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 McLoud, on September 1, 2000.
I thought it was worth sharing with the world, and hope you will forward it to all your friends. It clearly shows just how far this country has gone in the wrong direction.
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, it’s no problem.
I can designate a school day as earth day and involve students in activities to religiously worship and praise the goddess, mother earth, and call it ecology.
I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depict 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 ask Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, 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 frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules that 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.
AND … 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 pray 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 State’s 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!
Validated on Snopes
Tags: Behavior, Government, Political Correctness
I’m just checking to see if this time it works before I type a whole lot.
If this does go threw… Please look up Darrel Scott’s speech to the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee. Darrel Scott is the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado.
We need prayer in our schools, don’t let them take it away.
Now that it worked this time I will re-type everything I typed the first time. Darrell Scot gave this speach, and what he said is painfully truthful.
“Since the dawn of creation thee has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. the death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deather of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National club Assorciation. The true killer was Cain, and the reasson for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.” ” In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I don not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA- because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughters death. Therefore I do not believe that hey ned to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was nut just a tragedy–it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blames lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.”
Your laws ignore our deepes needs, your words are empty air. You’ve stripped away our heritage, You’ve outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, and precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, and ask the question “Why?” you regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, that God is what we need!
“Men and women are three part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge the third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nations history.. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when somehting as terrivle as Columbine’s tragedy occurs–politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediatiely seek to pass more restrictive laws that continue to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies with in our hearts. As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politican to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. to those of you who would point your finger at the NRA–I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughters death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!
Darrell Scott is right… We need prayer in our schools. Don’t let them take it away.
Being allowed to pray at school should be a fundamental right. If those who oppose it don’t wish to participate then that is also their right. The first amendment guarantees everyone the right to free speech. According to the beginning of the 1st amendment wording it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…”