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Reprinted from NewsMax.com
Tide Turning for Values Court Cases?
Pat Boone
Monday, March 12, 2007
In the space, over the last year or so, I've found myself complaining about a lot of things.
Things that indicate America is losing its bearings, or that the majority of good old-fashioned citizens — who still hold to the traditions and priorities that have defined us for 200-plus years — are letting those traditions and priorities be wrenched from us by a militant leftist minority.
It's very troubling; it's wrong; it's undemocratic and actually destructive to the American vision; and I've felt I had to speak out about it.
Well, whaddya know? I've got something good, something very hopeful to comment on this weekend. In fact, I've got a couple of good somethings. Maybe not all is lost, after all. At least, not yet.
First, there's the case of young Poway High School student Tyler Chase Harper. In 2004, the kid was suspended by school officials for simply wearing a T-shirt to school that bore the message "I will not accept what God has condemned," and on the back "Homosexuality is shameful. Romans 1:27."
Now, all over this country kids wear T-shirts sporting all kinds of slogans and messages, some like "He's not my president" and "Make love, not war," and some political, some sexual, many distasteful to say the least. But young Tyler wore his personal statement on the school district's "Day of Silence," openly meant to encourage tolerance of gays. Other students were allowed to wear pro-gay messages, completely regardless of what the majority of parents felt about it; but school officials, claiming that Harper's "negative" message could be disruptive, suspended him.
In their view, it was a good thing for a minority to promote their lifestyle, on the premise that it encouraged "tolerance." But their tolerance did not extend to a scripture-grounded view, even on one T-shirt.
In a high school setting, where teachers and administrators used to advocate normal rules of behavior and moral standards, there was an obvious intention to legitimize aberrant behavior — and no religion-based dissenting opinion would be tolerated.
In an environment meant to teach the value of freedom of speech and inquiry, and to teach kids to learn from the past but to think and express themselves independently — the "Day of Silence" was clearly intended to silence anyone who might bring religious sources to bear in speaking out for hallowed traditions and the moral norms of all our entire history. But thankfully, that's not the end of the story, for once.
An excellent group of lawyers from the Alliance Defense Fund learned about Tyler Harper and came to his defense. One of their best, attorney Jordan Lorence, found himself facing the increasingly notorious Judge Stephen Reinhardt and a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — the most often overturned court in the country, and one tending to bring ruinous effect on our culture.
Not surprisingly, the same judge who agreed with Michael Newdow that the two words "under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance were unconstitutional, ruled in favor of the school district and against the student. A three-judge panel including Reinhardt allowed the school district to continue its "appropriate" prohibition of religious expression exactly as it had prohibited Tyler Harper's.
Well, attorney Lorence appealed the case to our Supreme Court, and on March 5, our highest court "vacated," set aside, rendered null and void without a hearing, the Ninth Circuit panel's "precedent" legitimizing the school officials' un-American policy! Now the case will get to be adjudicated through the normal appeals process that Judge Reinhardt's panel had sought to derail.
In laymen's language, the Supreme Court in an 8-to-1 decision simply told Reinhardt to get lost, and to let this case move through the courts (all the way up through their Supreme one, as it may happen) without his stacking the deck! And a young high school student, Tyler Chase Harper (with the expert help of a valiant lawyer) won the day for all of us, fighting for our right to take personal positions contrary to corrosive "political correctness" arbitrarily handed down from public officials.
On another front, the final verdict isn't in, but another brave and accomplished legal group, The Rutherford Institute, has stepped forward to defend and represent a distinguished U.S. Navy Chaplin, Gordon James Klingenschmitt. This dedicated man served in wartime combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard USS Anzio, and his chaplain programs won six awards (including "Best in Navy") for community service. But he too ran afoul of the new "political correctness" when, in one optionally-attended Christian memorial service inside a Navy base chapel, he quoted "exclusive" Bible verses that claim (John 3:36) Jesus is the way to heaven.
The service was not mandatory for anybody, just open to those who wanted to attend, but his commanding officer punished him in writing three times, downgraded his evaluations for praying "in Jesus' name."
Remember, this is a Christian chaplain, paid by the military to support and minister to any and all sailors who might want his help, but especially to those who share his Christian faith.
Jewish chaplains are free to speak and minister from a Jewish perspective, as are Muslims from their backgrounds. But the chief of Navy Chaplains ordered him to stop praying "in Jesus' name," and another commander stripped him of his regulatory right to wear his uniform during public worship; finally the secretary of the Navy signed a constitutionally questionable policy requiring all chaplains to pray "non-sectarian" prayers outside of Sunday chapel!
In America, the land of the free!
With religious discrimination already about to end his distinguished career, Chaplain Klingenschmidt staged an 18-day hunger strike in front of the White House. His story was reported on the front pages of the Washington Times, Washington Post, and The New York Times, and the Navy backpedaled to renew his contract. But then his fatal mistake; he joined Judge Roy Moore, the "Ten Commandments judge" in a public prayer while wearing his Navy uniform. He was court-martialed for "disobeying orders," and his "guilty" verdict ran in 520 newspapers.
Angered by anti-Christian persecution of chaplains, 300,000 Americans petitioned the president, and 75 congressmen and 29 pro-family groups cited Klingenschmitt's case, asking the president to let chaplains who so choose to pray "in Jesus' name."
Congress formally rebuked the secretary of the Navy by ordering him to rescind his prayer policy. He did, but still refuses to reinstate the chaplain, who says "even if it cost my million dollar pension, it was worth it, since Congress agreed with me, and gave other chaplains the freedom I was denied. I never watered down my prayers or sermons. I'll always pray in Jesus' name." And he has given up his 16-year career, and that pension. But his bravery and conviction helped overturn national policy and secured again the rights of chaplains of all faiths to pray according to their training and conscience.
The Rutherford Institute is still in the fight, representing Klingenschmitt and 68 other chaplains now suing the Navy in federal court.
Suing the Navy! Has nobody in the upper echelons of our military read the history of our country, notably the early dictates of our Founding Fathers concerning the military?
Are they totally unaware that Presidents Washington and Jefferson ordained the chaplaincy and appropriated taxpayer funds to pay them to propagate "the gospel," the Christian faith?
Have they forgotten the words of Thomas Jefferson: "Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?"
Did nobody read them the message of Washington to his troops in 1776 "The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public distress and danger?
"The general hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier, defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country?"
As I said at the start, there's a lot to complain about today. But these two stories stir hope in me that all is not lost, that there are still a lot of our countrymen and women who remember who we are, and how we got here. These Americans are willing to stand against the rising tide of humanism and relativistic philosophy…to sacrifice greatly, if need be, to defend our real liberties and the freedom to express our individual and collective faith, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
You can count me one of them.
Tide Turning for Values Court Cases?
Pat Boone
Monday, March 12, 2007
In the space, over the last year or so, I've found myself complaining about a lot of things.
Things that indicate America is losing its bearings, or that the majority of good old-fashioned citizens — who still hold to the traditions and priorities that have defined us for 200-plus years — are letting those traditions and priorities be wrenched from us by a militant leftist minority.
It's very troubling; it's wrong; it's undemocratic and actually destructive to the American vision; and I've felt I had to speak out about it.
Well, whaddya know? I've got something good, something very hopeful to comment on this weekend. In fact, I've got a couple of good somethings. Maybe not all is lost, after all. At least, not yet.
First, there's the case of young Poway High School student Tyler Chase Harper. In 2004, the kid was suspended by school officials for simply wearing a T-shirt to school that bore the message "I will not accept what God has condemned," and on the back "Homosexuality is shameful. Romans 1:27."
Now, all over this country kids wear T-shirts sporting all kinds of slogans and messages, some like "He's not my president" and "Make love, not war," and some political, some sexual, many distasteful to say the least. But young Tyler wore his personal statement on the school district's "Day of Silence," openly meant to encourage tolerance of gays. Other students were allowed to wear pro-gay messages, completely regardless of what the majority of parents felt about it; but school officials, claiming that Harper's "negative" message could be disruptive, suspended him.
In their view, it was a good thing for a minority to promote their lifestyle, on the premise that it encouraged "tolerance." But their tolerance did not extend to a scripture-grounded view, even on one T-shirt.
In a high school setting, where teachers and administrators used to advocate normal rules of behavior and moral standards, there was an obvious intention to legitimize aberrant behavior — and no religion-based dissenting opinion would be tolerated.
In an environment meant to teach the value of freedom of speech and inquiry, and to teach kids to learn from the past but to think and express themselves independently — the "Day of Silence" was clearly intended to silence anyone who might bring religious sources to bear in speaking out for hallowed traditions and the moral norms of all our entire history. But thankfully, that's not the end of the story, for once.
An excellent group of lawyers from the Alliance Defense Fund learned about Tyler Harper and came to his defense. One of their best, attorney Jordan Lorence, found himself facing the increasingly notorious Judge Stephen Reinhardt and a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — the most often overturned court in the country, and one tending to bring ruinous effect on our culture.
Not surprisingly, the same judge who agreed with Michael Newdow that the two words "under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance were unconstitutional, ruled in favor of the school district and against the student. A three-judge panel including Reinhardt allowed the school district to continue its "appropriate" prohibition of religious expression exactly as it had prohibited Tyler Harper's.
Well, attorney Lorence appealed the case to our Supreme Court, and on March 5, our highest court "vacated," set aside, rendered null and void without a hearing, the Ninth Circuit panel's "precedent" legitimizing the school officials' un-American policy! Now the case will get to be adjudicated through the normal appeals process that Judge Reinhardt's panel had sought to derail.
In laymen's language, the Supreme Court in an 8-to-1 decision simply told Reinhardt to get lost, and to let this case move through the courts (all the way up through their Supreme one, as it may happen) without his stacking the deck! And a young high school student, Tyler Chase Harper (with the expert help of a valiant lawyer) won the day for all of us, fighting for our right to take personal positions contrary to corrosive "political correctness" arbitrarily handed down from public officials.
On another front, the final verdict isn't in, but another brave and accomplished legal group, The Rutherford Institute, has stepped forward to defend and represent a distinguished U.S. Navy Chaplin, Gordon James Klingenschmitt. This dedicated man served in wartime combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard USS Anzio, and his chaplain programs won six awards (including "Best in Navy") for community service. But he too ran afoul of the new "political correctness" when, in one optionally-attended Christian memorial service inside a Navy base chapel, he quoted "exclusive" Bible verses that claim (John 3:36) Jesus is the way to heaven.
The service was not mandatory for anybody, just open to those who wanted to attend, but his commanding officer punished him in writing three times, downgraded his evaluations for praying "in Jesus' name."
Remember, this is a Christian chaplain, paid by the military to support and minister to any and all sailors who might want his help, but especially to those who share his Christian faith.
Jewish chaplains are free to speak and minister from a Jewish perspective, as are Muslims from their backgrounds. But the chief of Navy Chaplains ordered him to stop praying "in Jesus' name," and another commander stripped him of his regulatory right to wear his uniform during public worship; finally the secretary of the Navy signed a constitutionally questionable policy requiring all chaplains to pray "non-sectarian" prayers outside of Sunday chapel!
In America, the land of the free!
With religious discrimination already about to end his distinguished career, Chaplain Klingenschmidt staged an 18-day hunger strike in front of the White House. His story was reported on the front pages of the Washington Times, Washington Post, and The New York Times, and the Navy backpedaled to renew his contract. But then his fatal mistake; he joined Judge Roy Moore, the "Ten Commandments judge" in a public prayer while wearing his Navy uniform. He was court-martialed for "disobeying orders," and his "guilty" verdict ran in 520 newspapers.
Angered by anti-Christian persecution of chaplains, 300,000 Americans petitioned the president, and 75 congressmen and 29 pro-family groups cited Klingenschmitt's case, asking the president to let chaplains who so choose to pray "in Jesus' name."
Congress formally rebuked the secretary of the Navy by ordering him to rescind his prayer policy. He did, but still refuses to reinstate the chaplain, who says "even if it cost my million dollar pension, it was worth it, since Congress agreed with me, and gave other chaplains the freedom I was denied. I never watered down my prayers or sermons. I'll always pray in Jesus' name." And he has given up his 16-year career, and that pension. But his bravery and conviction helped overturn national policy and secured again the rights of chaplains of all faiths to pray according to their training and conscience.
The Rutherford Institute is still in the fight, representing Klingenschmitt and 68 other chaplains now suing the Navy in federal court.
Suing the Navy! Has nobody in the upper echelons of our military read the history of our country, notably the early dictates of our Founding Fathers concerning the military?
Are they totally unaware that Presidents Washington and Jefferson ordained the chaplaincy and appropriated taxpayer funds to pay them to propagate "the gospel," the Christian faith?
Have they forgotten the words of Thomas Jefferson: "Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?"
Did nobody read them the message of Washington to his troops in 1776 "The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public distress and danger?
"The general hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier, defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country?"
As I said at the start, there's a lot to complain about today. But these two stories stir hope in me that all is not lost, that there are still a lot of our countrymen and women who remember who we are, and how we got here. These Americans are willing to stand against the rising tide of humanism and relativistic philosophy…to sacrifice greatly, if need be, to defend our real liberties and the freedom to express our individual and collective faith, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
You can count me one of them.