Someone needs to ask Romney how he feels about prayer in school. Here's why

[Hamlette]

Santa Fe Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Doe

That's the US Supreme Court case (back when they had a conscience) that found student led prayers before a football game violated the establishment clause.

2 familes brought the suit to STOP the prayers. One family was Catholic the other family was Mormon. The prayers were Baptist. There was also pressure against religious minorities to conform.

So, as a member of a religious minority I wonder how Romney feels about school prayer.

Rudy seems to be giving in as per this from Josh this am:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014920.php

Seems to me the Catholic and the Mormon in this race should at least read the court's decision in Santa Fe v Doe.

[bluestateguy]

1. I'm sure he'd be for it it Utah and against it in Texas

It's real easy to support government endorsement of religion when it's your religion being endorsed.

[Hamlette]

3. exactly...but you gotta love when the Mormons and the Catholics are on the same side as the ACLU n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Thanks for bringing up this point

a lot of folks don't realize that when "prayer" is talked about, some groups mean only THEIR prayers will be allowed. If, God forbid, the fundies did take over government completely and abolished the First Amendment Establishment clause, you would see the fundies fighting amongst themselves over who was the "most right" and "most righteous". The first allies to fall by the wayside would be Catholics and Mormons. Fundies in my family have for decades declared that Catholics are idol worshippers and are not Christians at all--and don't ask about their opinions of the Latter Day Saints!

[Elspeth]

4. Maybe he's for strapping the Baptists to the top of a car

And instituting Mormon prayers

[Jim__]

5. The decision was 6 - 3.

The 3 dissenters: Rehnquist, Thomas, and Scalia.

We don't really have to ask what Romney'd say.

[Hamlette]

6. then we should ask "so the Mormons who brought suit to stop the prayer were wrong?

What would you tell the Mormon parents who objected to their kids being pressured to say a Baptist prayer that goes against the teachings of your church? What would you say to the kids who had to be protected by court order against abuse for being different? No court order to protect Mormons?"

(There was also lots of talk in the Supreme Court decision about how horribly the Mormon and Catholic kids had been treated in this Texas town. There was an injunction at the trial court level entered a couple of weeks after the suit was filed forbidding anyone from attempting to learn the identity of the kids who objected to the prayer or releasing their names. Apparently there was a lot of pressure to join bible groups and convert. I can "feel their pain" having felt the pressure Mormons bring to bear on non-Mormons here in Utah so a part of me wants to say "buck it the hell up!" But, then, in the cool light of day I realize these are kids and no kid should be subjected to insane religious BS. And of course those were the facts in the Madilyn Murray case, her son was being beated up at school for not praying.)

[Jim__]

7. I agree that kids shoud not be subjected to this.

However, prayer in the schools, after shool, at school events is central to the RW Repuke message. Romney will not deviate from that.

Scalia is catholic; but he dissented. You can't be part of the repuke machine and disagree on any point. Romney knows that. My bet is that Guliani will learn that.