High School Cheerleaders in Trouble for Bible Verse Banners

[Jazzman]

Okay, so maybe not the most socially conscious choice of the cheergirls, but it's not like it was the school that plastered the phrases across the side of the gym and forced students to memorize them. The girls did it on their own, and last I checked, that is their Constitutional right. If the phrase fits and is inspiring, then why not use it, regardless of the source? If the Qur'an said somewhere to "Rush, rush, rush my brothers, for the End Zone is sacred and the ultimate praise is to score!" then that'd be a good one too, even for non-Muslims. (I'd quote a real Qur'an verse, but I don't know any.)

Ultimately, I guess I have to wonder why stuff like this freaks people out so much. It's just some phrases on butcher paper, not a forced re-education camp.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

Ultimately, I guess I have to wonder why stuff like this freaks people out so much. It's just some phrases on butcher paper, not a forced re-education camp.

In a climate where there is a well organized, well funded, and distressingly successful by some measure effort to force mythology to be taught as a valid scientific theory, and scientific theory to be denigrated as "just a guess" no more valid than the magic in a 6000 year old book, you can forgive people for being sensitive about such things.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

Ultimately, I guess I have to wonder why stuff like this freaks people out so much. It's just some phrases on butcher paper, not a forced re-education camp.

It works to ostracize those who aren't "in." If I don't believe in the god of the banner, what do I get to do while they're standing there with it and everybody else is cheering it? I get to sit essentially by myself and it is clear that I am on the outside.

I find it generally objectionable to put a sectarian happening into what is ostensibly a public (and unrelated) event. If I go to a football game, I don't want it to feel like a religious event. I want sports, not a revival.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

It works to ostracize those who aren't "in." If I don't believe in the god of the banner, what do I get to do while they're standing there with it and everybody else is cheering it? I get to sit essentially by myself and it is clear that I am on the outside.

What happened to cheering for the team? Who would know who is cheering for Jesus, who is cheering for the team and who is cheering in hopes that someone loses their top?

I'd be more inclined to have some sort of "outrage" if someone directly involved (cheerleader, player or student) had an issue. Like HR told us in a training "you can't be offended on someone's behalf. If it bothers you then you are offended. But you can't report it because the person directly involved might or might not be". I am so sick of faux outrage on behalf of people who don't know they should be offended.

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

If I go to a football game, I don't want it to feel like a religious event. I want sports, not a revival.

Then you should stay away from any sporting even that plays God Bless America (aka Ducks games when the Stars are in town), any sporting event where the player thanks god (football games) and audience members have bible verses painted on their chests. Oh and awards ceremonies where the recipient thanks god.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

What happened to cheering for the team? Who would know who is cheering for Jesus, who is cheering for the team and who is cheering in hopes that someone loses their top?

Yet no one has addressed this.

Who would know what you're cheering for? Unless they are chanting Our Father's, then there's an issue.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

For the record - I'm not infuriated or horrified by the cheerleader banner, but I do think that it's inappropriate at a public school function, period.

Originally Posted by Jazzman

The girls did it on their own, and last I checked, that is their Constitutional right.

Students on school grounds at a school-sponsored event do not have the same free speech rights as a student outside of school.

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

What happened to cheering for the team? Who would know who is cheering for Jesus, who is cheering for the team and who is cheering in hopes that someone loses their top?

This is all the more reason to keep Jesus out of the equation. Would be nice if people actually rooted for a team to win the game, instead of rooting for Jesus to help the team to win the game.

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

Then you should stay away from any sporting even that plays God Bless America...

I'm not a fan of that either. I am not placated by the "any God" concept, since there are plenty of people who do not believe in God. Better yet, I'm getting to the point where it seems obvious to me that asking the one all-powerful being to favor their country over others is a rather ugly, divisive, spiteful concept...unless one believes that God can bless everyone simultaneously...and then it's just pointless.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Students on school grounds at a school-sponsored event do not have the same free speech rights as a student outside of school.

No, I'm pretty sure that the Constitution applies everywhere. Maybe it's different down in Cali (don't know why it would be) but school policies do not trump the Bill of Rights.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

No, I'm pretty sure that the Constitution applies everywhere. Maybe it's different down in Cali (don't know why it would be) but school policies do not trump the Bill of Rights.

More or less.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

No, I'm pretty sure that the Constitution applies everywhere. Maybe it's different down in Cali (don't know why it would be) but school policies do not trump the Bill of Rights.

I don't agree with it, but apparently school policies trump student's free-speech rights on a constant basis. What planet have you been living on?

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

If I go to a football game, I don't want it to feel like a religious event. I want sports, not a revival.

Then what about singing The Star Spangled Banner? It's done at just about every professional sporting event. You either join in, or you're sitting there silent while everyone else is standing up singing. Is this cramming Patriotism down your throat?

I have it on good authority that Uncle Sam is better hung than Jesus, so isn't patriotism at least as objectionable as christianity in this context?