kate Admin
Joined: 14 May 2004 Posts: 1891 Location: Upstate, New York
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Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject: Judge: No prayer at graduation ( But ..... ) |
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There is hope - these kids took things into their own hands , and a BZ to them!
Kentucky.com
Quote: | Judge: No prayer at graduation
BUT STUDENT DELIVERS RELIGIOUS REMARKS ANYWAY, DRAWING LOUD APPLAUSE
By Bill Estep
SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU
RUSSELL SPRINGS -A federal judge barred prayer during a Russell County High School graduation ceremony last night but it included a religious message nonetheless. Megan Chapman made sure of that.
Chapman, chosen by fellow seniors to deliver opening remarks, had planned to include a prayer as had been the practice at commencement for decades. Instead, she talked of her faith and God's love.
"God will never leave you or forsake you," she said drawing a loud standing ovation from the 2,000-plus people packed into the gym.
Many in the conservative county did not agree with U.S. District Judge Judge Joseph McKinley's decision barring the prayer.
Mark Lawless, a Baptist minister in Russell Springs, and several members of his church stood at the entrance of the high school holding signs with religious messages. There are more than a 100 churches in the county, and religion is important to many people, he said, calling it a travesty that a minority view could override a majority view.
"They call it a free country (but) they're taking religion right out of the schools. I don't call that free," said Tom Crawford, who was holding a sign that said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." Anthony Padgett, whose daughter Misty was graduating, called the judge's ruling wrong.
"When they took prayer out of school and took the paddle out of school, that was the worse thing," he said.
Several students interrupted principal Darren Gossage early in the ceremony to recite a portion of the Lord's Prayer, an act the crowd cheered.
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McKinley granted a temporary restraining order yesterday barring a prayer at the school's commencement.
School officials strongly disagreed with the decision but didn't have time yesterday to attempt to overturn it before the ceremony, said attorney Michael Owsley of Bowling Green, who represented Gossage. McKinley's ruling came in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by a student identified only as John Doe.
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