Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 01:52 PM Feb 2015

RNC Member: Removing Prayer From School Led To 'Assault, Rape, Murder'

By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 11:24 AM EST

A Republican National Committee member from Iowa last week claimed that the end of school prayer led to an uptick in serious crimes committed by students.

RNC committeewoman Tamara Scott on Friday joined the "View From a Pew" radio program to discuss her experience at Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) prayer rally.

"When the prayer came out in the ‘70s --- and that’s one of the things that I prayed for last week in Louisiana with 6,000 people: repentance. Because we as a church should have never have let that happen, we should never have allowed prayer to be taken out of our schools," she said, according to video published by Right Wing Watch.

Scott then cited conservative activist David Barton, claiming that the end of school prayer has hurt the nation.

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rnc-member-school-prayer-crime


12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

NoJusticeNoPeace

(5,018 posts)
1. PLEASE say what you REALLY mean!
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 01:55 PM
Feb 2015

You hate Muslims and all other religins and you hate all non white rightwing straight fake christians.

I say fake because you canNOT be what she is and be a christian.

 

ChosenUnWisely

(588 posts)
2. It is well documented in the Old Testament that God was FOR Rape, Murder and Assault, many times
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 01:59 PM
Feb 2015

God even commanded his followers to Rape, Murder and Assault other humans.

So according to her if kids in school don't pray to a god who commands his follower's to Rape, Murder and Assault then the kids will Rape, Murder and Assault anyway without Gods blessing?

ck4829

(35,078 posts)
3. Wait a second, hasn't the violent crime rate gone down? Hmm.
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 02:13 PM
Feb 2015

And students can pray, but I guess it's not REAL prayer if the students are being led by the principal and they are all praying to the same god, right?

The ideology of Tamara Scott and David Barton is what you get when you arrive at the intersection of cherry picking and a sensationalist media. You are convinced that the idea that no school-led prayer is a bad, bad thing and you are looking for things to confirm this on one side and on the other you have a media spoonfeeding you stories of wild violence, voila.

 

hifiguy

(33,688 posts)
4. More bullshit on stilts.
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 02:21 PM
Feb 2015

Re the horse hockey about the omipresence of prayer in schools in the "old days": My mother was raised in a small town in NW Minnesota in the '30s and '40s (she was born in 1922). They never had prayer in schools in her day. I know because she told me so and thought the idea was ridiculous.

hedda_foil

(16,375 posts)
6. Me too. I started school in 1950 in Chicago. I think it was more of a Southern thing.
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 02:54 PM
Feb 2015

Where did you grow up.

 

Bigmack

(8,020 posts)
7. Which prayer...?
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 03:11 PM
Feb 2015

All denominations..? Satanists?

Satire is wasted on Teapublicans, but....
My favorite "Letter" about school prayer...

"Dear John,

As you know, We've been working real hard in our town to get prayer back in our schools. Finally, the school board approved a plan of teacher-led prayer with the children participating at their own option. Children not wishing to participate were to be allowed to stand out in the hallway during prayer time. We hoped someone would sue us so we could go all the way to the Supreme Court and get the old devil-inspired ruling reversed.

Naturally, we were all excited by the school board action. As you know, our own little Billy (not so little, any more though) is now in the second grade. Of course, Margaret and I explained to him no matter what the other kids did, he was going to stay in the classroom and participate.

After the first day of school, I asked him "How did the prayer time go?"

"Fine."

"Did many kids go out into the hallway?"

"Two".

"Excellent. How did you like your teacher's prayer?"

"It was different, Dad. Real different from the way you pray."

"Oh? Like how?"

"She said, 'Hail Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners...'"

The next day I talked with the principal. I politely explained I wasn't prejudiced against Catholics but I would appreciate Billy bein transferred to a non-Catholic teacher. The principal said it would be done right away.

At supper that evening I asked Billy to say the blessings. He slipped out of his chair, sat cross- legged, closed his eyes, raised his hand palms up in the air and began to hum.

You'd better believe I was at the principal's office at eight o'clock the next morning. "Look," I said. 'I don't really know much about these Transcendental Meditationists, but I would feel a lot more comfortable If you could move Billy to a room where the teacher practices an older, more established religion."

That afternoon I met Billy as soon as he walked in the door after school.

"I don't think you're going to like Mrs. Nakasone's prayer either, Dad."

"Out with it."

"She kept chanting Namu Amida Butsu..."

The following morning I was waiting for the principal in the school parking lot. "Look, I don't want my son praying to the Eternal Spirit of whatever to Buddha. I want him to have a teacher who prays in Jesus' name!"

"What about Bertha Smith?"

"Excellent."

I could hardly wait to hear about Mrs. Smith's prayer. I was standing on the front steps of the school when the final bell rang.

"Well?" I asked Billy as we walked towards the car.

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Mrs. Smith asked God to bless us and ended her prayer in Jesus' name, amen just like you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Now we're getting some place."

"She even taught us a verse of scripture about prayer," said Billy.

I beamed. "Wonderful. What was the verse?"

"Lets see..." he mused for a moment. "And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God."

We had reached the car. "Fantastic," I said reaching for the door handle. Then paused. I couldn't place the scripture. "Billy, did Mrs. Smith say what book that verse was from?"

"Third Nephi, chapter 19, verse 18."

"Nephi what?"
"Nephi," he said. "It's in the Book of Mormon.

The school board doesn't meet for a month. I've given Billy very definite instructions that at prayer time each day he's to go out into the hallway. I plan to be at that board meeting. If they don't do something about this situation, I'll sue. I'll take it all the way to the Supreme Court if I have to. I don't need schools or anybody else teaching my son about religion. We can take care of that ourselves at home and at church, thank you very much.

Best Wishes Always,
Bill

Response to DonViejo (Original post)

Archae

(46,340 posts)
9. One of my relatives put this "Put God Back In The Schools" picture on her FB.
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 05:01 PM
Feb 2015

I posted the facts to her.

The fact that God was never taken out of the schools.
MANDATORY religion was.

As one of my teachers said 40 years ago, "As long as there are pop quizzes, there will be prayer in schools."

And there were back then, and there still are, student prayer groups in schools.

But talibornagains like the ditwit in the OP want "the good old days" back, when they could force THEIR religion on all kids in public schools.

tanyev

(42,588 posts)
11. If you want prayer in 'your' schools, then start your own private schools.
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 07:14 PM
Feb 2015

And let the buyer beware.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»RNC Member: Removing Pray...