'The New Jersey Wall' between Church and State

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The May story of Olivia Turton, an 8 year old Frenchtown NJ resident who was denied the ability to sing "Awesome God" for her school's talent show, was brought back into the news today with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) joining the lawsuit filed by her parents, and bringing forth a motion on Monday to participate in the case. It is not often that the ADF (Alliance Defence Fund) and the ACLU, agree on anything. About time I say....

When the laws were written to maintain a seperation of church and state there were good reasons behind them. They were designed to allow people to worship or not worship as they saw fit and to keep the government out of their religious beliefs and business. The law was designed to prevent national laws on what religion you can and cannot practice. Over the years we have completely lost sight of this purpose and have morphed the law into in some ways the opposite of its original intention, especially where Christians in America are concerned. Seperation of church and state is decried everywhere now,  primarly to stop religious expression of individuals. 

"The school's position is that it did not violate the student's First Amendment rights, and the school acted properly in rejecting the use of the song ... because of it's overtly religious nature." Really?

On the day of the talent show, a Federal Judge declined an emergency request to compel the school to let Olivia sing “Awesome God.” After hearing arguments in Trenton, U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler said he refused to decide “a complex constitutional issue at the 11th hour,” said attorney Demetrios K. Stratis, who is representing the child.

The Judge finds the First Amendment a "complex constitutional issue"?.....OK

Thanks to Gribbit @ Stop The ACLU for the story. His latest comment on the site is food for thought:

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"Here is something that needs to be considered. The School Board is probably going to be meeting, or has already met to discuss this matter. Knowing that the ACLU and the ADF will in all likelihood pursue this to the highest reaches of the federal court system, and knowing that they would lose in this fashion, they will ultimately give in. However, this being said, that talent show is over. This little girl who was looking forward to singing in public for what might be the very first time, has been dealt a blow to the development of her talent. If she has aspirations to being an entertainer, this could possibly have an adverse affect on her ability to do so. A piece of this little girl has been hurt. And no matter the ruling or decision of the school board to back off of their position, the damage has been done. What will they do to correct this? I’m not sure that it can be corrected."

More @ Courier News

Comments

[fd10801]

Ditto everyone...
I found your 'blog by way of the Oliver Willis ("don't say good things about black people, it drives me crazy") kerfluffle.

I'll be reading you regularly, from now on.

Go, Condi, Go!
http://www.condipundit.com

[Lilly]

I just can't believe it. Is this America, the ideal and the example of liberty and freedom? It looks more like Stalinism and the worst kind of dictatorship. What are we to expect next? Who in his right mind could do this? Are they going to censor all the classics - poets and composers who wrote religious music and verses? Where are they going to stop?

[Gribbit]

First of all Thank You Alexandra for exposing this issue on your site as well.

Next I'd like to echo North's comments. Children need to be encouraged not discouraged. And these actions are exactly as you've discribed.

The real troubling part of this is the federal judge's unwillingness to intervene. He obviously didn't wish to rock any boats. But in his caution, he sunk it.

Good looking blog Alexandra. And Thank You Again for your support.

[North by Northwest]

It makes my blood boil. It's one thing to debate the various aspects of the law, constitutional and/or otherwise. But Gribbit really hits the nail on the head. Being a father of a little girl in first grade, I can tell you...Mmmh, no I better refrain from telling you what I would be driven to have done.

My burning question is this: How could this happen? A school, and with school I am obviously referring to the ordinary and most probably entirely morally upright and decent mothers and fathers who are representing same; A SCHOOL, whose sole purpose is to educate, to encourage, to support our little ones, a school of all institutions allows itself to act in this way. It's the kind of action I'd expect from the 'Politbuero' of the regional communist party in contempory China or during the pre 1989 Soviet Union era... But New Jersey in 2005... Why??? What caused these mothers and fathers to behave in this way??? Please help me to understand.

[Alexandra]

Thank you Jay, and hey, the ACLU joining is a bit of a victory worth celebrating for you guys! Don't you think?

[Jay]

Awesome!