letters.A Prayer Before Kickoff I am Jewish, and as a kid growing up in a Protestant town in New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. I was always picked on. Christianity has been forced down my throat every day of my life, from "Merry Christmas!" at the grocery store to Christmas carols A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics center on the theme of Christmas or that has become associated with the Christmas season even though its lyrics may not specifically refer to Christmas. Both types of Christmas carols are included in this list. in the school choir. Prayer in school ("The Pre-Game Prayer vs. the Law," 11/27/00) is the straw that broke the camel's back The idiom the straw that broke the camel's back is from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move. This is a reference to any process by which cataclysmic failure (a broken back) is achieved by a seemingly inconsequential addition (a single straw). . It stands as a constant reminder that I am different, and that everyone else believes something else. It makes me feel violated and isolated, and I don't like it--and my government is helping me in this fight. Prayer in school violates people's rights. So please, don't pray on behalf of the public and end your statement with "in the name of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ: see Jesus. Jesus Christ 40 days after Resurrection, ascended into heaven. [N.T.: Acts 1:1–11] See : Ascension Jesus Christ kind to the poor, forgiving to the sinful. [N.T. , Our Lord," because he isn't my lord. RACHEL HERRMANN Southbury, Conn. There is no violation of the Constitution if you pray before a football game. If the government takes that away, they might as well take away the Bibles in our schools, too. I think this has been blown out of proportion and that they should lay off. If you don't want to hear the prayer, show up late at the game. MATT MAYBERRY Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, city (1990 pop. 281,140), seat of El Paso co., central Colo., on Monument and Fountain creeks, at the foot of Pikes Peak; inc. 1886. It is a year-round resort and a booming military, technological, and commercial city. , Colo. The only way schools should be allowed to pray is in the locker room, not over the loudspeaker. DONALD URBANY Farmington Hills Far·ming·ton Hills A city of southeast Michigan, an industrial suburb of Detroit. Population: 81,400. , Mich. I am not a football person, but I understand that you don't need the whole high school stadium to stand and say a prayer praising Jesus Christ. School-district spokeswoman Judy Turner Judy Turner is a New Zealand politician. She is a member of the United Future New Zealand party, having been elected to Parliament as a list MP in the 2002 elections. Before entering politics, she worked simultaneously as an art teacher and as a pastoral and community worker at an Fox says, "We have no Jewish families, we have no Muslim, no Buddhist"--but how sure is Ms. Fox? Religion is like a handful of M&Ms. They are all different colors, but once you eat the M&M, it's just chocolate. All religion has one focal point focal point n. See focus. : to lead people to recognize a higher power Higher power is a term used in a 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, to describe "a power greater than yourself." Although many participants equate their higher power with God, a belief in God or in formal religion is not mandatory; the higher power is intended as a , and help them develop into fine, smart, and caring people. Fighting anymore over religion in schools is a waste of time. In the words of Rodney King Rodney Glen King (born April 9, 1965 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an African-American taxicab driver who was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers (Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Sargent Stacey Koon) after being chased for speeding. , can't we all just get along? GLENN SCOTT MATLIN Pembroke Pines, Fla. Micah White doesn't agree with our freedom of religion at school (Opinion, 11/27/00), but then again, he formed an atheist group at his school. He also said America was founded on the principle of freedom from religion. Maybe he needs to take another look at the Constitution. CASEY SATTERFIELD Lone Star, Tex. Marian Ward says she would have no problem at all if, at another game, a student chose to make totally secular remarks. The question that begs answering is, what if a student's speech involved, say, Wicca? What about Hinduism? Islam? Satanism? School-sponsored prayer or religious action of any kind is wrong. PIERRE LORRAIN Bedford, Mass. Branded a Witch The school district that suspended Brandi Blackbear ("Witch Trial," 11/27/00) acted in a completely inappropriate manner. They accused her of witchcraft simply because she read a few books on Wicca to help her write stories. If I were to read Mein Kampf to write a history paper, does that make me a Nazi? SHREEMA MEHTA Wheatley Heights, N.Y. The idea of a person being a witch is outrageous to me. This isn't Salem, Massachusetts! CHRIS PENNANT Chicago, Ill. For Teens With Minds I am glad there is finally a magazine for teens that addresses issues we face other than what to wear for the prom or how we can win our crush. BETHANY CURETON Indianapolis, Ind. |
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