Supreme Court was Right to Decline Public School Worship Case (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | As a Christian, I enjoy the right to pray to and serve the God I believe in where ever and whenever I want. I have prayed with others and will continue to -- even in public places. I believe this is a right granted to all Americans through freedom of religion, regardless of what religion they believe.

However, I think that the Supreme Court was right to decline taking the Bronx Household of Faith's appeal, as reported by Reuters. The justices were asked to review a ruling by the U.S. appeals court, which upheld the New York City Board of Education policy against religious worship at its schools. The Bronx Household of Faith and about 60 other church congregations have been allowed to use public school classrooms and auditoriums for worship after school hours and on weekends following an injunction that allowed this to take place. The appeals court set aside this injunction.

According to the attorney for the religious group, the policy against religious worship was viewpoint discrimination and authorized censorship of private religious speakers.

I disagree. I think the Constitution, under freedom of religion, allows for individuals in public places such as school to say the name of God, provided they don't force others to. It even allows for people to come together and pray in a variety of circumstances, provided they're not compelling others to.

But just individuals would not want the state to tell them what religion they should subscribe to, nor should the taxpayers in New York be on the hook for financing the facilities of any particular religion. A public school is not a church and it should not be.

Having regularly held worship services for one particular religion inside of a public school is basically saying this particular religion's "church" is housed at the school. It is placing the costs of maintaining the facilities of said "church" -- including utilities and maintenance -- on the shoulders of the state by way of the public's tax money, a public that may or may not wish to fund the upkeep of this church's facilities.

And that, as far as I can tell, muddies the separating line between church and state as much as anything could.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/education/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111205/pl_ac/10605625_supreme_court_was_right_to_decline_public_school_worship_case

nhl realignment long island serial killer kristin chenoweth country music awards new earth heisman light year