Seperation of Religion and Rights

When the laws were written to maintain a seperation of church and state there were good reasons behind them. They were designed to allow people to worship or not worship as they saw fit and to keep the government out of their religious beliefs and business. The law was designed to prevent national laws on what religion you can and cannot practice. Over the years we have completely lost sight of this purpose and have morphed the law into in some ways the opposite of its original intention, especially were Christians in America are concerned.

Seperation of church and state is decried everywhere primarly to stop religious expression of individuals now. Today in the news is the story of Olivia Turton, an 8 year old Frechtown NJ resident was denied the ability to sing "Awesome God" for her schools talent show.

"The girl was told May 10 that she could not sing the song. Her mother, Maryann Turton, protested at a school board meeting that night. She was told three days later by Joyce Brennan, the school superintendent and principal, that the religious content made it inappropriate at school, according to the lawsuit filed by the child's parents Friday morning."

This is not what the founding fathers intent was when they wrote the seperation laws. It is not a valid concern. An 8 year old child singing a song about God at her schools talent show is not a threat to society, it does not put anyone's religion at risk, it is a personal expression and it is her own.

Our schools are going to far when they fear allowing children to sing songs, hand out candy canes, have their own religious groups and profess their personal beliefs. This is a misuse of "seperation of church and state" and it moves into the realm of seperating those with religious beliefs who wish to express them from their own personal rights to freedom of speech.

An interesting point is made that the school is allowing a scene from Macbeth which contains witchcraft (which apparently does not count as religious content here) but not allowing Olivia Turton to sing her song.

What a mixed up world we live in. How far will it go? Read the whole story at "FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - School Nixes Girl's Religious Song.

Peace,
Tenn