Government agents promoting religion
A Florida high school principal and athletic director are "facing criminal charges and up to six months in jail" for violating a court order not to promote religion at school-sponsored events. This particular school (and the type of employees it seems to attract) has long been infamous for unconstitutionally promoting religion:
"The defendants all admitted wrongdoing," said Daniel Mach, director of litigation for its [the ACLU's] freedom of religion program. "For example, the Pace High School teachers handbook asks teachers to 'embrace every opportunity to inculcate, by precept and example, the practice of every Christian virtue.' "
I have virtually no sympathy for these people. They, as part of the government, and being paid with tax dollars, promoted a religion at school events and in their capacity as agents of the government. There can be no excuse for this abuse of power and violation of individual rights (the right not to have their taxes spent to support someone's religion).
What is so hard for so many people to understand about the phrase, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."? When combined with the 14th Amendment, this restriction applies to the states, too (as determined by the courts). Almost exactly the same language is in Florida's constitution. But even if this rule was not part of the U.S. or Florida constitutions, it would still be clearly immoral for government to take any actions to promote religion.
Whether $1M or a single penny, the spending of tax payer money to print religious sayings on money, to engrave religious sayings on public buildings, or to pay the salary of someone who is leading prayer in their capacity as a government agent is, to varying extents, an establishment of religion that violates the 1st Amendment as well as basic moral decency and the secular principles of our country.
Now maybe jail is a little harsh for these jokers, but is what they did really much different than if they had come up to you, robbed you at gunpoint, and used the stolen cash to spread their religion? In fact, the only difference is that they got the tax collecting arm of the government to do the robbing for them.
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