Student faces backlash for seeking removal of Ten Commandments from classrooms

[Phillip McCleod]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/12/oklahoma-high-school-student-seeks-removal-of-ten-commandment-displays/

An atheist student in Oklahoma has faced a backlash after contacting the Freedom From Religion Foundation about Ten Commandments displays posted in his high school’s classrooms.

Gage Pulliam of Muldrow told Patheos on Saturday that he wanted to remain anonymous, but decided to reveal his identity after other students were blamed for alerting the organization. He said his younger sister had faced verbal harassment over the issue and some students had threatened violence against him.

“I want people to know this isn’t me trying to attack religion,” he explained. “This is me trying to create an environment for kids where they can feel equal.”

After contacting the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the organization send a letter to Muldrow High School administrators warning that religious displays in public schools violated the U.S. Constitution.

“If the facts are as presented to us, and the Ten Commandments are on display throughout Muldrow Public Schools, the displays must be removed immediately,” FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott said.

[sarin]

1. It is unfortunate

That this student will now be ostracized even though it is the school that is breaking the law. These "good" Christians will view this as an attack on their religion and try to take it out on the kid. Ridiculous that they think they can do that.

[trotsky]

4. What's even more upsetting is that these "good" Christians have allies among the liberals.

There are those who, even here on DU, will dismiss efforts like this as counterproductive. They think that because there are more important issues, non-Christians should just accept these unconstitutional acts. They allege that by fighting these battles, we scare Christians away from voting Democratic.

It's disturbing that the same logic was applied by some Democrats to both the civil rights and GLBT movements. But at least that tells me we are on the right side of history and they are not.

[sigmasix]

2. NeoChristian bullies

It sounds like the school is responsible for allowing neoChristian zealouts to bully children who want thier civil rights to be respected.

Why do Neo-Christian Teabaggers hate children and America so much?

[Goblinmonger]

5. Neo(?) Christians

If by "neo" you mean doing the same thing Christians have been doing for centuries, then OK. But you may want to use a word that actually means that. There is nothing "new" about what is being done here.

[LostOne4Ever]

3. Hypocrisy knows no bounds

He said his younger sister had faced verbal harassment over the issue and some students had threatened violence against him.

The hypocrisy of the theocrats is even larger than that:


[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#dcdcdc; padding-bottom:5px; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom:none; border-radius:0.4615em 0.4615em 0em 0em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/12/atheist-and-christian-high-school-students-protest-over-ten-commandments/[div class="excerpt" style="background-color:#f0f0f0; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top:none; border-radius:0em 0em 0.4615em 0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]“It’s Christianity under attack within our own country,” said Josh Moore, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Muldrow, Oklahoma. “The irony can’t be missed by anyone who’s lived in this country or grown up in this country.”

They are the ones threatening violence and harassing KIDS, yet they think they are the ones being attacked.

They need to get the message: THIS COUNTRY belongs to all of us, not just them; and the government does not take sides!