What is it about nice people that attract total idiots?Nice people are martyrs. Idiots are evangelists.

SOCK IT TO ME BABY!!!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Midsummer rants

Before I start my ranting, I have another bit of sad Time Machine news:  Carl Gardner, lead singer of MHOF band the Coasters, died last Sunday at the age of 83 from a variety of illnesses including congestive heart failure.  His son, Carl Jr., has been in his spot since Carl Sr. retired in 2005.

On to the rant.  It's graduation season, and that means it's time for dozens of stories about graduating students claiming "irreparable harm" if they hear God mentioned in a valedictory speech.  Dozens of stories about overzealous administrators cracking down on even the simple bowing of heads.  And more stories about the ACLU singing, "justice is served" every time they abridge the civil rights of people who just want to put credit where credit is due- to the Glory of God.

The latest came this morning on Foxnews- and I'm not going to print it, and you'll see why in a minute.  A valedictorian wrote a speech in which he spoke eloquently about the one thing that transformed his life, the one moment that set him on the path to becoming the man he is on the way to becoming.  I think that anyone- atheist, Christian, Wiccan, or total loon- ought to have the right to express that. And I think a valedictorian has earned the right to do it at his graduation, the biggest day of his life thus far.  But because this young man was a Christian, his principal had to think about the possibility of poor atheist kids running through the crowd with their ears bleeding, judges and lawyers clamping down lawsuits upon the school system for the unspeakable crime of letting someone speak his heart, and the ACLU going on the Today Show to expose the horrible oppression of a minority by a school system that let a student say that totally obscene phrase, "Amen."  So, the principal called him into the office and told him he'd have to delete about half of his speech to avoid trouble.

So, he gave his word.  Because the Bible tells us to respect authority.  Not twist it, lie about it, or throw another lawyer onto the fire.

And when his speech came, he could hear parents and students calling on him to give the full speech.  Stand up for Freedom of Speech, as GUARANTEED in the constitution- or at least, as it is SUPPOSED to be guaranteed in the constitution.  But what did this boy do?

He kept his word.  He gave the censored speech.  He showed more honor than most people on either side of the debate do.  And in honor of his wishes, that's all the details that I am giving.

However, and I've said this a million times before- if I were in high school, I would not attend the graduation ceremony.  If the government and the ACLU are in such a desperate panic to keep the name of God out of school, fine.  While you sit and wonder why it is that we are fighting over the declining quality of schools all the time anymore, I will invite as many as possible to a private graduation ceremony, in a willing church, where we can celebrate the Great God who led us to this wonderful moment.  Some of you will say, "but that's just giving up.  We need to fight the fight, be an example by not giving up."  Maybe so.  And I will continue to pray for those who do fight the good fight.  They are young, and believe that the world can be changed and made better.  I am old, and very skeptical of a world that is desperate to crawl into the fire like a mythical salamander.  For me, it is more important to see God praised and worshipped as is His due than to fight an acrimonious battle with every Michael Nedow that crawls out from under his anti-religious rock just to be a pain in the ass and give Satan the glory.  The only glory Satan deserves is my empty seat.

4 comments:

  1. It's true that I've been hearing many stories along these same lines, but this is the first one that I heard about the student getting in trouble. Most of the time the problem is that the school is trying to lead the rest of the student in some religious ceremony. The Valedictorian mentioning god is his speech isn't a problem, and the ACLU has said as much. That is because the student is speaking on behalf of the student. The problem is when teacher, administrators, or other school faculty mention religion or hold prayer during the ceremony. They speak for the school, and if the school is funded by government money then you have to uphold separation of church and state.

    In short.
    Students can "Give glory to God"
    School Employees Cannot

    Students can endorse a specific religion
    The School must remain neutral.

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  2. Preach on, Brother!! Well said!

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  3. CWM:
    I am SO glad you took up the mantle on this.
    I was bounciong back and forth on whether or not to post about it,but you did it marvelously!
    And you knocked this ball outta the park with your commentary.

    Kudos to you, my friend.

    God Bless & stay safe up there.

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  4. Joshua:
    I've really debated whether to respond to this. In a perfect world, what you say is concrete-true and we can get along. But we both know that any speech the kid wants to give has to be filtered through the principal, who will either a) go into a pc panic and shut him down as happened in this case or b) allow it, at which point he becomes the "government trigger" you mentioned and the ACLU etc. comes in.

    Just a week or so ago a judge denied a school system to even as much as have someone to say "amen". I was glad to see that a higher court overturned such an obvious breach of free speech- a breech which, in my opinion, should cost that judge his seat. But it shows what these christian cbhildren and their administrators are faced with. And frankly, I don't understand. If you were valedictorian and came up to give an atheist speech, I wouldn't be offended. I would use my common sense to realize that those sentiments were yours, and not reflective of the school or the government. As long as you weren't saying things like "God sucks" or something insulting to the PERSON of God, whatever. I don't have to agree, I don't even have to listen. But the constitution says you get your say, and it doesn't really hurt me. But if I got up and thanked Jesus Christ for His help in my graduation, I'm in danger of being expelled because I offended you. (theoretical you, not nec. real you) Why can you not just not believe, or not pay attention? Granted, I need to stay within these same bounds (i.e. no "you're going to hell"), and I shouldn't be heckling your speech. Why is it anything I say can be 1st amendment protected, but when I mention God I'm suddenly speaking for the gov't?

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