Supreme Court Religious Bombshell – Look What’s Happening Now
(DailyVantage.com) – The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) handed down its ruling in the Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case on June 27. The 6 to 3 decision held that the district violated coach Joseph Kennedy’s First Amendment rights to freedom of religious exercise and freedom of speech when it asked him to stop praying on the field after football games and then fired him. In the month following the ruling, there has been controversy on both sides of the issue. Some activists are pushing for more prayer in school, while others demand the separation between church and state remain firmly in place.
In the aftermath, some school officials in Oregon, Alabama, and Illinois have stated they’re reviewing policies surrounding employee prayer. Others in Michigan, Florida, and Hawaii are investigating potential ways to offer religious studies or prayer on campus. Christi Fraga, who serves on the Miami-Dade school board, told The Washington Post she hopes the ruling “brings back our country to its foundation,” of a “belief of a higher power.”
A month after the Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case, activists have their eye on introducing more prayer into public schools. https://t.co/WaOt3LSFIS
— Michael Li 李之樸 (@mcpli) July 26, 2022
On the other side of the issue are those who are afraid this ruling will open the door to overturning prior cases directly dealing with prayer in schools. For instance, Laurie Gaylor, who co-founded the Freedom From Religion Foundation, told WaPo that educational institutions already blatantly disregard these former rulings. Her organization fights back against coaches and school officials who work it into the daily class schedule.
Stephen Collins of Deseret News pointed out the common misconception many hold about the Kennedy case, believing the ruling permits teachers and staff members to lead students in prayer while at school. He states this simply isn’t true; The SCOTUS majority merely recognized a person maintains the right to practice religion no matter where they are — even on school grounds. All Kennedy wanted to do was continue his private prayer after the games.
Those demanding separation of church and state seemingly fail to realize the court’s decision didn’t overturn any prior rulings banning prayer in public schools.
Where do you fall on this issue?
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