Bastrop High School Removes Prayer from Graduation Ceremony
By: Kayla Williams
Updated: May 20, 2011
Just days away from walking across the stage and finishing high school, senior Gabriel Broadway gets a text message that surprised her. "I got a forward about not being able to pray. I'd like my future to be blessed." said Broadway.
Gabriel and 200 other students from Bastrop High School will not have prayer at their Friday graduation ceremony.
Why? An atheist student who says his constitutional rights will be violated at the commencement ceremony. Stacey Pullen, principal at Bastrop High says it all started with an email she received on Tuesday. The email sent by the atheist student said prayer at the ceremony would be a direct violation to his constitutional rights.
Pullen says with the advice of school Attorney Steve Katz, the prayer has been removed. "We did make the decision to take our prayer off our program. We'll observe a moment of silence in place of prayer at our graduation." said Pullen. So where does that leave students like Gabriel and those who believe in prayer? "I'm a Christian, I don't think its right that we shouldn't pray for our seniors" said Broadway. "He's one student out of over 200 plus. I don't think it should deprive the rest of the student body from prayer." said Dakota Hawkins, another senior from Bastrop High School.
Concerned parents say, prayer is not forced on anyone. "If he's an atheist let him believe what he wants to believe, but he doesn't have to participate. He doesn't have to bow his head. It's his choice." said Ross Carter, whose daughter is graduating on Friday.
One thing is for sure; parents, students and members of the community filled the steps of 1st Baptist Church not because they're angry but because they believe in one thing: Their faith in God. And on Friday, regardless of what happens, on this afternoon; they prayed.
Comments
I find the writer of this article very arrogant,
according to the bible (Matthew Chapter 6 verse 5) it says "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." And this is exactly what they did. And also, it is not the one student who feels he is being offended, they are breaking the law. Dakota Hawkins statement that the majority is always right would meen that he thinks that Gabriel Broadway should be a slave.
according to the bible (Matthew Chapter 6 verse 5) it says "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." And this is exactly what they did. And also, it is not the one student who feels he is being offended, they are breaking the law. Dakota Hawkins statement that the majority is always right would meen that he thinks that Gabriel Broadway should be a slave.
Anonymous A.
June 6, 2011 at 12:18 am
lets all pray for Allah instead. It should be part of the graduation for the students to be blessed by Allah.
Gustav G.
May 25, 2011 at 3:25 am
This article is trash. And it is apparent that this kayla person is not very good at her job. Though it is louisianna so....
test t.
May 20, 2011 at 7:37 pm
"We will observe a moment of silence in it's place."
No journalistic integrity whatsoever. I know it's hard to do actual research and be a real reporter but, please read up on Wallace V. Jaffree. You do your network and every person on it a great disservice with this uninformed newscast.
No journalistic integrity whatsoever. I know it's hard to do actual research and be a real reporter but, please read up on Wallace V. Jaffree. You do your network and every person on it a great disservice with this uninformed newscast.
Kefka K.
May 20, 2011 at 5:07 pm
[quote name="jayne"]If a student wishes to pray out loud during the moment of silence they should do so.. this is their constitutional right as well... perhaps all the religious students should get together and pick one prayer to all say as one! People who love and believe in God shouldn't have their rights taken away either...[/quote]
Doesn't the Christian religion teach you to obey the law of the land, aka the US Government(Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1)? If it's the law that prevents prayer from this ceremony shouldn't all Christians abide by it? If any Christian does this, they are being vain and prideful. They are performing at the least two of the 10 deadly sins! You all are trying, very hard I might add, to make Christians the victims. YOU ARE NOT! You've been the aggressor this whole time! If you were a true Christian you'd listen to Jesus, pray in private (Matthew 6:5-7)
Doesn't the Christian religion teach you to obey the law of the land, aka the US Government(Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1)? If it's the law that prevents prayer from this ceremony shouldn't all Christians abide by it? If any Christian does this, they are being vain and prideful. They are performing at the least two of the 10 deadly sins! You all are trying, very hard I might add, to make Christians the victims. YOU ARE NOT! You've been the aggressor this whole time! If you were a true Christian you'd listen to Jesus, pray in private (Matthew 6:5-7)
DubleA D.
May 20, 2011 at 3:05 pm
To read/watch Kayla’s biased news reporting was to witness nothing less than journalistic suicide. How can a respectable news journalist pepper her news piece with so many irrational dollops of drivel while occluding logic and common sense?
Kayla interviews people who are obviously Christians in her piece but fails to impugn their comments in any way. Why doesn’t she mention the fact that the Supreme Court has recognized a prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in schools? Why doesn’t she refer to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment? Why doesn’t she reference the “Lemon test”, which states that any practice sponsored within state run schools must: have a secular purpose, neither advance nor inhibit religion, and not result in an excessive entanglement between government and religion? Bastrop High School’s graduation prayer clearly fails the “Lemon test”. Why don’t these people see this?
Kayla interviews people who are obviously Christians in her piece but fails to impugn their comments in any way. Why doesn’t she mention the fact that the Supreme Court has recognized a prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in schools? Why doesn’t she refer to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment? Why doesn’t she reference the “Lemon test”, which states that any practice sponsored within state run schools must: have a secular purpose, neither advance nor inhibit religion, and not result in an excessive entanglement between government and religion? Bastrop High School’s graduation prayer clearly fails the “Lemon test”. Why don’t these people see this?
Tyson T.
May 20, 2011 at 6:15 am
If a student wishes to pray out loud during the moment of silence they should do so.. this is their constitutional right as well... perhaps all the religious students should get together and pick one prayer to all say as one! People who love and believe in God shouldn't have their rights taken away either...
jayne j.
May 19, 2011 at 11:59 pm
Why did myarklamiss lock this at 5/5? That seems pretty shady to me. Why even bother having a rating system, if you're not going to listen to people's input?
Also, this "article" seems awfully one-sided and biased. I'd hardly call it reporting at all.
Also, this "article" seems awfully one-sided and biased. I'd hardly call it reporting at all.
George W.
May 19, 2011 at 11:15 pm
This article is incredibly biased and only shows the point of view of those who are religious. It is sad to see that so many people are willing to go against the very first amendment: freedom of religion.
The school did the right thing by removing the prayer, while still giving Christians an opportunity to pray for their seniors, as they wished. It is absolutely ridiculous to single out a student who was only trying to get what he deserved, as is stated in the Constitution.
This article does not deserve any stars, but it seems that we all have the same ip address:
You voted already.
Your ip is: 10.16.150.6
The school did the right thing by removing the prayer, while still giving Christians an opportunity to pray for their seniors, as they wished. It is absolutely ridiculous to single out a student who was only trying to get what he deserved, as is stated in the Constitution.
This article does not deserve any stars, but it seems that we all have the same ip address:
You voted already.
Your ip is: 10.16.150.6
Anna A.
May 19, 2011 at 10:28 pm
This is such a disappointing story. Please change the title to "Undereducated hillbillies upset about smart kid rejecting their religion", and fix your broken rating system.
Nolan B.
May 19, 2011 at 9:30 pm
What a coincidence! my ip is also shown as '10.16.150.6' Interesting vote system, because this story definitely deserves 1 star.
The whole point here is that religion is deeply personal. Because of that prayer should be 'opt in' instead of 'opt out.'
If students feel strongly about including prayer than organize a special prayer time before or after then ceremony. It accomplishes the same thing without confronting anybody else with your religion.
It is humorous to consider, however, that if a Muslim student wanted to include a prayer from their religion in the ceremony the same people upset over this would be outraged.
I don't see a single problem with what this student has requested, and I am a Catholic. It is in his rights. Thats America. Love it or leave it.
The whole point here is that religion is deeply personal. Because of that prayer should be 'opt in' instead of 'opt out.'
If students feel strongly about including prayer than organize a special prayer time before or after then ceremony. It accomplishes the same thing without confronting anybody else with your religion.
It is humorous to consider, however, that if a Muslim student wanted to include a prayer from their religion in the ceremony the same people upset over this would be outraged.
I don't see a single problem with what this student has requested, and I am a Catholic. It is in his rights. Thats America. Love it or leave it.
Zachary M.
May 19, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Did you hardcode that 5.0 vote on the video? Man this so called "newssite" suck.
No way you're going to climb higher in NBC after this biased (like-hell) article.
No way you're going to climb higher in NBC after this biased (like-hell) article.
leckan l.
May 19, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Congrats an article like this shows how back-water and uneducated your town really is. I'm so happy the public schools are pumping out kids that don't understand our government, im sure they will make well informed voters.
btw nice voting system(that doesn't work)
who else sees "Your ip is: 10.16.150.6"
btw nice voting system(that doesn't work)
who else sees "Your ip is: 10.16.150.6"
Matthew M.
May 19, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Rather than stating what has already been stated, please refer to the long, and very thorough points addressed in the Bastrop Enterprise.
http://www.bastropenterprise.com/features/x2132687894/Student-challenges-prayer-at-Bastrop-graduation
http://www.bastropenterprise.com/features/x2132687894/Student-challenges-prayer-at-Bastrop-graduation
Greg W.
May 19, 2011 at 5:25 pm
This is hardly balanced reporting. You speak only to disappointed Christians. And suggesting that the non-Christian not participate is simply ignorant. The United States Supreme Court summed up that position as follows: "There can be no doubt that for many, if not most, of the students at the graduation, the act of standing or remaining silent was an expression of participation in the rabbi's prayer. That was the very point of the religious exercise. It is of little comfort to a dissenter, then, to be told that, for her, the act of standing or remaining in silence signifies mere respect, rather than participation. What matters is that, given our social conventions, a reasonable dissenter in this milieu could believe that the group exercise signified her own participation or approval of it."
Lee v. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577 (1992).
Lee v. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577 (1992).
tgidenver t.
May 19, 2011 at 4:58 pm
I think all the christians are forgetting the US Constitution. There should NEVER be prayer during a Gov funded event. There is a "wall of seperation between church and state." I feel the city should ban it from happening agian.
My message to christians who oppose this: Do you feel that you are morally right? Do you still feel morally just even though it is illegal on a federal level? Having prayer is against Fed and State law. SO to resolve this, pray before, during the 'moment of silence,' or at the end.
He's just asking that the school, funded and ran by the Gov, to not favour ones (even if the majority) belief over another's.
My message to christians who oppose this: Do you feel that you are morally right? Do you still feel morally just even though it is illegal on a federal level? Having prayer is against Fed and State law. SO to resolve this, pray before, during the 'moment of silence,' or at the end.
He's just asking that the school, funded and ran by the Gov, to not favour ones (even if the majority) belief over another's.
DubleA D.
May 19, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Nobody is saying anybody can't pray. Pray all you want silently, all you want at home, all you want in your churches. Just don't force all in attendance at a PUBLIC school to sit there while you endorse one specific brand of religion.
The right to practice your religion doesn't also give you the right to force everyone else to be subjected to your same religion.
The right to practice your religion doesn't also give you the right to force everyone else to be subjected to your same religion.
Jeremy P.
May 19, 2011 at 3:56 pm
"One thing is for sure; parents, students and members of the community filled the steps of 1st Baptist Church . . . And on Friday, regardless of what happens, on this afternoon; they prayed."
With all respect: that's how it should be. Publicly-led prayer does not belong in a government-sponsored event. Public prayers should be held in churches, in homes, on street corners... anywhere not sponsored by government. It's the First Amendment.
Keep practicing your freedom of religion, and your faith. The same First Amendment that guarantees you that right, is the same amendment that prohibits government from favoring any particular religion, including Christianity.
With all respect: that's how it should be. Publicly-led prayer does not belong in a government-sponsored event. Public prayers should be held in churches, in homes, on street corners... anywhere not sponsored by government. It's the First Amendment.
Keep practicing your freedom of religion, and your faith. The same First Amendment that guarantees you that right, is the same amendment that prohibits government from favoring any particular religion, including Christianity.
John R.
May 19, 2011 at 3:50 am
