Atheist student editorial pulled from Tenn. paper

SpeakInSilence · #1 Feb 23, '12, 1:52 pm

Quote:

LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (AP) — The atheist student editor of the Lenoir City High School newspaper says her editorial was pulled after school officials claimed it would be disruptive.
The editorial titled "No Rights: The Life of an Atheist" accuses administrators, teachers and coaches of promoting their Christian beliefs at school and during school-sponsored events.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/art...#ixzz1nF4u8FtJ

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/art...er-3355802.php

Oh the humanity

**Dale_M** · #2 Feb 23, '12, 2:31 pm

Quote:

The 18-year-old honor student also complained that school board meetings begin with prayers, prayers are offered at graduation, one teacher wore a T-shirt with a crucifix and teachers often use Bible verses for a "quote of the day" they write on classroom boards.

Some of those things are illegal and others seem designed to evade the law. I can see why the student, Krystal Myers, might be upset and want to publish an editorial.

I can also see why the school would find such an editorial, accusing teachers and administrators of misconduct, as being potentially disruptive. According the Schools Director, Wayne Miller, the student could have sought redress through other means than the editorial.

Quote:

Information that might not be appropriate for general distribution to students, including that of a religious or sexual nature, can still be discussed in Lenoir City High School under the proper circumstances, Miller said.

The high school offers a program called P3 or "positive, peer pressure" where students are able to voice opinions on a wide range of subjects including religion, he said. There are also "hot-lines" that students can use to reach out during any type of personal crisis, including bullying, he said

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/fe...sh-atheist-on/

However, I am not sure those remedies are really designed for the sort of complaint she has. And Miller said the schools are on the right side of the law, which makes me think he is dismissive of her concerns.

VeritasLuxMea · #3 Feb 23, '12, 2:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpeakInSilence

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/art...#ixzz1nF4u8FtJ

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/art...er-3355802.php

Oh the humanity

...and if this happened to a Catholic, your opinion would be what exactly?

Contra Mundum · #4 Feb 23, '12, 2:54 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeritasLuxMea

...and if this happened to a Catholic, your opinion would be what exactly?

It happens to Catholics all the time sweetie.

VeritasLuxMea · #5 Feb 23, '12, 2:56 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Contra Mundum

It happens to Catholics all the time sweetie.

I don't know what "all the time" means but yes, it does happen.

Heuchler · #6 Feb 23, '12, 2:57 pm

I don't mean to be rude but once again, it seems that an atheist is afraid of hearing anything about God. Unless one is called out or discriminated against, the best response is to just ignore religion if you are an atheist. There is no reason to be offended by every cross you see and every Bible verse that is around. My bet would be that the verses written on the board were from Proverbs and is about wisdom, the truth or being good. Probably nothing really religious because they would be fired for writing things like "No one goes to the Father except through me".

SeanF1989 · #7 Feb 23, '12, 3:04 pm

Why do I get the impression that all atheists want the entire world under USSR style atheist dictatorship?

In France it is forbidden to wear any religious items and if a Christian in secular France wrote a paper titled "No Rights for Catholics in Secular France" how would the lefti-wing, secular brigade react?

ringil · #8 Feb 23, '12, 3:06 pm

That's TN for you. . . .

VeritasLuxMea · #9 Feb 23, '12, 3:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanF1989

Why do I get the impression that all atheists want the entire world under USSR style atheist dictatorship?

Yeah that...or they don't want to be proselytized to in school (which they are forced to attend.)

SpeakInSilence · #10 Feb 23, '12, 3:21 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeritasLuxMea

...and if this happened to a Catholic, your opinion would be what exactly?

If it would be Catholic I'd be hurt, yet not surprised. You know the hypocrisy of this is? When someone offends an Atheist they get awarded 40,000 dollars, when someone wants to pray in school they get sued.

What we are learning is that it's perfectly acceptable to bash religion in school, and you can only be religious in your house or in your church, everywhere else it's a crime against humanity.

Semper Zelare · #11 Feb 23, '12, 3:24 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanF1989

Why do I get the impression that all atheists want the entire world under USSR style atheist dictatorship?

In France it is forbidden to wear any religious items and if a Christian in secular France wrote a paper titled "No Rights for Catholics in Secular France" how would the lefti-wing, secular brigade react?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_atheism

I don't know exactly how many countries have been under a regime which imposed State atheism aka: the country was officially Irreligious.

At least 10 countries in history, maybe more than 20... Anyways, every single one of them killed Christians. I'm going to let that sink in.... every one of these governments murdered people for their faith.

And in this country we file lawsuits about ANYTHING. Look at this insignificant thread topic... a newspaper article got pulled. Guess what it was about? The school in Tennessee was murdering Christians. accused of academic misconduct. PFFT. *Uses Italian hand gesture showing insignificance*

But, next time an atheist says "Christians are responsible for wars"... and you ask them which, and they start talking about the Crusades... please remind them that since the Crusades the world has seen ALL of the countries mentioned in the wikipedia article murder Christians... why? Because they were atheists.

And most importantly, it happened less than 100 years ago to our neighbor to the South: Mehico. If it can happen to a country which is devoutly Catholic like Mexico... why can't it happen here, where Catholics are 1/5 of the population, and the number that will oppose you is far less? EDIT= Let's just throw in a quote from wikipedia showing what atheists are capable of:
Between 1926 and 1934 at least 40 priests were killed.[38] Where there were 4,500 priests serving the people before the rebellion, in 1934 there were only 334 priests licensed by the government to serve fifteen million people, the rest having been eliminated by emigration, expulsion, and assassination

What were atheists in Mexico doing between 1926 and 1934? murdering priests.

Oh, sorry if that's not politically correct enough for you, but it is factually correct so.... *condescending Italian hand gesture*

just sayin'

Hokomai · #12 Feb 23, '12, 3:25 pm

The school is wrong. It is not the editorial which threatens disruption. It is the abuse of public resources and the abuse of teachers' and governors' positions which has caused disruption.

Havard · #13 Feb 23, '12, 3:34 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ringil

Thinking of the world as "white hats versus black hats" makes lifemuch more simple.

What a coincidence.

Not only do I dislike hats in general, I also dislike government indoctrination of any ideology, whether it be atheism, agnosticism, or any theistic religion.

ringil · #14 Feb 23, '12, 3:57 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havard

What a coincidence.

Not only do I dislike hats in general, I also dislike government indoctrination of any ideology, whether it be atheism, agnosticism, or any theistic religion.

Im with you there. I just don't like it how Christianity (usually Protestantism) makes it's way into public schools- especially in the South.

I had to listen to more than one prayer during my high school years in rural VA. I never liked it at all and I'm a Christian, so I can only imagine how an atheist would feel.

If I want my child to hear about faith I will send them to a Catholic School.

Heuchler · #15 Feb 23, '12, 4:01 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hokomai

The school is wrong. It is not the editorial which threatens disruption. It is the abuse of public resources and the abuse of teachers' and governors' positions which has caused disruption.

All the teachers have done is worn a shirt featuring a geometric shape (the article does not say crucifix so for all we know this could have been simply an artistic cross worn by an unbeliever) and wrote quotes on the board probably something along the lines of "Work hard and become a leader, be lazy and never succeed." Proverbs 12:24. The only way the student knew it was from the Bible was probably because the teacher actually cited where it was from. Other than that though, we only have a vague description of how religious these people actually were (which really isn't that influential or blatantly religious).