The other day, I was having a little FB debate with a stranger about school prayer. The guy claimed public schools and districts are not the government and saw no reason not to have a prayer said along with the pledge. After a little back and forth, he said his wife worked in a public school and her paycheck was signed by a school district administrator, not the government. Ugh! I wonder if his wife knows she is or was a government employee! He also said his son and friends were told they can only pray on the playground. I told him he has a right to complain about that, if it really happened. Then he said he wasn't talking about his son. Huh? I pointed him to the Dept of Education's guidance on prayer in school and gave up! I probably shouldn't have bothered at all but maybe something sunk in for him or someone else. Yeah, I know this is just wishful thinking on my part!
The recent coronation of Charles III was an amazing spectacle. Though my overall view of royalty is pretty close to Tom Paine's, I would not have missed the awesome dignity of ancient ritual in a setting or unsurpassed splendor. It was history made live. Of course, the coronation is a (very) religious event. I could not count the number of times that Christ was invoked in the ceremony. It was probably the most magnificent thing I have ever seen.
I am SO VERY VERY glad that we do not do that here. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Washington, Adams, and Hamilton for giving us a SECULAR republic! Let the Brits do the pomp and splendor (or "splendour"). I am happy to be a spectator. But let me live in a country where the power, prestige, or authority of the state are not used to promote religion.
The other day, I was having a little FB debate with a stranger about school prayer. The guy claimed public schools and districts are not the government and saw no reason not to have a prayer said along with the pledge. After a little back and forth, he said his wife worked in a public school and her paycheck was signed by a school district administrator, not the government. Ugh! I wonder if his wife knows she is or was a government employee! He also said his son and friends were told they can only pray on the playground. I told him he has a right to complain about that, if it really happened. Then he said he wasn't talking about his son. Huh? I pointed him to the Dept of Education's guidance on prayer in school and gave up! I probably shouldn't have bothered at all but maybe something sunk in for him or someone else. Yeah, I know this is just wishful thinking on my part!
The recent coronation of Charles III was an amazing spectacle. Though my overall view of royalty is pretty close to Tom Paine's, I would not have missed the awesome dignity of ancient ritual in a setting or unsurpassed splendor. It was history made live. Of course, the coronation is a (very) religious event. I could not count the number of times that Christ was invoked in the ceremony. It was probably the most magnificent thing I have ever seen.
I am SO VERY VERY glad that we do not do that here. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Washington, Adams, and Hamilton for giving us a SECULAR republic! Let the Brits do the pomp and splendor (or "splendour"). I am happy to be a spectator. But let me live in a country where the power, prestige, or authority of the state are not used to promote religion.