Coming to a stadium near you if the left-wing
secular radicals have their way?
.
.
What comes to mind when one hears of religious intolerance?
Would that be the kind of fervent anti-Semitism which was once sadly widespread across the country?
Would it be the way some people view the Mormons for their revisions of Christianity?
Surely, the news media considers anything directed at followers of Islam even when it’s honest reporting of factual situations that uncloak some of the religion’s barbaric practices religious intolerance?
How things have changed. Now the simple act of praying in some places subjects the worshiper to unbelievable harassment. Two California college students have been threatened with suspension because one of them was visiting one of her professors who had taken ill and she offered a sympathetic prayer for her ailing instructor to which the professor consented. This episode took place at the College of Alameda. The story originated just before Christmas in 2007 when a student, Kandy Kyriacou, stopped by her professor’s office to drop off a Christmas gift. Finding her teacher ill, she offered a prayer, as her professor bowed her head and she began the prayer, the other faculty member who shared the office, Derek Piazza burst in shouting, “You can’t be doing that in here!”
Ms. Kyriacou left the office rejoining with a friend of hers, Ojoma Omaga, but Mr. Piazza was not through yet. He continued his scolding tirade against the girls. If that was not intolerant enough, days later, both students got letters from the school indicating the institution’s “intent to suspend” referring to “disruptive or insulting behavior” and “willful disobedience.” The letters provided no facts to support their charges. In a subsequent administrative hearing, the school indicated that Ms. Kyriacou was being punished for praying for her sick teacher, but they offered nothing more than Ms. Omaga was in her company – as in guilt by association. The irony in this situation is the girls reported Mr. Piazza’s condescending behavior which boomeranged into suspension letters being issued to the girls.
The school refused to rescind the letters prompting lawsuits since the students were in danger of suspension or expulsion for any other disciplinary matter such as again praying on campus. God forbid, a pocket Bible might fall out of one of the girls’ purses.
The girls sought legal assistance from the Pacific Justice Institute. It is still not clear whether justice will ultimately be resolved for these two young ladies. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston refused the college’s attempts to have the case thrown out of court.
The extent to which public schools and universities are persecuting students who openly profess their faith is a dangerous phenomenon for which their have been far too many episodes reported where students have even been punished for giving classmates Christmas cards.
The attitude of the radical left is that any expression of religion outside a person’s private residence or within the confines of a house of worship is absolutely unacceptable behavior subject to the force of law where they can find complicit school officials, mindless municipal officials, or wicked lawyers who might pursue such issues in civil court.
In their world of a “living Constitution” one which can be twisted and reconstructed to fit any twisted philosophy of law and public policy, the First Amendment means the freedom from religion. No person living in the United States should ever be subjected to the sight of a Christian practicing his or her faith. Ironically, these same iconoclasts would also support that public institutions should provide for feet washing stations and even accommodations for prayer rugs for Muslim students attending state schools or Muslims working for state offices.
“Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion or the free expression thereof.” As such, students attending state run institutions should be able to express and discuss their religion with no fear of consequence and should certainly be able to pray as long as their not disrupting class, “Excuse me, Professor Pinhead, but I was so shocked by Lady MacBeth’s behavior, I’d like to have the class join me in prayer!”
Any American who is not angered by this case where a young lady is punished for an act of unselfish caring for another person simply has no idea what being American means. What should we make of the rude, boorish behavior of Professor Piazza who’d so hideously overreact to a student’s act of thoughtfulness. What is so offensive about simply walking in on a prayer to begin with. It wasn’t as if Ms. Kandy Kyriacou was trying to convert him or criticize his moral values.
Clearly, Mr. Piazza is the person who should have a letter of reprimand entered in his personnel folder. That the school even had the capacity to contemplate discipline against he girls is very annoying. Every school administrator involved in the decision making process to issue the suspension letters must be held to account for such extreme, inappropriate, and mean-spirited behavior. Surely, at least one school administrator should be suspended without pay for a few days and be required to write a thorough and appropriate letter of apology to these students.
The religious intolerance of the liberal elite in this country whose radical commitment to a totally secular world cannot go unchallenged. All defenders of human rights and people of faith must take this matter very seriously. Any such occurrences in any community must be publicized so those responsible can face the public outcry they deserve.
Would that be the kind of fervent anti-Semitism which was once sadly widespread across the country?
Would it be the way some people view the Mormons for their revisions of Christianity?
Surely, the news media considers anything directed at followers of Islam even when it’s honest reporting of factual situations that uncloak some of the religion’s barbaric practices religious intolerance?
How things have changed. Now the simple act of praying in some places subjects the worshiper to unbelievable harassment. Two California college students have been threatened with suspension because one of them was visiting one of her professors who had taken ill and she offered a sympathetic prayer for her ailing instructor to which the professor consented. This episode took place at the College of Alameda. The story originated just before Christmas in 2007 when a student, Kandy Kyriacou, stopped by her professor’s office to drop off a Christmas gift. Finding her teacher ill, she offered a prayer, as her professor bowed her head and she began the prayer, the other faculty member who shared the office, Derek Piazza burst in shouting, “You can’t be doing that in here!”
Ms. Kyriacou left the office rejoining with a friend of hers, Ojoma Omaga, but Mr. Piazza was not through yet. He continued his scolding tirade against the girls. If that was not intolerant enough, days later, both students got letters from the school indicating the institution’s “intent to suspend” referring to “disruptive or insulting behavior” and “willful disobedience.” The letters provided no facts to support their charges. In a subsequent administrative hearing, the school indicated that Ms. Kyriacou was being punished for praying for her sick teacher, but they offered nothing more than Ms. Omaga was in her company – as in guilt by association. The irony in this situation is the girls reported Mr. Piazza’s condescending behavior which boomeranged into suspension letters being issued to the girls.
The school refused to rescind the letters prompting lawsuits since the students were in danger of suspension or expulsion for any other disciplinary matter such as again praying on campus. God forbid, a pocket Bible might fall out of one of the girls’ purses.
The girls sought legal assistance from the Pacific Justice Institute. It is still not clear whether justice will ultimately be resolved for these two young ladies. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston refused the college’s attempts to have the case thrown out of court.
The extent to which public schools and universities are persecuting students who openly profess their faith is a dangerous phenomenon for which their have been far too many episodes reported where students have even been punished for giving classmates Christmas cards.
The attitude of the radical left is that any expression of religion outside a person’s private residence or within the confines of a house of worship is absolutely unacceptable behavior subject to the force of law where they can find complicit school officials, mindless municipal officials, or wicked lawyers who might pursue such issues in civil court.
In their world of a “living Constitution” one which can be twisted and reconstructed to fit any twisted philosophy of law and public policy, the First Amendment means the freedom from religion. No person living in the United States should ever be subjected to the sight of a Christian practicing his or her faith. Ironically, these same iconoclasts would also support that public institutions should provide for feet washing stations and even accommodations for prayer rugs for Muslim students attending state schools or Muslims working for state offices.
“Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion or the free expression thereof.” As such, students attending state run institutions should be able to express and discuss their religion with no fear of consequence and should certainly be able to pray as long as their not disrupting class, “Excuse me, Professor Pinhead, but I was so shocked by Lady MacBeth’s behavior, I’d like to have the class join me in prayer!”
Any American who is not angered by this case where a young lady is punished for an act of unselfish caring for another person simply has no idea what being American means. What should we make of the rude, boorish behavior of Professor Piazza who’d so hideously overreact to a student’s act of thoughtfulness. What is so offensive about simply walking in on a prayer to begin with. It wasn’t as if Ms. Kandy Kyriacou was trying to convert him or criticize his moral values.
Clearly, Mr. Piazza is the person who should have a letter of reprimand entered in his personnel folder. That the school even had the capacity to contemplate discipline against he girls is very annoying. Every school administrator involved in the decision making process to issue the suspension letters must be held to account for such extreme, inappropriate, and mean-spirited behavior. Surely, at least one school administrator should be suspended without pay for a few days and be required to write a thorough and appropriate letter of apology to these students.
The religious intolerance of the liberal elite in this country whose radical commitment to a totally secular world cannot go unchallenged. All defenders of human rights and people of faith must take this matter very seriously. Any such occurrences in any community must be publicized so those responsible can face the public outcry they deserve.
Silence is consent.
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