Students Demand Apology Over Superintendent’s Christian Speech, Prayer at Graduation

[Angel4Truth]

Students Demand Apology Over Superintendent’s Christian Speech, Prayer at Graduation (4 of them)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A small group of students from a public high school in Missouri are demanding an apology from their district superintendent for incorporating Christian themes into his graduation speech and leading those gathered in a prayer.

According to reports, in addition to offering general encouragement, Superintendent Kent Medlin mentioned “the Savior” and referenced the Bible during the May 13 graduation ceremony for Willard High School. He also invited parents voluntarily to stand for a prayer of blessing over the students.

But some students say that the religious content of his message made them uncomfortable, and they felt “pressured” to stand up for the prayer when others did so.

“I was upset by it. I thought it was offensive to anyone who was attending who was not of the Christian faith,” graduate Joseph Amundson told the Springfield News Leader. “I didn’t stand because it made me so mad that he did that.”

“I came there to graduate, not go to church. It kind of ruined the rest of my night,” senior Preston Schaeffer also remarked to the outlet. “That was the last night of my high school experience and he chose to talk about religion instead of graduation.”

Medlin has offered prayer at past graduation ceremonies, but the four students who contacted the media state that they want the practice stopped. They plan to also reach out to the American Civil Liberties Union to complain.

The superintendent, however, says that he never meant to make unbelievers uncomfortable and that he rather found the evening to be beautiful.

“If my behavior was offensive to anyone then I am truly sorry,” Medlin told reporters. “I in no way wanted to offend anybody. That was not my intention.”

Some students have since come to Medlin’s defense, stating that they too found his contribution to be enjoyable and that students were never asked to stand for the prayer—only parents.

“It was clear to me that Dr. Medlin had no intention of making any graduating seniors uncomfortable when he invited parents to stand with him. We stood on our own. It was our choice. He made no indication to the class of 2017,” graduate Sam Bird wrote to the Springfield News Leader in response to the initial report.

“It is important to me for it to be known that Dr. Medlin took no rights away from my graduating class. He did not force us to do anything, nor was his intention to make anyone feel excluded. As one of the first graduates to stand, I stood on my own. He didn’t tell me to,” he noted.

“I hope everyone publicly realizes that this man truly made WHS graduation a beautiful night,” Bird said.

As previously reported, in 1828, just 52 years after the nation’s founding, Noah Webster, known as the Father of American Scholarship and Education, wrote, “In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed. … No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”

Webster’s famous 1783 “Blue Back Speller,” which taught students how to read, included God-centered statements in lessons such as “The preacher is to preach the gospel,” “Blasphemy is contemptuous treatment of God,” and “We do not like to see our own sins.”

Do you support him or think he should be fired?

 

[MrDante]

If he mentioned Allah and encouraged those attending to kneel and bow towards Mecca would you be asking this?

 

[Danoh]

If he mentioned Allah and encouraged those attending to kneel and bow towards Mecca would you be asking this?

I suspect you already know the answer to that.

 

[Danoh]

Students Demand Apology Over Superintendent’s Christian Speech, Prayer at Graduation (4 of them)



Do you support him or think he should be fired?

His is the error that passages like following DISPENSATIONAL Passage, are about the U.S.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

So, no. I do not support what he did.

He ignorantly attempted to marry Church and State in that moment.

Contrary to the foolish desire of too many on too many sides of this kind of an issue - we are rightly not in one of those countries where there is no distinction between Church and State.

At the same time, to fire the guy would be more than a bit harsh.

Further, some of those students may one day look back to that day and recall someone had cared about them beyond some need of man to glory in his own accomplishments.

In other words, these issues are often never as black or white as far too many on all sides of them, would often make them.

 

[Jonahdog]

What planet does this guy live on? Public school superintendent attempts to put Christianity into graduation.

 

[musterion]

Quit crying, Susan.

 

[Tambora]

Students Demand Apology Over Superintendent’s Christian Speech, Prayer at Graduation (4 of them)



Do you support him or think he should be fired?

I would like to know if free speech goes out the window when you are employed in a public position?
Is it really legal for an employer to prohibit their employees the Constitutional right of free speech?
:think:

 

[jgarden]

Students Demand Apology Over Superintendent’s Christian Speech, Prayer at Graduation

Am I under the misunderstanding that graduation is for the students - and not for their public school superintendent to promote his private religious agenda?

 

[Ktoyou]

I think they deserve a whipping.:mmph:

 

[Lon]

Student blocked from walking Graduation 4 painting American Flag & "Trump" over LGBT

Student blocked from walking Graduation 4 painting American Flag & "Trump" over LGBT

Students at Highline High School painted a spirit rock in front of the school with pride colors to celebrate Pride Month on Wednesday.

But that night, someone painted over the rock, covering it with an American flag and the word "Trump." A photo of it then went viral on social media with the caption "Fixed it."

A group of students expressed their concerns to the principal on Thursday, said Catherine Carbone Rogers, chief communications officer for Highline Public Schools.

The concerned students met with principal Vicki Fisher, demanding the students responsible for painting over it didn't walk at graduation.

The students also took their concerns to Highline School District Superintendent Susan Enfield in a Friday morning meeting.

She denounced the act in an emailed statement to Highline families.

"This is unacceptable," Enfield wrote. "The board and I are deeply committed to working with you to ensure that all students—and staff—feel safe and welcome in our schools."

It was repainted in school colors following Wednesday night's incident. Rogers told KING 5 students painted over the rock again on Thursday night with a Black Lives Matter message.

An all-school assembly is planned for Monday. Enfield said administrators will address creating compassionate and respectful communities in the school. -Channel 5 News Seattle

Summarized: One group of students painted over another message a rainbow LGBT. That night, another student ALSO painted over that redone rock with "Trump" and the American flag. He also painted 'fixed it." The next day, students complained and called for the head of the boy who painted over their 'feelings' making them feel 'unsafe.' They demanded that the student be barred from commencement and the principal complied.


Commentary: If a rock that was free to paint by anybody, had Glee club ruleZ! and a kid painted over it with an American Flag, Trump, and "fixed it," would the Glee club have the right to demand the student be removed from commencement? Are we suddenly thought police? What does 'fixed it' mean? "We obviously know what 'fixed it' means!"

:think: Do you? :nono: He may have been saying "I painted the rock to represent all of us." Nobody needs permission to paint the rock. Free speech should be free speech. Because it is on school property, there is a right to censor, I'd think, but banning a student for the American flag and 'fixed it?' :think:

 

[ok doser]

... students complained and called for the head of the boy who painted over their 'feelings' making them feel 'unsafe.'

this is the heart of the matter to me - the fact that the school administrators even bothered responding to the whiny fags complaining that their "feelings" had been hurt :nono:

 

[Tambora]

Summarized: One group of students painted over another message a rainbow LGBT. That night, another student ALSO painted over that redone rock with "Trump" and the American flag. He also painted 'fixed it." The next day, students complained and called for the head of the boy who painted over their 'feelings' making them feel 'unsafe.' They demanded that the student be barred from commencement and the principal complied.


Commentary: If a rock that was free to paint by anybody, had Glee club ruleZ! and a kid painted over it with an American Flag, Trump, and "fixed it," would the Glee club have the right to demand the student be removed from commencement? Are we suddenly thought police? What does 'fixed it' mean? "We obviously know what 'fixed it' means!"

:think: Do you? :nono: He may have been saying "I painted the rock to represent all of us." Nobody needs permission to paint the rock. Free speech should be free speech. Because it is on school property, there is a right to censor, I'd think, but banning a student for the American flag and 'fixed it?' :think:

Nuts, ain't it.