortant part.)

However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated. (Him? Him? What makes you so sure that God is a Him?)

This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments. (No not inconsistent, its consistent. Say it with me: C-O-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-T. And I see you're really improving with multi-syllable words too! Ya see Princiapl, its in the Constitution: "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...")

Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical... I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression. (Hypocritical. Yes, now you're starting to tell the truth. Wingnuts like you are GREAT on hypocrisy.)

For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time. (But its already too late for you NOT to be boring.)

"However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet." (Whoa. Jesus??? Hey that sounds like a prayer to me Principal! Let me call the ACLU.)

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box! The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America - the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under GOD." Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee Remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion. Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains! JESUS said, "If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be ashamed of you before MY FATHER."

If you are not ashamed, pass this on.

(Believe me Principal, Jesus IS ashamed of you. Which is as it should be. And you should be ashamed of yourself, but that would entail your having both intelligence and a conscience. Neither of which, it is now apparent, do you have.)

*** - Amy, you might also want to try:
The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right
http://www.alternet.org/story/41031/

Good luck!!!!!

[Amy6627]

18. Thank you very good points!

[OregonDem]

16. Tell him if he likes gov't & religion mixed then he should move to Iran

They play their prayers over loud speakers to everyone several times every day so he should really like that. They also don't like hollywood, gay people, or rights for women so he would probably fit right in there.

[Sherman A1]

17. Don't respond, just delete

and see if you can list the sender with your Spam filter.

[LanternWaste]

19. I've never known of anyone

I've never known of anyone or any incident resulting in desciplinary action for an individual praying by himself or herself to God.

"But that's what this is all about..."

No, this particular episode is about a state-sponsored organization beig told to refrain from establishing a religion by asking all attendees to pray to a particular god.

"Well, what's the difference?"

An individual can pray at anytime in school as long as he does not disrupt the primary goal of the other students-- that is, to educate and get educated. I did so myself quite often just before Mrs. Dyer's famous Pop Quizzes in AP English my senior year. I never got in trouble for it because it was between God and myself-- why would I want to bring others into it?

"They're just trying to keep God out of the schools"

Odd, that. Up til now, I thought you were a Christian as am I.

<With good old fashioned righteous indigntation> "I am! Why would you suggest otherwise?"

Because the God I worship cannot be forced out of or into any place by mere man and his laws. If He wants to be in a particular school at a particular time, He's there. No laws, rules, policies or protocols will prevent that. On the other hand, the god you appear to worship is forced to abide by man's laws and will be denied entry onto school grounds by the security guard at the metal detector. I'm sure you can see my confusion at what entity you actually do worship..."


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This little pre-made, often-used conversation is brought to you by LanternWaste who fears his own relationship with God if he's induced to pray by others rather than by God.

[Amy6627]

20. Thank you, very good!

[JNelson6563]

21. Praise Allah!!

:toast: