Oneida High School in Oneida, Tennessee ended prayers before athletic events because they were afraid of the possibility of lawsuits after pressure from the ACLU and atheist organizations like the Freedom From Religion foundation. So they stopped the usual broadcasting of the Lord's Prayer, otherwise known as Psalm 23 (written by King David) over the PA and substituted a 'moment of silence' instead.The school's decision didn't resonate well with the students and much of the community.
What happened next is simply heartwarming.
The next Friday night football game, the school's cheerleaders in a body used that 'moment of silence' to lead the assembled crowd and the athletes in Psalm 23.
“We need prayer for so many reasons especially in our community now and the troubles we face every day,” said junior Kayla King.
“During the moment of silence all the cheerleaders came together and recited the Lord's Prayer,” King explained.
Cheerleader Captain Ally Meyers said she was "emotional" when she learned that prayers could no longer be recited over the PA system. She said the cheerleaders decided to keep it going on their own, and the whole crowd joined in.
"Our community needs God in it, especially at football games. We pray for the safety of each and every player out there and the cheerleaders and the fans for the drive home," she said.
“In that moment the atmosphere was kind of great because it was nothing but heads bowed, and you heard the Lord's Prayer ring over the football field,” said King.
It must have been quite a moment.
And here's the irony. While the outside groups trying to impose their version of secular tyranny were looking to limit prayer, they had the opposite effect. Instead of one person reading Psalm 23 over the PA, there are now hundreds of people reciting it, and receiving an enhanced spiritual charge from a wonderful act of civil disobedience.
Contrary to what you've heard, there is no legally mandated 'separation' of religion and state, and that entire belief is based on a couple of highly questionable decisions from the ultra-Left Warren Court. But for those of you whom claim there is, here's a test.
If you think reading a Judeo-Christian prayer over a PA system at a non-mandatory school event is 'unconstitutional', do you feel the same way about the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer? That consists of a statement of Islam's superiority and other religion's inferior status broadcast publicly through PA systems at often earsplitting volume where people are forced to listen to it even if they are non-Muslims.
Funny thing...I haven't heard of any letters to mosques telling them to ditch broadcasting the adhan...not even so much as one threat of an ACLU lawsuit, have you? The muscular secularists at the ACLU or the Freedom From Religion Foundation seem to have plenty of courage when it comes to Judeo-Christian practices and institutions, but somehow they aren't lining up to file suits against mosques that are openly even more intrusive when it comes to broadcasting their religious beliefs in the public sphere.
If you're going to go after Oneida High School and not the mosques and their minarets, that is selective enforcement, a polite name for bigotry. It really is that simple.
4 comments:
If you're going to go after Oneida High School and not the mosques and their minarets, that is selective enforcement, a polite name for bigotry. It really is that simple.
How about we go after BOTH? They're just as bad as each other. I hope some enterprising student at Oneida High School is smart enough to demand that they all worship Satan at basketball games. Then we'll see just how principled you idiots are.
This is really awesome!! Praise G_d for the courage of these kids!! If our country is going to survive let alone thrive, we are going to need a wholesale return to G_d of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.
Just when I think there is no hope for our country, I see things like this and it leads to me to think there just might be some hope left for us. If things are to turn around, it will start with things like this.
These kids and the community at large are going to need much prayer and support. I'd expect if any of them have scholarships or anything of this nature, the kids may be blackmailed by threats to pull these, if any of their parents work in government jobs or for large organizations that rely heavily on government contracts or other forms of government cooperation those jobs could be threatened, or the state or federal governments could threaten to withhold funds from the school until these kids and the community at large cooperate with what the powers that be want them to do.
I'm not saying this would happen but it could. Hopefully and G_d willing it won't happen this way.
It is generally requires extraordinary courage to do that which is right in the face of adversity. Again, good for these kids!! They and their families are in my prayers and hopefully they will be in all of our prayers. Thank you for sharing this truly heartwarming and awesome story.
Hey Anon,
Are you just naturally stupid, or did you learn that over the years?
Sporting events aren't mandatory for all students. Anyone who is 'offended' by the Lord's Prayer doesn't have to go to the games.
But that Muslim call to prayer is public, and freaking LOUD. I know, I used to live near a large mosque in the Chicago area. 5 times a day, they'd turn the loudspeakers on and yell out their Islamic prayer, and non-Muslims had to put up with it.It was one reason I moved out of that apartment.
You say 'go after both of them' but do you see the ACLU doing it? If you weren't such a dumbass, you'd realize that the reason they don't is because Islam and Christianity aren't the same as all.
Just like you, the ACLU and the atheist groups are cowards and don't want to wind up getting their heads chopped off.So they attack Christians, because they feel safe doing it.
Go flush yourself, will ya?
thumbing through time magazine.......looking for satan seating section at basketball games.
uh, maybe when basketball season rolls around you might re-post your blather.
hold your breath until then.
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