children banned from singing god bless the USA.

[Austilias]

One person sings about "God". I don't believe in "God". It's as simple as that. I don't want to hear you sing about it, and I sure don't want my child attending a school where such beliefs are allowed to run unchecked. Keep religion out of it.

If you don't want to hear me singing then you can always not listen. If your child doesn't want to sing a song then they can always not sing. And you say it's others enforcing their own beliefs onto children?

[Deleted]

One person sings about "God". I don't believe in "God". It's as simple as that. I don't want to hear you sing about it, and I sure don't want my child attending a school where such beliefs are allowed to run unchecked. Keep religion out of it.

I agree.

However that is not quite what happened in the article. It wasn't about a government body indoctrinating children to a specific religion or a government body promoting a religion. It was a protest organised against a decision on that.

[Reg]

So basically stomp on other people's rights so your own is left alone? You have just as much freedom as anyone else by not listening to the song.

It's not stomping on anyone's rights. It is setting an even ground in public areas where people can feel comfortable and not have to worry about one religion being shown preference over another. Public schools are not about religion, it's about education. Keep your "God" to yourself in these areas.

[Grraarrgghh]

Yeah, they are protected and free. In fact, they're the ONLY ONES who get to teach their sound peer-reviewed scientific principals on creation in public schools. If anyone's being stifled, it's those who follow religion.

There yah go, that should clear it up.

[Lilfrier]

My point has merit no matter what religion is being represented. Everyone comes from different faiths or no faith at all. It is impossible to protect everyone's individual right to religious freedom in scenarios like schools. You singing about your "God" clashes with my belief there is no "God", so your song infringed upon my right to religious freedom. Not everyone can be protected at the same time, which is the whole reason separation of church and state exists.

So what you are saying is the state has to be atheist? That infringes on the rights of people to have religious views while working in government. Your complaining about being offended by the song comes from the idea that because you're offended, they can't sing. Well, because you wouldn't let them sing, you are choosing to infringe upon religious freedom.

How about this?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

If you don't believe in God, you don't believe that He has endowed you with those rights. Therefore, your belief says you have no rights under the Declaration of Independence, which says GOD gave those rights to us.

[Reg]

I agree.

However that is not quite what happened in the article. It wasn't about a government body indoctrinating children to a specific religion or a government body promoting a religion. It was a protest organised against a decision on that.

I know what the article is about. It still goes back to children singing about God in a government facility.

[Lilfrier]

There yah go, that should clear it up.

Nope, not at all. The Consitution calls for freedom of religion, yet the freedom to teach religion has been taken away. Whether or not a bunch of people have claimed atheistic beginnings as true doesn't change what the Constitution says.

[Zxzas]

I'm an Atheist and I could care less. I still say God Bless the USA. Does that make me a hypocrite? lol

It's all these Muslims and Foreign people. Get out of our country if you are going to complain.

[shadowboxer123]

I am curious about what rights are supposedly violated by a song, whatever its content. Thus far it seems this unspoken right is 'The right to be unoffended', which frankly reeks of people who need to man up. Shall we not sing songs about Santa or the Easter Bunny too?

I was wondering the same thing. I don't believe in Santa, so should I be offended during Christmas when I hear songs about him?

Apparently freedom of speech and tolerance only applies to the certain groups and here I thought it was supposed to apply to everyone.

[Eroginous]

before i post this aricle i just read it but when i was watching this on TV last night "1st time i heard of it" it sounded so bad i only heard bits and peices of what actually happened. what i hear was children banned from singing god bless the USA because it offends other cultures. my thoughts were really? you came to america to enjoy its freedoms and rights and this is what this song is about and your offended by it? but after reading this its alot more to it .

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/burn...rincipals-ban/

let me know what you think? this has nothing to do with religion in my book btw.

Good?

A lot of country stars are religious, so a lot of their songs are going to be taboo in public.

[Deleted]

So what you are saying is the state has to be atheist? That infringes on the rights of people to have religious views while working in government. Your complaining about being offended by the song comes from the idea that because you're offended, they can't sing. Well, because you wouldn't let them sing, you are choosing to infringe upon religious freedom.

How about this?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

If you don't believe in God, you don't believe that He has endowed you with those rights. Therefore, your belief says you have no rights under the Declaration of Independence, which says GOD gave those rights to us.

Uh, no.

Because human rights do not derive from a deity.

[Reg]

So what you are saying is the state has to be atheist? That infringes on the rights of people to have religious views while working in government. Your complaining about being offended by the song comes from the idea that because you're offended, they can't sing. Well, because you wouldn't let them sing, you are choosing to infringe upon religious freedom.

How about this?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

If you don't believe in God, you don't believe that He has endowed you with those rights. Therefore, your belief says you have no rights under the Declaration of Independence, which says GOD gave those rights to us.

No, I am not saying the state has to be atheist. I am saying they have to be neutral. The subject of "God" should not come out, unless it's a statement of fact, for example why the Puritans left England.

[Very Tired]

So what you are saying is the state has to be atheist? .

Yeah he never said that, the implied solution was not bringing religion up at all in schools.

[Mozu]

Next time sing a Muslim song and see if these protestors are okay with that.

[StationaryHawk]

1) It's a godawful bad song. Really, it's just horrible. The songwriter licensed it to the US military to use royalty free, so when I was in boot camp it was used as punishment. I had to run laps inside my barracks for an hour listening to that damn song.

4) Really, it's just godawful bad. I'd rather listen to a death metal version of the Titanic theme.

I'm afraid your opinions of how bad the song sounds have nothing to do with people's right to sing it. I mean, with that logic, I should be able to request that nobody listen to rap music in public areas. Roll up your windows and turn it down, guys.

[Reg]

I was wondering the same thing. I don't believe in Santa, so should I be offended during Christmas when I hear songs about him?

Apparently freedom of speech and tolerance only applies to the certain groups and here I thought it was supposed to apply to everyone.

It does apply to everyone! That's why a child who is Jewish shouldn't have to listen to his classmates sing about Santa and Jesus in school. Schools are supposed to be a facility for education, not a preacher of religion.

[ringthree]

Please demonstrate how your religious freedom is infringed by a song.

You are confusing the Free Exercise Clause with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Before you start asking smug questions, you really should have at least a cursory understanding of which you speak.

[Deleted]

Nope, not at all. The Consitution calls for freedom of religion, yet the freedom to teach religion has been taken away. Whether or not a bunch of people have claimed atheistic beginnings as true doesn't change what the Constitution says.

I'm guessing by "atheistic beginnings" you mean evolution?

Evolution's part of reality, it's a scientific theory.
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6024&page=2

Theory: In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.

The contention that evolution should be taught as a "theory, not as a fact" confuses the common use of these words with the scientific use. In science, theories do not turn into facts through the accumulation of evidence. Rather, theories are the end points of science.

In this sense, evolution is one of the strongest and most useful scientific theories we have.

It has nothing to do with belief systems, evolution is a part of reality. Science is not atheistic or religious, it is information about the universe.

[RayuEU]

While we're at it, I think "so help me God" should be left out of inaugurational oaths. This would be the prime example of why church and state should stay seperated at all times; when a president rellies on the help of a god that a large portion of the population doesn't even believe exists, you've gone wrong.

[Grraarrgghh]

So what you are saying is the state has to be atheist?

The state does not have to deny that God exists. They have to remain SECULAR (not atheist), AKA NEUTRAL.

Nope, not at all. The Consitution calls for freedom of religion, yet the freedom to teach religion has been taken away. Whether or not a bunch of people have claimed atheistic beginnings as true doesn't change what the Constitution says.

Yep, no Catholic Schools, or Baptist Colleges or any kind of religious education building exists anywhere in the USA.