Why Is an Atheist High School Student Getting Vicious Death Threats? [View all]

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AlterNet / By Greta Christina

Why Is an Atheist High School Student Getting Vicious Death Threats?
Her state representative has called the student "evil" and she has been threatened with violence, rape and death. What gives?

January 18, 2012 |


If you take away just two things from the story about atheist high school student Jessica Ahlquist, and the court case she won last week to have a prayer banner taken out of her public school, let it be these:

1. The ruling in this case was entirely unsurprising. It is 100 percent in line with unambiguous legal precedent, established and re-established over many decades, exemplifying a basic principle of constitutional law.
2. As a result of this lawsuit, Jessica Ahlquist is now being bullied, ostracized and threatened with violence in her community. She has been called "evil" in public by her state representative, and is being targeted with multiple threats of violence, rape and death.

Which leads one to wonder: What the hell is going on here?

Let's get #1 out of the way first. This court decision -- that as a public school in the United States, Cranston High School West cannot promote religion, either any particular religion or the idea of religion in general -- is, in any legal sense, entirely non-controversial. In ruling after ruling, for decades now, this principle has been made eminently clear. There have, of course, been some genuinely controversial court cases recently about separation of church and state, which examined previously untested questions and established new legal precedent. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/belief/153803/why_is_an_atheist_high_school_student_getting_vicious_death_threats/