Tyranny Of The Minority

Judge Allows Four Florida Schools to Hold Graduation in a Church

A federal judge said yesterday he'll allow four Brevard County, Florida, high schools to hold their graduation ceremonies at a church, but he scolded the school district for choosing a religious facility. U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell refused to stop the ceremonies because he said the case was filed too late, but he said, quote, "it seems clear to me that a secular facility ... should have been chosen."

A student, a Buddhist father, and another atheist parent filed suit to stop the ceremonies from being held at Calvary Chapel in Melbourne. According to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which brought the suit on behalf of the plaintiffs, school officials refused to consider alternatives, conceding only turning off a light illuminating a 16-foot cross behind the sanctuary's dais.

However, school officials say there's nothing wrong with choosing the church for the ceremonies. Sara Stern, spokeswoman for Brevard Public Schools, told AP, "This is a graduation ceremony; it's not a religious ceremony. We're handling it as a purely secular purpose. Therefore, because there are no religious icons other than the cross in the back, we feel that the facility is not unconstitutional."

Is it just me or do the Buddhist and Atheist seem rather intolerant of Christianity? Why should 20,000 people be inconvenienced just because 3 selfish, malcontents have hang ups with Christianity? If they are that bothered by the cross, stay home!

Check out the website of Space Coast Freethought Association. This is the organization that Dianna Narciso (her son's a 9th grader not even graduating)belongs to, she's one of the three that started all the trouble. One of the group's goals is Freedom From Religion not Freedom Of Religion.