American Legion pulls scholarships over Veteran’s Day school prayer

No, Mr. Selle, we are NOT a “Christian-based country.” We are a country founded on the principle that there is NO state religion, that religion is a private matter and cannot be forced or foisted on anyone against his or her will. I’d refer you to Matthew 6:5-6, but apparently, trumpeting your devotion for all to see and admire is more important to you than awarding scholarships to kids who need them.

The Bloomington American Legion Post decided to throw a fit, and like all 2 year olds they needed to express their rage. So they decided to “punish the school district” by denying scholarships to individual students whose “crime” apparently is that they attend public school. Exactly how withholding scholarships to individual students punishes a school district is not clear. But it is their money and they can gosh darn well do what they want, so if they want to take their money and go home and pout they can do that. They’ll just put their beer and pulltab money toward some other God-fearing charitable cause. The kids? Just consider the kids “collateral damage”.

One would think someone hopefully smart enough to become a “commander” would be knowledgeable enough about one of the more important strengths of their country NOT to say something as ignorant as “we are a Christian-based country and a military based on Christian-based principles,” while probably claiming to defend freedom.

Good for them! We are so afraid of a little prayer yet we will fill our kids with all kind of garbage. When prayer was legal, the thought of school shootings wasn’t even on the radar. Now schools have regular violence and no prayer.

It’s their money, they can do as they feel morally obligated to do with it.

Dennis, sorry, when prayer was “allowed” gun-ownership rates were far lower and the access to around-the-clock news was — oh, nill. And the prevelance for pedophile priests was higher.
And if the VFW had any sense of the history of America’s foreign-wars, then they’d remeber the Treaty of Tripoli – article 11 which explicitly claims “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion;…”
That was signed by none other than our country’s famous founding-father John Adams, with the words (added by him) : “Now be it known, That I John Adams, President of the United States of America, having seen and considered the said Treaty do, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, accept, ratify, and confirm the same, and every clause and article thereof.”

As long as there are pop-quizzes, there will always be prayer in public schools.

[...] the district refused to let the VFW lead students in prayer during in-school Veterans Day programs. Minnesota Independent reports: School officials said the group led the students in prayer during the 2008 Veteran’s Day [...]

Interesting–they are taking their ball (money) and going home in a tizzy. Yes, the possible recepients will be left out–but the VFW and the American Legion are both groups of over the hill drunks who live in the past. And their “God” ain’t gonna change that. No matter how many times they pray!

Still disappointing that they don’t know any better.

While it is very unfortunate that the children who could have gotten scholarship funds have missed out, it is their money to do with what they will. Perhaps, next year, they could hold their own ceremony in their legion and then they could lead it however they like. It’s regretable that it had to end up like this.

It would kill the atheists to show a little tolerance toward Christians? Ironic that those that scream “tolerance” the loudest are the first to be offended.

First off, its their money. They have every right to distribute it as they see fit. Second, people ignorant of the Constitution and their own rights. The 1st Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;”. It says nothing about no religion in public, no Christmas decorations, no prayer in school. If anything, it seems it should encourage it.

Dan religion “in public” is fine. The line has to be drawn at government sponsorship of religion. In other words, you are free to put up Christmas trees, pass around rattlesnakes, or erect shrines for the return of John Frum. It has to be YOUR thing–the government can’t endorse it.