Only the demented would file this lawsuit.
A national organization that advocates separation of church and state is threatening to sue three Waukesha County school districts and a technical college if they do not stop using Elmbrook Church for their graduation ceremonies.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent letters to the Elmbrook, Mukwonago and New Berlin school district as well as Waukesha County Technical College, asking them to move graduation ceremonies to secular locations this year.
If the schools refuse, the organization said, it could go to court and ask for an injunction ...
Given that Elmbrook just realized a multi-million dollar savings on interest rates for its bond issue, I think using that money to put AUS' gonads into their throat would be fine and dandy.
Dad, dad, dad. That wasn't real savings, and it's not theirs to spend. This type of lawsuit has come up like the spring flowers every year for a while.
ReplyDeleteThis too shall pass.
Instead of calling them demented, perhaps you could indicate that you understand their point and then explaining why you disagree with it.
ReplyDeleteindicate that you understand their point
ReplyDeleteI don't understand it and am not going to pretend I do. Because the language of the First Amendment is explicitly clear:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...
The phrase "no law" to any person with a 5th grade reading comprehension skills means "no law" not "no law except for when X group is offended or except for when X people are involved or whatever other blather some Constitutionally illiterate group can come up with today."
So far as I can tell, the schools use Elmbrook because it's HUGE. Friends of ours married in one of the side chapels with a seating capacity of something like 750 people (if I remember correctly). Suffice to say, IT was like a church in and of itself.
They don't use it to have religious services; for graduation, it is a building. Plain and simple.
Anyone who's afraid of setting foot into a church building because they erroneously think it violates their right to not worship is, quite frankly, unhinged and demented.
Straight-thinking people understand what the First Amendment means, and they don't incorrectly apply a private letter written by Thomas Jefferson in an effort to thwart the religious freedom of others.
Scott would like everybody else to acquiesce. Ironic, the schools would not eve be there if not for the church.
ReplyDeleteScott, the facility at Elmbrook Church is LARGE. Extremely LARGE. It accomodates all the grads, their parents and families, and has room left over.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing else comparable in the west 'burbs--only comparos are the Cell, downtown.
The claim that Elmbrook's rental and use of the facility "imposes" religion on someone is demented. If someone is SOOOOOO offENNNNNNNded, they could always stay home.
Stay home? Wouldn't it be easier to sanitize the church space of all the religious advertising? If the gym is good enough for the kids, isn't it good enough for the parental behinds, too? Is there no sane limit to the number of people a family wants to bring to graduation?
ReplyDeleteNo.
ReplyDeleteEach Elmbrook senior class is about 350 little darlings, and each gym holds around 1000 (maybe less.)
Amy, the other point that Scott, as well as judges, apparently either don't get, or purposely ignore, is this. The 1st Amendment states Congress shall make no Law... How does Congress make a Law? Well, if they'd paid attention in civics class, if they were taught it, they'd know that a public school having their graduation in a church facility is NOT Congress making a Law. But then, facts don't matter in some cases, just like the words 'separation of church and state' NOT being in The Constitution. It works the same way with the 2nd Amendment with the words 'shall not be infringed'.
ReplyDelete