Commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog had strong reactions on both sides to the decision of the Madison County school board to remove or cover Bible verses on a donated monument at the football stadium. The monument drew threats of lawsuits from two groups concerned with the separation of church and state. Here is a sampling of comments under each poster’s chosen screen name:
Carlos: Personally, I wouldn't have permitted the statue, not because it referenced the Bible, but because invoking God on one side of a football game strikes me as a terrible idea. God choosing sides in a high school football game reduces the whole idea of religion to a triviality. It's inappropriate.
Deacon: Curious to know what the thought would be if an Islamic group made a similar donation that, instead of espousing a New Testament quote, espoused a quote from the Qu'ran. "Separation of church and state" is not in the First Amendment. Rather, it was a statement written by then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802. The First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. …" That does not mean Christians can't preach on the corner. It does mean Christians (or any other believer of any faith) can't compel anyone else, by law, to listen to them. This is why, in part, ISIS scares the heck out of us. I wholeheartedly defend the rights of every individual to keep God in their hearts in a manner they see fit. I do not condone, however, any law or institution of — or supported by — my government (telling me) how I must do so. I have to agree with the school board on this one.
Aqua: This monument was stupid from the beginning: "Let's get Jesus' blessing before we go out and brain damage one another! Yayyy team!"
Northerneighbor: I typically expect public schools to reflect the values of their communities, for better or worse.
Tom: This country has changed so much since I was a boy. It is going in the wrong direction. For example, I do not like seeing gays on TV. Do I protest, or do I just change the channel? The latter is what decent people do, including me.
Cham: Good move! Glad to see progress being made, and money not being wasted.
Bob: Think how hilarious the religion-in-public-schools outcome could be, if only the courts would open wide those heavenly gates. The arguments about Common Core are silly enough, but if the federal government starts providing standards and guidelines for religious education in public schools, the Bible Belt citizenry would likely erupt in a frenzy of mass hysteria.
Milton: A donated monument containing a couple of Bible verses constitutes religious training? Freedom of religion is not freedom from religion. We better take the Pledge of Allegiance out of school, make sure students do not spend American currency with the word "God" on it, and outlaw Bibles from schools.
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