Hacker News Reader

Comment by el_memorioso | Hacker News Reader

In what state are public high schools allowed to "how to pray"? It sounds like her new high school isn't that good. I have a daughter at a good public high school in California in a quite liberal area. There was none of what you mentioned. One day of reviewing the syllabi and rules and quizzes in most subjects starting less than a week later.

View on HN

The law is extremely specific about this one, and this is constitutional law that overrules all other laws.

A government institution cannot promote any one religion. It's fine to have a multi-denominational non-secular common worship area. You can also promote religion as a general concept, but not a specific religion.

Whether this rule is followed or enforced properly is an entirely separate problem that we are apparently still grappling with.

Well our insane Supreme Court ruled a few years ago on a case involving a football coach praying at games that schools are forced to allow religious employees to do their weird religious ceremony at school events.

Why shouldnt the football coach be able to pray on the field, alone, without forcing their belief on others? That seems extremely reasonable. Making students also pray would be bad,but he didnt do that.

Because he’s a football coach and there is almost always an implication that you toe the line or face reprisal.

It’s also in poor taste. Jesus himself commented on performative piety:

“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may observe them doing so. Amen, I say to you, they have already received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you“

Fortunately for the coach, the gospels are not binding precedent.

> Because he’s a football coach and there is almost always an implication that you toe the line or face reprisal.

This sounds like nobody in a position of power should be allowed to openly do anything that people around them have the right to not do. Which would be kinda bs.

Very much not an accurate description of what was actually happening, despite what the court’s majority claimed (egregious and surely, at least often, willful factual errors in majority opinions are a hallmark of the Roberts court)

Luckily there are both witness accounts and photos in this case, so it’s pretty clear what was really going on.

> Why shouldnt the football coach be able to pray on the field, alone, without forcing their belief on others?

Because they're an authority figure in that context.

Same reason I can flirt with you, but your boss can't.

Who says you can’t find true love on Hacker News!

I strongly encourage you to glance at the dissents for that case. That is very much not the case. The Supreme Court willingly ignored very important evidence that was the case.

Because he's an employee being paid to do what he's told and the school told him not to because it was causing a disturbance. Why does he have to practice his religion on his employer's time? Let's say he was cussing during school hours, would it violate his 1st amendment rights if the school told him to stop?

I don't know if "how to pray" is covered, but Texas passed legislation requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools.

>I don't know if "how to pray" is covered, but Texas passed legislation requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools.

Yes. Apparently that's SB10. SB11 covers praying in school.

cf. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45194376

Reply on news.ycombinator.com