Ford told a group of ministers: “I also urge the ministers here to fight to get prayer back in schools. That’s a mission that we need to do. We need to make sure that we get prayer back in schools in some form or fashion,” KMOX, the CBS radio affiliate in St. Louis, reported.
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For someone who believes so strongly in social justice and equality, why is he willing to ignore the rights of a growing segment of our population, the non-believers, atheists and humanists — as well as all of those religious people who oppose mandated and coercive prayer in public schools?
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Public school students still have the right to pray individually or in groups and study the Bible, provided they do so in an unofficial capacity and without infringing on the rights of other students or disrupting school activities. The Supreme Court didn’t kick religion out of public schools – it just placed limits on schools’ ability to sponsor religious activities,,,Ford, of course, doesn’t see things that way. And to make matters worse, he went a step further during his remarks, saying students also need a place to go “when they feel weak,” and that schools should be able to put up shrines or religious symbols.
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As for the religious symbols, which ones, exactly, would Ford want to see in schools? Would he feel comfortable with symbols from Islam, Hinduism, Wicca or other minority traditions? Seems unlikely, and any attempts by a public school to honor one faith over others would be an obvious violation of the First Amendment.
Illinois lawmaker advocates for official worship, religious shrines in public schools
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