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Christa and Danny Schultz said their son would "suffer irreparable harm" if anyone prayed at their son's graduation ceremony.
Their lawyer said the whole idea of someone praying to God, "caused him a great deal of anxiety."
Anxiety and Irreparable harm.
Thursday, June 2:
Supported by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Schultz's got their case before Chief US District Judge Fred Biery, who immediately ordered Medina Valley School District not to pray at their graduation ceremony. In the spirit of the moment federal judge Fred also said they could not use "specific religious words" like "prayer" and "Amen." Judge Fred also banned kids or faculty from saying phrases like, "join in prayer" or "bow your heads," "Amen" and the word "prayer."
The federal judge said the school had to remove the terms "invocation" and "benediction" from the graduation program and use "opening remarks" and "closing remarks" ---and he said, you can't say "in a deity's name we pray."
So what if the kids did it anyway?
Federal Judge Fred said his ruling would be "enforced by incarceration or other sanctions for contempt of court if not obeyed by District official (sic) and their agents."
Judicial activism.
Rev. Barry Linn, with Americans United for Separation of Church and State and an advocate for the ruling, hailed the Judge's decision---"Way to go Fred," he said.
However, never underestimate what a single day can bring.
Friday, June 3:
Parents and citizens reacted as Texans sometimes do. There was public outcry. Texas Attorney General, Steve Abbott, said the ruling was unconstitutional, a blatant attack from those who do not believe in God---"attempts by atheists and agnostics to use courts to eliminate from the public landscape any and all references to God whatsoever."
A/G Gregg Abbott told the press, "It's an ongoing attempt to purge God from the public setting, while at the same time demanding from the courts an increased yielding to all things atheist and agnostic."
I cannot imagine Attorney General Rob McKenna taking time away from his crusade to hand the names of petition signers of R-71 over to homosexual activists, to defend anything even close to this. Can you?
The 5th US Circuit Court agreed with A/G Abbott and said "No" to Judge Fred on Friday afternoon.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed gratitude that the initial ban had been denounced and said Judge Fred gave, "exactly the wrong civics lesson to the class of 2011."
Indeed.
This issue once again highlights how a small minority are attempting to steal the culture.
A/G Abbott said, "It seems like a trampling of the First Amendment rather than protecting the First Amendment."
You have heard the illustration: "Put a frog in a kettle and slowly increase the heat and the frog, feeling comfortable, finally boils to death."
I would add: If they turn up the heat too quickly, the frog will jump out of the kettle and turn off the fire.
Anti Christian activists, homosexual activists and abortion activists have become rather satisfied with some of their wins in recent years and with that satisfaction and their champion in the White House, have embraced a false sense that the public is either intimidated to silence or have accepted their message.
That may not be true. I pray so. There may be an awaking that will not be silent and will not be intimidated regarding biblical, common sense values in the American culture. There may be frogs that are jumping out of the kettle as we speak.
America is the greatest nation in the history of the human race and was built on these very Judeo-Christian values. There are more than a thousand reasons why we should not abandon those values at a time when we need them most.
Be Vocal. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be prayerful. Be Active. Be Blessed.
_________________
Gary Randall
President
Faith and Freedom
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