Indiana lawmaker pushing for schools to require daily prayer

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Raw Story

Indiana lawmaker pushing for schools to require daily prayer
By Arturo Garcia
Friday, January 4, 2013 14:44 EST


The Indiana state senator who lost his bid for creationism to be part of public education is now proposing that schools have the option of engaging in a daily Christian prayer.

According to The Indianapolis Star, state Sen. Dennis Kruse (R) has filed a bill allowing school districts to make recitation of the Lord’s Prayer a daily requirement, while allowing individual students to decline.

However, the bill has already been shuffled off to the state Senate’s rules and legislative procedure committee by President Pro Tempore Sen. David Long (R), who told the newspaper his instincts thought it was unconstitutional. Long also said he believed Kruse, who chairs the group’s Education and Career Development Committee, intended the bill to make a statement.

If so, it’s a statement that was troubling to Andrew Seidel, a staff attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, who called the bill “blatantly unconstitutional,” pointing out that students already have the right to individual prayer.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/04/indiana-lawmaker-pushing-for-schools-to-require-daily-prayer/

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[center]

State Senator Dennis Kruse (R)[/center]

[azurnoir]

1. isn't that against the Constitution or something?

like that would matter to some folks

[Cosmocat]

2. I have no problem with schools having a time for prayer

as long as people are prepared to accept that everyone gets to practice THEIR faith.

That means you better be prepared to have little Mohammad doing salah a couple times a day ...

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof "

That means all or none.

[UrbScotty]

3. Allowing is one thing. Requiring is another. (See: Constitution, 1st Amendment to the)

[Crow73]

4. Which god?

All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds and may Allah perpetually shower His peace and blessings on Sayyidina Muhammad, His last chosen Prophet. Aameen.

or

This food is the gift of the whole universe,
Each morsel is a sacrifice of life,
May I be worthy to receive it.
May the energy in this food,
Give me the strength,
To transform my unwholesome qualities
into wholesome ones.

I am grateful for this food,
May I realize the Path of Awakening,
For the sake of all beings.
Namo Amida Buddha.

[Xipe Totec]

7. Bacchus. And we need to add wine to school lunches too.

Purely for religious services.

[Myrina]

5. These knuckleheads have been trying to do this for years ...

... and now with Pence (R-Nutball) taking over the Governorship, they probably think it's a home run.
And they're right, but the ICLU will be on them like a tick by the end of the day he does sign it into law.

[ladym55]

6. I have an idea!!!!

Instead of requiring Christian prayer, why don't we work on making sure ALL children are raised to treat each other and their teachers with kindness and civility.

I'm really tired of people yapping about prayer in schools while hating on children, gays, poor people, people of color, etc., etc., etc.

And another thought: Umm, Senator Kruse, WHICH version of the Lord's Prayer will you require??? Depends on the denomination whether it's debts, trespasses, or sins. Some denominations stop the prayer earlier than others. Could get tricky in the ol' state house!

To me this like posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings while violating all of the concepts listed there. Just sayin'.

[OverBurn]

8. My poor state of Indiana is looking more idiotic every freaking day.

A damn tea-bagging Governor elected, they passed the awful "right to work" bill, some counties started charging kids to ride the school bus (unfucking believable right?). Vouchers going to private religious based schools, taking money away from already financially strapped public schools. What a fucked up place Indiana is.

[coldbeer]

9. Jesus preaches against prayer for show

MAT 06:05 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the
synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward.

[elleng]

11. Thanks for this.

[Judi Lynn]

12. That has ALWAYS been ignored by these clowns.

There is nothing confusing about that statement. It shouldn't be that easy to forget, but the professional Christian poseurs live as if it had never been spoken or written.

They have no defense against it.

[Ligyron]

15. Pubic prayers are nothing but histrionic statements of belief

intended for those in the audience hearing them.

Actual prayer is a private affair.

[FiveGoodMen]

17. And that is how we know that their beliefs are not sincere

They don't follow the teachings of their own god because they don't really take "him" seriously.

If they really believed, they wouldn't dare defy their "savior".

[elleng]

10. 'Christian' prayer, naturally.

[DRoseDARs]

13. Pretty easy way to torpedo this bill AND this guy's political career: He's an anti-Semite.

Hmm, so they don't have any little Jewish children in Indiana public schools? Never mind that it's unquestionably unconstitutional and it doesn't matter he's including a provision for students to opt out, that's a non-starter due to peer pressure and ostracisation. What's that called when you force Jews to participate in non-Jewish religious activities? There's a specific name for it, but I can't recall it. Pull a page from the rightwing's playbook and make this guy a political smear on the pavement. He wants to "make a statement" to society at-large? Make him an example to conservatives at-large...

[Behind the Aegis]

14. "Dear Lord, please protect me from thine batshit crazy followers!"

[FiveGoodMen]

16. This shit has got to stop

If the Christianists keep taking pot shots at the Bill of Rights, eventually they will score a hit.

Dennis Kruse is the enemy of America.

[Honest_Abe]

18. Indiana Constitution is even clearer than the U.S. Constitution: Article I,

Section 3. No law shall, in any case whatever, control the free exercise and enjoyment of religious opinions, or interfere with the rights of conscience.
Section 4. No preference shall be given, by law, to any creed, religious society, or mode of worship; and no person shall be compelled to attend, erect, or support, any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry, against his consent.

[Delphinus]

23. And as a state senator,

he should know this, shouldn't he? He is a joke.

[alp227]

19. INDIANASTAN. IRANDIANA. SAUDIANA. What was this senator thinking?

Wait until a Muslim teacher in that state initiates a prayer from the Quran. Fox Boobs etc. will be screaming "SHARIA LAW!!!!!!" unaware that the Sharia was THEIR. OWN. DOING.

[knitter4democracy]

20. Which one?

The Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern Orthodox all have different versions of the Lord's Prayer. So, what if I, an Eastern Orthodox Christian, led class by making the kids say my version instead?

This isn't just wrong for non-Christians. It's wrong for all of us.

[sakabatou]

21. Sorry, Kruse, that'd be illegal

[and-justice-for-all]

22. Highly unconstitutional and the case should not get a hearing..nt

[Wolf Frankula]

24. Allfather Odin

Look upon us with favor today,
Grant wisdom to our minds,
Strength to our arms,
Patience to our hearts.
Give us clear sight
And the courage to do what is right.

How could Kruse object to that?

Wolf

[AngryOldDem]

25. This is just Indiana lawmaker grandstanding at its finest.

Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

IF it gets out of committee...IF it passes...it will be declared unconstitutional.

Kruse is trying to make a point -- like other rightwing pols -- about how godless our society has become.

Just treat it as the big, sad joke that it is and move on.

Honestly, I wish they would spend more time working on legislation that would actually help this state, rather than bullshit like this. It's a huge waste of time.

[meti57b]

26. What happened to that "meet you at the flagpole" idea these folks had, some years back?

[madrchsod]

27. i did`t have prayer in my schools in the 50`s and 60`s......oh no!!!

that`s what is wrong with me! instead of going to sunday school at my methodist church i should have been going to school for my religious teachings!