Chad

How do the religious slogans memoralize the dead students? As far as I can tell, some of parents are exploiting their child's death to promote the particular religion. One of the biggest offender's is Rachael Joy Scott's father. He travels around the country to give speeches about how is daughter was murdered because she was a Christian. Some of these speeches are given at NRA rallies.

Also, why do some idiots think disallowing religious speech equates to promoting atheism? I saw an email posted on Talkback Live that said as much.

Splat

Well, if the family's deepest beliefs are religious, and that's the only comfort they can find, it makes sense to me that religious expressions are what would come out in their memorial tiles.

Likewise, I can't be too surprised that one (or more) of the parents has turned it into a crusade. And given that they'll use anything they can their hands on to deflect attention from the issue of gun violence, the NRA's adoption of Mr. Scott's speeches is entirely predictable too.

As for the promotion of atheism, that's just absurd, and I'd bet dollars to dog nuts that the administrators would've removed a tile that said "if there were a god, and he was good, this wouldn't have happened." And rightly so.

Chad

Splat,

I certainly feel for any parent that loses a child. Furthermore, if their religion allows them to cope, so be it. I am not interested in taking that away from them. However, I simply do not see how a tile that says "Jesus is Lord" memoralizes anyone's kid.

Krieger

Separation 1, Reaction 0

GaryP

Freedom Forum's Charles Haynes opinion on this matter;

But wouldn’t a permanent display of painted tiles — some with religious symbols and messages — send a message of school endorsement of religion? Not necessarily. The school could put up a plaque in the hallway explaining the purpose of the tiles and clearly stating that the messages displayed are from students, parents and others in the community, not from the school. Surely people can tell the difference.

The school district may have won a victory in court, but it has lost considerable ground in the effort to bring healing and renewal to a wounded school community. Keeping a few religious symbols and messages off those little tiles in the hallways isn’t worth the cost — and shouldn’t be allowed under the First Amendment.

From http://www.freedomforum.org/template...cumentID=17470

ELECTROGOD

Yeah, I saw that on TalkBackLive too and the religious guy had nothing behind his claims or reasons for doing what he was trying to do...except for a blatent intent on promoting his own religion. It was the same as listening to an "(Un)Intelligent Design Theory" proponent trying to back up his bullshit claims with nothing.

GaryP

I usually come close to agreeing with Charles Haynes. But It is dissapointing to see him make the argument that religious tiles should be allowed to promote the healing of the community.

Would a tile that says, "Where the Hell was god?" promote the healing? If my kid had been killed there, that is the type of thing that would make ME feel better.

ELECTROGOD

Ya, that's a good one. Might look good on t-shirts also.

atheist_in_foxhole

God saved a young Columbine student from the 1999 massacre only to let him die in a fiery plane crash last Friday.

The Lord sure has a strange sense of humor!

ELECTROGOD

If "god" had wanted us to fly "he" would have given us wings.
(couldn't resist)