Originally Published 5/8/2009 on my Facebook "Notes" series: "My Soapbox Topic Of The Day."
Let Me Be Clare…
The following (which you may be familiar with) is an excerpt from Snopes.com:
“...The incident the e-mail is based upon took place on 20 May 2001 during the commencement exercises at Washington Community High School in Washington, Illinois. With the help of the ACLU, the family of Natasha Appenheimer, that year's valedictorian, brought suit to prevent the inclusion of the invocation and benediction traditionally given at the school's commencement ceremony. The suit was decided in the favor of the Appenheimers when, three days before the ceremony, the court handed down a temporary injunction barring the inclusion of the prayers on the basis of their having been deemed "school sponsored" (and thereby an unconstitutional violation of the first amendment's "establishment clause")…”
When I hear stories like this, in the United States, a city called Washington, no less, I find it very hard to recognize us as we are supposed to govern, anymore. How in God's name can the courts get away with taking our rights away, like this? It's totally unconstitutional. This incident took place 8 years ago and is just one example. Since then there have been more of the same and what are we as Christians and citizens doing about it? We have a constitutional right to assemble and peacefully practice our religious beliefs, without discrimination and that includes employees of governmental institutions and affiliations. Let me repeat, that does NOT establish a national religion. Those of us that seriously believe that it is unconstitutional to do so, should re-evaluate their position, search their hearts, their motives and intentions for supporting this false notion and twisted interpretation of the First Amendment. I suggest that there is a spiritual element of defiance driving their agenda, a desire and a futile attempt to escape accountability, to our creator.
We, on the other side should be so bold and passionate about our position. We, the people need to stop being such cowards and stand up for our rights and the constitution. This country was built on bravery and it's being systematically dismantled under fear. If our founding fathers were afraid of offending anyone, with their beliefs, what kind of nation would we be? Answer: one we're digressing toward rapidly. It's time to be heard, or our generations to come, our children and grandchildren and their children, will pay the price. Do we really want them to be raised in the USSA?
May His blessings be upon you and your soapbox,
Doug