The War on Christianity in America

[Samstwitch]

School Bans Team Prayer after ACLU Complaint

In a decision that is sure to incite passions on both sides of the debate over religion in schools, a high school in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. officially outlawed postgame prayer in response to a formal complaint about violation of separation of church and state that was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. According to the Oakland Press, the case in question focuses on Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Lahser High, where the school’s football team led traditional post-game prayers at midfield, allowing members of its team and opponents to take part in the tradition of offering thanks for another game completed.

The Tebowing comes in when one considers the position players take when involved in such prayers, standing on one knee with head bowed (which, of course, was the motivation behind Tebow’s original craze-inducing pose in the first place). Tebow, of course, is a devout Christian who has made a point of dedicating all of his accomplishments to the big man that Christians believe in upstairs.

According to the Press, school officials immediately said that they would conform to the ACLU’s proposed guidelines and would not hold any postgame prayer sessions on school property. At the same time, Lahser officials insisted that they had never intended any student to feel uncomfortable because of the prayer sessions, which allegedly began more than a decade ago at the behest of a student athlete.

“It kind of just carried on,” Lahser football coach Dan Loria told the Press. “It was something that somebody wanted to do every year. I got caught up because of how it originated and I lost sight of it.”

In contrast with the original complaint made to the ACLU, which claimed that Loria had been leading players in the prayer sessions, the coach and senior officials insisted that he was only present at the sessions.


Nonetheless, Loria acknowledged responsibility for the religious transgressions because of his knowing presence, and made it clear that the practice would be stopped before any other athletes were left uncomfortable in future seasons.

“When it comes to discipline, whatever you allow, you encourage,” he said. “By me being present, I was encouraging it. This happened because of me and I had to wake up.”​

 

[Samstwitch]

University Tells Student to Remove Cross Necklace

A Sonoma State University student was ordered to remove a cross necklace by a supervisor who thought other students might find it offensive, in a case that prompted even one campus official to speculate that “political correctness got out of hand.”

Audrey Jarvis, 19, a liberal arts major at the northern California university, said she had no choice but to seek a “religious accommodation” in order to wear the cross. Her lawyer said she deserves an apology, and the school seems ready to oblige.

“It’s amazing in this day of diversity and tolerance on university campuses that a university official would engage in this type of obvious religious discrimination,” said Hiram Sasser, an attorney with Liberty Institute, which is representing Jarvis.

Jarvis was working for the university’s Associated Students Productions at a June 27 student orientation fair for incoming freshmen when her supervisor told her to remove the two-inch-long cross necklace, according to Sasser.

Sasser said the supervisor told her that the chancellor had a policy against wearing religious items and further explained “that she could not wear her cross necklace because it might offend others, it might make incoming students feel unwelcome, or it might cause incoming students to feel that ASP was not an organization they should join.”

“My initial reaction was one of complete shock,” Jarvis told Fox News. “I was thrown for a loop.”

Jarvis said she is a devout Catholic and she wears the cross as a symbol of her faith in Christ.

“I was offended because I believe as a Christian woman it is my prerogative to display my faith any way I like so long as it is not harming anyone else,” she said. “I was very hurt and felt as if the university’s mission statement – which includes tolerance and inclusivity to all – was violated.”

On a second encounter, her supervisor told her she should hide the cross under her shirt or remove it.

At that point, Jarvis became so upset she left her student worker job early.

Sasser, who is representing the college student, said the university should apologize for their actions.

“It’s unfortunate there are university officials out there who think that it’s okay to tell Christians to hide their faith – but would cringe if somebody said the same thing about hiding someone’s pride in whatever political or cultural affiliation they may have,” he told Fox News.

He said the law is clear on the matter – “state employees may wear crosses while they are performing their duties as long as the wearing does not interfere with the employees’ duties or harm the employer’s business interests.”

University spokeswoman Susan Kashack confirmed to Fox News that the incident occurred and expressed extreme regret.

“Someone who works here was concerned that the cross might be off-putting to students who are coming to campus for the first time,” she said, adding that the supervisor was “completely wrong.”

“It was absolutely an inappropriate action for him to make that request of her,” she said.

Kashack said Sonoma State President Ruben Arminana was “angered” by the incident and they are trying to contact Jarvis so they can apologize.

“The president was very upset about it and asked me to contact Miss Jarvis and give a profuse apology,” she said.

She said they have spoken with the employee involved in the incident but won’t reveal the contents of their discussion or whether he was punished.

“Things like this don’t happen here,” she said. “It’s very unusual. People here are very aware of discrimination. It’s possible that political correctness got out of hand.”

Audrey’s mother, Debbie, told Fox News she was devastated when she heard what happened to her daughter.

“She’s a strong Christian, a faith-filled young woman who spent her summers at Catholic camp,” Jarvis said. “She’s just full of the Lord.”

Audrey called her parents after she was told to remove the cross and Mrs. Jarvis recalled an emotional conversation.

“She doesn’t wear the cross as a fashion statement,” she said. “It’s a statement of her faith.”

As she tried to console her daughter, Jarvis reminded her that “we are still one nation under God.”

“And she told me, ‘Mom, it doesn’t feel like that here,” Jarvis said. “Our faith was attacked. It’s unnerving. I know what’s going on in this country. I know Christianity is being attacked. Now, I know it first-hand and it sickens me and saddens me.”

Jarvis said it’s time for people of faith to take a stand.

“We need to band together as Christians and fight back,” she said.

Amen to that!

 

[JTFriend]

I agree. Church and state should be separate. If people want to say prayers as part of an education-related ceremony, they will need to conduct them privately in their home. (ie, homeschooling)

Christianity is dead and is not going to be revived any time soon. We all must move on in to the new dispensation of the 7th ray of freedom under the new hierarch who is Saint Germain and embrace a permanent Golden Age which is to come in the next few hundred years. In order to do this we will need to turn back to our own I AM Presence and see Jesus as a a Guide and Wayshower and not as your personal God. In the new era everyone will be directed first back to the Presence, and only after that will an Ascended being assist.

 

[Samstwitch]

Hi JTFriend, Praying in public is part of the Freedom of Speech that we're supposed to have in America. Perhaps you didn't watch the Video in Post #21. The Priest went into great detail explaining that this was not a mandatory prayer and not a matter of Church and State intermingling. It was something the players chose to do. It has nothing to do with Church and State.

Christianity is far from dead. It will never die. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the King of kinds, the Lord of lords. He is the only person who was Resurrected from the dead, the only one to open up the Gates of Hell. Yes, He is my personal God.

We must agree to disagree on these matters. That is our free will.

 

[Samstwitch]

FutKg, I should have been more clear in my opening Post (which I have corrected). This thread is a place to post examples of the War on Christianity; it is not a place to wage war on Christianity. For this reason, I have moved your Comment onto a more appropriate thread here: Who is the real God ? Please continue your discussion against Christianity there.

If you want to Debate, please post here: Debate - There is no God | Paranormalis
And or here: Who is the real God ? | Paranormalis

I'm not shoving Jesus down anyone's throat. Today people are robbing Christians of the right to worship, making it unacceptable to even wear a cross.

 

[HDRKID]

God says:
I Peter 3:12: “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers: but THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THEM THAT DO EVIL.”

John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

Often an atheist will say. "I had a very sick son. I prayed to God just in case. Well, my son got sicker and eventually passed away. If there really was a kind caring God he would having done a miracle cure."

What Atheists do not know is that God does not listen to sinners.

Back in 1900 there was 1% out of wedlock births. It is 40% now.
Out-of-wedlock births hit record high - CNN.com

People want to kick God out and that should come as no surprise. After all, many are living in sin.

 

[Samstwitch]

What Atheists do not know is that God does not listen to sinners.

That is incorrect. God most definitely listens to sinners. We are all sinners. The only person who was/is without sin is Jesus Christ. We all fall short of the glory of God.

Jesus never condemned any sinners. We are to do as Jesus did. Jesus said, "Love one another, as I have loved you." That is the 11th commandment that He gave us. And Jesus said, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Those are the 2 most important messages from Jesus.

Everything I have written here is in Scripture.

 

[Khaos]

What Atheists do not know is that God does not listen to sinners.

Wrong!

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

What Does the Bible Say About Sinners?

And if you had read the bible (like I have) you would see verses where God will forgive a sinner if they repent and ask for forgiveness.

Psalm 51 NKJV - A Prayer of Repentance - To the Chief - Bible Gateway

Especially this prayer.

 

[Samstwitch]

An atheist couple in Massachusetts is trying to have the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance on the basis of "discrimination". The case will be heard by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, September 4, 2013.

'Under God' part of Pledge of Allegiance under review in Massachusetts

 

[Khaos]

The original verse of that didn't have "Under God" in it. It was placed in there, back in 1942. When it comes to this little debate, which has been going on for decades, I'm on the fence...